Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-08-22

ranged. He provided himself with
| powerful binocular Of the kind that is
now used at sea, instead of the unwieldy
old telescope, and the little girl was
| paraded by the nurse, who was in the
| secret. She played about in the sight
| she was rosy, she was full of life and
spirit. Joy filed the fathers heart; but
then came bitter pang to think that
he had faded out Of her joyous life: by
and-by he could see her no longer. for q
| mist came from his heart to his eyes: he
| bowed his head and went back to his
business, his prosperity, and his soli-
| tude. These experiments were repeat
ed at times. Moreover, Barley had the
tact never to write to him on business
without telling him something about
his girl, her clever sayings, her prett
ways, her quickness at learning from
all her teachers, and SO on. When she
was eight years old foreign agent was
required in Bartley's business, and Hope
agreed to start this agency and keep it
going till some more ordinary person
could be intruSted to work it.
Hope left for the continent with a
T proud heart, joyful heart, and sore
heart. She was lovely, she was healthy,
she was happy, she was accomplished,
but she was his no longer, not even in
| name; her love was being gained by a
stranger. and there was a barrier of
| iron, as well as the English Channel, be
| tween William Hope and his own Mary
BARLEY.
1t would weary the reader were we to
| detail the small events bearing on the
part Of the story which took place dur
| ing the next five years. Hope got peep
at his daughter now and then. On one
of his visits to BARLEY the latter COM
| planned that he had nothing to-his le-
| ultimate business at home and abroad
could now run alone. He said to Hope
II can sit here and speculate. / want to
be something myself; [ think will take
farm just to occupy me and amuse
me-"
at will not amuse you unless you
make money by it," suggested Hope.
And nobody can do that nowadays.
Farms don't pay"
"Ploughing and sowing don't pay, but
brains and money pay wherever found
together"
SWhat, on farm?"
"Why not. sir? You have only to 60
with the times. Observe the condition
of produce; grain too cheap for farmer
because continents can export grain
with little loss; fruit dear; meat dear,
because cattle cannot be driven and
sailed without risk Of life and loss of
weight; agricultural labor rising, and in
! winter unproductive, because to farm
means to plough and SOW, and reap and
NOW, and lose money. But meet those
conditions. Breed cattle, sheep, and
horses, and make the farm their feed
ing-ground. Give fifty acres to fruit;
have a little factory on the land for win
ter use, and so utilize all your farm
! hands, and the village women, who are
cheaper labOrerS than town bratS, and |
think you will make little money, be-
! sides what you make in gratuitous eggs,
poultry, fruit, horses to ride, and cart
things from the house-items which sell
dom fgurein farmers books as money,
! but we Stricter accountants know they
are"
I'll do it," said BARLEY, eff you'll be
my neighbOr, and work it with me, and
watch the share market at home and
abroad"
Hope acquiesced ioyful1y, to be near
his daughter; and they found a farm in
Sussex, with hills for the sheep, short
grass for colts, plenty of water, enough
arabic land and artificial grasses for
their purpose, and grand sunny slope
for their fruit trees, fruit bushes, and
Strawberries, with which last alone they
paid the rent.
Hope lived by himself, but not far
from his child, and often, when she
went abroad, his loving eyes watched
her every movement through his
binOcular, which might be described as
an opera-glass ten inches long. with a
small field, but telescope power.
Grace Hope, whom we will now call
Mary BARLEY, since everybody but her
father, who generally avoided her name,
called her so, was a well-grown girl of
thirteen, healthy, happy, beautiful, and
accomplished. She was the germ of a
woman, and could detect who loved her.
She saw in Hope an affection she thought
extraordinary, but instinct told her that
1t was not like young mans love, and
she accepted it with complacency, and
returned it quietly. with now and then
gush. for she could gush. and whv
not? Far from us and from our friends
be the frigid philosophy girl who
can't guSh.
Hope himself was loyal and guarded,
and kept his affection within bOundS;and
a sore struggle it was. He never allow
ed himself to kiss her, though he was
sore tempted one day, when he bought
her cream-colOred pony, and Sue flung
her arms round his neck before Mr..
BARLEY and kissed him eagerly; but he
was 81 DdSllul tIldI lllo gil 1duSu0u dG
him, and said, half pertly, Excuse the
liberty, but if you will be such duck,
why, you must take the consequences"
Said BARLEY, pompously, you must
not expect middle-aged men to be as
demonStrative as very young ladies; but
he has as much real affection for you as
you have for him."
'Then he has a good deal, papa" said
she, sweetly. Both the men were silent,
and Mary looked to one and the other,
and seemed little puzzled.
One morning Mary BARLEY and her
governess walked to a neighboring town
and enjoyed the sacred delight of shop
ping. They came back by a shortcut,
tain brook, or rivulet, called the Lyn.
This was rapid stream, and in places
pretty deep; but in one particular part
it was shallow, and crossed by large
stepping-stones, twO-thirds of which
We're generally above water. The village
girls, including Mary BARLEY, used all
to trip over these stones, and think
nothing of it, though the brook went
past at fine rate and gradually widen
ed as it flowed, till it reached a down.
right fall; after that, running no longer
down decline, it became rather lam
guild stream.
Mary and her governess came to this
ford and found it swollen by recent
rains, and foaming and curling round
the Stepplng-StOneS, and their tops only
were out of the water now.
The governeSS at once objected to
pass this current.
well, but" said Mary, "the other way
is mile round, and papa expects us to
be punctual at meals, and | am, oh. so
hungryl Dear Miss Everett, | have