Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-12-04
OLD GRUMPS.

waters stagnant and noisOmes not fal
away you will find a strip of yelvety grass
cluster of fragrant flowers, an. artistic
bit of pebble coloring, or perhaps the tI1ll
of a bird sounds sweeter there; at least the
sun shines Just as brightly as elsewhere
and glints the dull waters with the same
sparkle and radiance as when it fingers on
the bosom OF the placid lake.
One of natures incongruities, apparent
J ", was told Grumps." The oldest inhab-
itants in Ferndale could not remember
when he came among them, neither could
it be remembered that he was ever young,
and if he ever had any other name that,
too, seemed 70 be wholly forgotten "Old
Grumps" appeared TO have reached a GER
tain age, and then, for him, time stopped
Quiet, reticent and unobtrusive, how he
lived was a mystery TO himself more than
10 others, who marveled not little as to
how he managed to exist. Old, bent and
misshapen, with a forbidding countenance
and a gruff, unpleasant manner he was
not pleasant companion.
! II was strange how little children loved
/ him Every one called him cold Grumps,"
I even these tiny ones, whose sweet voices
softened 70, and the wee birds and squirrels
| huttcrad and scurried about his weather
beaten Oh hut rs though quite At home
I there
The hiIl was rough, homely little af
fair, consisting Of one room, with a large
open fireplace. It WAS built OF logs and
plastered with mud. There was one tiny
window and a ramshackle door hung with
leather hinges
The room contained several boxes One
be used for table, the two smaller ones
for seats and the long one for a couch or
bed
Everything was scrupulously neat, and
Kept ia perfect order, and the tiny room
IN summer and winter was as fragrant |
with the perfume Of blossoms as a tropical /
garden. This was the way he lived
He never accepted iavors, but was prone /
to profIer them, and Ferndale people did I
not pauronize him very literally, so he gave
away more flowers than he sold.
He is so ungracious," they said. yet nc
cepting his free will offerings with not
very good grace. rs he presented them with
a stern; you-don 't-deserye-then" sort of
an air that made them feel very small in
deed
just at the foot Of great hill IN the edge
OF sombsr wood stood the little hut, sur
rounded with huge trees, whose Ieafy
grown roof as though they loved it.
In summer the hut was a sea Of bloom
externally; It's rough sides were covered
with trailing clinging vines and rare fra
grant blossoms beautiful picture-its
masterpiece, .old GrHmps" himself, stand
NJ ia the open door, with the sunlight ,
lickerng through the iuterlacing OF leaves
md boughs, and falling aslant Of his I'M !
covered head, making halo Of his silvery /
lair II
His would have been desolate, lonely i
ife were ii not for the birds and flowers
md warm sunlight; he apparently cared 4
title for the companionship of human I
ind, II we may except the children. oeca- c
ionally =
His face was ike his life sealed book I
he ever had "kith or kin" no one knew f
: His eyes were always avertcd. none S
yer could tell what they were like. those a
FL tale windows Of the soul Who might d
iy whether JOY or sorrow lay in their o
epthss L,
II was stormy day in midwinter. snow a
" thick on highway and hedges wanted II
ime pure white buds 20 lay upon the s.
useless bosom of dead young friend: 4
little ~ the non-appearance of re
Did Guinps Who usually made us a IA
eekly cali las well as to other residents, a
king orders for his flowers. decided to "
ek him in his little home. 3,
\ ioilsome walk for "old Grumps"
we'd nearly two miles from the vintage
'oper
Ne smoke curled up from the quaint old
lmney and an air of desolation pervnded te
G surroundings Of the hut. where the nj
lifted snow piled against the low door Of
owed that no footstep Of recent date had he
aspassed therein l..
" AIDING through the white drifts. raped DO
ntly Noanswer, no sound of life within al
Again, more loudly Nought but the IS
hing Of the wind through the leahess III
anches OF The great trees greeted my lis to
lng ear Unhesitatngly | lifted the he
vi latch; the door creaked noisilv m,
8eauilfui howers hung shriveled. wilted. vii
Doping dead ii.
\ pile Of lifeless gray ashes in the open w,
aplace ~,
nvoluntarily lifted my ewes from the 10
Or, and they rested upon two fathomless bo
lie eyes gazing into mine with the limo ne,
Il sweetness Of little child-the beau fai
Il eyes of "old Grumps" MI
here was no dinness, no blur-aee had to
family passed them by-and. apparently ua,
ting calmly. he lay upon his hard box mn,
J. The horny, toll worn hands lay help Nj;
ny, touchingly, upon the thin coverlet. an,
here was no movement. and us stepned snn
rer, with that subtle awe creeping over
1 caught glimpse Of the infinite
ough the kindling expression of those r
NJ eyes. Nought but a life free from tb,.
n, a life that had suffered and grown ma
ing, could those windows OF the soul an
y such light, showing nature loving. Coz
and kind, unappreciated. misunder bif.
,d -
rand in the nobility OF a rugged endur- sne,
My fieeting glanced Almost instantly If +,
light faded softly, the weary lids ers,
'ped-he had drifted ont with the tide na,.
averently, with bowed head and clssned H.,
rs for the place stood was holy e,er
Ind. and then gently drew the faded et1e,
ring over the face that had suddenly ~,
transformed into wondrous heul,ry cs,,,
dignity-the touch OF master hand H.,
sealed with his sanction the dumb scie,
ing lips 1o'V