The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-04-13
THE GRUMBLER.


The well known story of the two bows
who, under the cognomen of eyes and
No 4syes," went out for walk, in which
the one saw nothing worthy of record.
While the other saw a great deal both to
amuse and interest him, is a good deal
older than Sanford and Merton, where
most of us read it in the old days of long
ago. No doubt, "it. is" as we say. las
Old as the hills"-though wise men have
not yet quite settled how old they are
and as true as such proverbs usually
are. For, as a general rule. the eve sees
only what it wishes to see or cares to see;
and there are none so blind as those
who won't see," and then, perversely
enough, try to comfort themselves with
another old saying, "What the eye sees
not, the heart doesn't crave"
had been reading an old volume of
Danish proverbs about Eyes and No
Eyes. as 1t chanced, one day in October.
Just before setting out for ramble
through the woods: and as | wandered
on down one of the grassy roads | sud
denly came upon couple of squirrels at
playa downright game of frisking
roinp. The carpet under my feet was
soft and thick
Goiden and red, purple and brown,
Lightly the woodland leaves came down,
Flutterng here and whirling there
All in the hazy, ambient air;
so that not n football could be heard. and
could watch the two little merry sprites
by simply getting under the boughs of a
great copper beech and standing STILL
without chance of detection.
1t was day of dead sutry calm; and
as watched and listened, there fell on
me an air of intense stiffness and silence
that seemed to fill all the wood. Right
and left of me, on every side, were dense
masses of trees-tall feathery silver birch
broad spreading beeches, with smooth,
solemn, massive trunks; sturdy knotted
yews, looking as if they had stood there
for centuries; strong mighty oaks, with
gnnrled and twisted stems that stretched
across the winding pathway, as IL on
guard over the quiet domain. Some of
them knew well, for l had seen them
in all weathers; and again and again
found shelter from rain or sun under
their spreading boughs. They seemed
like old friends, who betray no trust;
even in winter stanch and true, as If
standing and waiting in patience and in
hope for the far off but sure DAYS of
spring, the time of new life and light;
living and dying without suffering or
self reproach; and "gifted with the divine
gift of silence" which, according to a
modern sage, is the most eloquent of all
speech, for those who can hear it, when
"The Book of Nature getteth short of
leaves"
But however golden" such silence
may be, and however divine the prophet
of Cheyne Row, this one of woodland
voices was, like all other mortal dreams.
brought suddenly to an end. All at
once, not hundred yards away, there
came pounding along over the dead
leaves little old man in a long gray
coat; with his hat pulled down over his
eyes, and stout ash plant in his hand,
with which he slashed vigorously right
and left among the briers and nettles.
II was old Ellie Bartle, strange odd
creature, who lived in a lonely cottage
at the end of the village, and spent most
of his time in minding other peoples
business. Business of his own he seemed
to have none; and the neighbors knew
no more as to who or what he was than
they did when he came among them,
stranger, twenty years ago. He had
money enough to pay his way and keep
of oh
of any kind, and seemed to have neither
relatives nor friends that ever cared to
write to or visit him.
Jacob, the postman, aifirns to this day
that no letter ever came to him by post
but a circular from the surveyor of taxes
at the county town. The moment sci
eyes on him in the wood | went back to
my book of Danish proverbs, and to one
particular line therein, which said:
"Some thercarc who see Ill, and wouldn't
mind seeing worse:" and there before me
was the very man whom the words fitted
to T.
"Well, squire" said the old man, as
he came up, here's day for October!
A regular, sweltering, moldy sort Of
day, call it; enough to breed fever all
over the place. No wonder there's two
more cases of measles down at the keep
ers; not the two boys that got bitten by
the sheep dog last week, but girls this
time; poor, sickly lot! and no wonder
with such a mother"
such motherI" said l. "Why.
what's the matter with the mother?-as
clean, tidy, hard working woman as
you'll find in days march"
Nonsense, sqthre-non-sense! They
sell gin, now. up at. Murridge's the
draper and IL Mrs. Caters isn't one of
his best customers, my name isn't
Bartle. No, no; | know what | know,
squire, though don't want it to go any
further"
you had better not let it go as far as
her husbands ears, Elzie, or he might
tumble you into the horse pond and not
help you out again. It's deep, Bartle,
and muddy too
mo doubt, squire, no doubt; but, as I
was saying when you interrupted me.
know what know, though you needn't
let it go any further. Mrs. Caters is a
good customer at Murridge's, and it was
only yesterday saw her coming cut of
his shop with round bundle under her
arm that looked as much like a bottle as
4 Il