Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-02-19

his back the two bushels of corn, SO as
to form kind of saddle, one bushel
one side, and the other on the other.
Take the corn to the mill" said
Eben have it ground, then take the
meal to Peter Rugg, and be sure to tell
him that sent it,
Harry was no idiot boy like that in
Wordsworth's tale of BETTE Foy. but
this morning his wits went wool-gather.
ing. Tho Ode on Science and his mu.
steal trinmphs OF the night before had
quite turned his head, and he started
off singing:
The morning sun shines from the east,
And spreads its glories TO the west"
This was literally true. The morning
was bright and the air exhilarating, and
the mountains in all the over-foods OF
glory most inspiring. After singing the
Ode on Science, Harry essaycd "Majes.
ty," and he made tho woods ring with
''On cherub and on chcrubim
Full royalty h. rode
And on the wings Of mighty winds
Came flying all abroad"
He made even the chipmunks run.
and the grave jays stop to listen.
lie was happy boy, a very happy
boy. 1t was long way from the red
house and barn of Eben Browns farm tc
the great wooden mill-wheel on the
housatonic, but Harry did not urge the
roam horse, who had no disposition to be
urged. Why should one travel fast
when every thing is bright and bcauti'
full?
Eben had tied the bag tightly the
night before, after he had reduced the
four bushels OF corn TO two. lie picked
up every kernel of corn that he had
CHANGED to scatter over the floor, and put
it into the bag.
Now, in the house there were mice
sly mice. And when all the family were
in the other world Of dreams on the
night before, one or two of these mice
had explored the kitchen, and, finding
not so much as a single kernel of corn,
after all the vigopu sshelling, had each
gnawed little hole. one in either end
OF the bag, and had made a dainty meal
and slipped away. leaving the two little
holes. The motion of the sorrel horse,
as he walked automatically along, be-
II
end of the bag, slowly at first, but very
freely at last, unperceived by Harry,
whose mind was on wings in the far-ofl
musical sky.
As he went on singing and whistling,
and sitting the corn unperceived, a
strange annoyance befell the felicitous
knight of the two bushels Of corn. The
hens ran after him from the farm
houses, the great flocks of turkeys COB
bling, the waddlipg geese quacking.
He passed the great dairy farms under
the cool shadow OF Grcylock and the
Park Lane Ridge: everywhere there fol
lowed him great flocks of poultry-hens,
ducks, geese and turkeys; they grew to
be almost an army at last cackling
quacking, gobbling.
But Harry did not stop TO investigate
the cause of all this gathering of wings
and bills behind him. The fowl all
seemed happy; so was he; it was brigh,
and happy morning.
Once or twice he shook his fist at some
new focks Of turkeys that came flying
and gobbling down from an old stone
wall.
1
and then went on, singing.
The composite army Of farm fowl left
him at last, and he came in sight OF the
foaming mill-wheel that was tossing the
cool waters Of the Housatonic near the
grand old orchards of what was once one
of the New Providence farms. New
Providence is vanished village now
its churches and inns used to be on Stat
ford Hill, but Cheshire village has taker
its place. One can not so much as find
New Providence on the map. 1t was
settled by the Masons and Browns
and Coles from Swansea, Mass. and Gov
entry, r. ]. The colony went to Sack
Vile, n. r., first, but finding the eli
mate too rigorous, followed their pastor
Elder Mason, to the Berkshire Hills and
founded Cheshire under the name Of
New Providence.
Suddenly Harry ceased singing. The
horses's back began to grow hard. Ht
thought that he would adjust the bag
and make his position easier. lie clasp
ed the bag-and what look of amaze
ment must have come into his facet
there was nothing in 1t, not so much a,
a single kernel Of corn!
Harry had heard of witches and thing.
bewitched, of people casting an evil eye
Of the awful ghost story that Elder LIE
land used : to tell. He recalled hi,
mothers wish, and wondered IL that hac
not bewitched the bag. Had the bae
united? lie look to see. No, there wa.
the string. His heart thumped, and ht
felt hot flashes and cold shivers Greer
over him.
He stopped the horse Crows cawec
above him. The mill-wheel turned and
turned before him. Why should he &c
forward? lie had nothing for the miller
and what, oh, what could he say X
the miller IL he went to the mill will
an empty bag!
He would rctrace his way, and see 1
that would offer any clue 20 the appall
ing mystery. But IL offered none
There was not so much as kernel o
corn in the road, and the turkeys anc
geese and ducks and pullets everywher,
seemed contentcd, with full crops ant
fat sides. They did not even gobble O.
quack or cacklc. The world all seemcs
serene and happy.
What should he say to his father
And to his mother?
And Elder Leland, who had been visite,
by . ghost and had heard voices from
the sky?
y So towards the red farmhouse Harr,