The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-19
LYDIA LORD DAVIS.

L
ed out from one of the windows of his brown
front palace and shuddered at the pros pect and
it is said indulged for the first time in his life,
in some very pointed remarks that cast refec- /
tions on the powers that preside over the ele |
ments. AS he turned the subject over in his |
mind, it gave birth to further thoup hts whose |
import was not flattering or complimentary to |
the legal sovereignties. who in the guise of |
Circuit Court. reremptorily ordered him to for |
sake the comforts of a warm hearth and well |
filled board for the rigors of raw day in March,
simply that some other unhappy mortals should |
be placed under mandates compelling them to
travel many weary miles in order that the Court
might looa upon their weather beaten faces and
behold their agonized convuisions while on the
witness rack manipulated by the implying
hands of their attorney officers. But the longer
he meditated. the nearer approached The I'M
welcome hour that should see him struggling
toward the classic Campbellsport and ancient
confines of world renowned Palmyra. and he
wisely concluded that for him " to hear was to
obey" But there was one item of cruelty that
the Court overlooked They did not specify
what means of travel he should use. and he
thought with untold satisfaction of the Pitts
burg and estern railroad that would. despite
its manifold tortuous windings. land him in the
southern part of Paris township. if followed
long enough. He quickly made up his mind to
C"uut the ties that lay over this celebrated
route, when he happened to think that twice
day an engine and two coaches thundered thei,
ponderous weight over the same piece OF
ground. and that for paltry sum he could be-
come passenger guest and have his choice OF
seats. With joy at this opportune discovery, he
hastened to its depot at the foot of Chestnut
street hill and was quickly accommodated with
a ticket by that genial and obliging gentleman,
S L. McAdams, who presides over the COM
pany's affairs at this station Time and lack of
sp ce forbid mention of the pleasures of this
journey by rail-they would fill volume. After
being jolted, hustled tipped and stirred up by
the delightful m )tion of the train as it strug-
gled over the intricacies of its legion curves,
sharp short. double reverse and every other
kind that distinguish this thorougrare for about
two miles east of this city, he barely had time
to recover his equilibrium, when young man
in uniform laconical'y yelled, "CyconeF' the
meaning of which Sheriff Jones correctly in
terpreted and stepped from the train. The bal
ance of his journey lay over highway, moor and
fen ard consist ted of many windings in and out
of Natures retreats. in search of the victims
mentioned above What with quagmire, slush
and mud to busy his feet rail fences to give vent
to his "vaulting'' ambition, and th1 myriad
toned voices of Nature in her spring winter ap
pearance to entertain his musical faculties. he
reached the welcome Palmyra haven his old
home Here, again. beyond saying that he
passed thoroughly enjoyable evening wi h old
| friends and aquaintances, prolonging his visit
would fill volume
He turned his face Ravennaward Sunday
afternoon, after visiting various friends both at
fha
former place he accosted DIR. jenkins, and in
their brief exchange of social greeti Ggs, the Dr.
| assured him that he (the DR. had Travelled on
foot fifty miles per day for the p asst week visit
ing tn sick, and was then on his seventh day
of professional pedes strianism The modest
Sheriff did not speak of his own travels on foot,
for he thought that it would be unkind to dim
the laure!s of the DR. in that way DR.. Rose. of
the Certer. also related his experiences. the
most important item being that he prepared his
prescriptions in the daytime during his wake
full hours and drove to see his patients in the
night and slept during the journeys through
mud and mire having horse of rare sagacity
and trustworthiness, with a boy to provide
against the danger of his walking out of the
buggy in fit of possible somnambulism After
encountering difficulties of snow and wind BE-
side which the passage of Napoleon Bonaparte
WlCu MS regions over the Alps dWlndleS into q
dot of insignificance the Sheriff again reached
Cyclone. While on the road between Palmyra
and that place. he stopped at the old town line
cemetery. where in 1s43, when boy of ten years.
lie witnessed the first burial ever made there
From that solitary grave the number has in
creased until there is scanty room for further
interments. On every hand the finger of time
had left its tracery of change and decay. An
old stone church. where fifty years Ggo the peo-
pie were wont to assemble and listen in re ver-
ent attitude to the preached word, was obliter-
ated from the face of the earth Not a stone
was left and there was absolutely nothing to
indicate its former presence. To the average
human mind. the contemplation of such a
change m ngled with the many experiences
and incidents which memory calls up, the ret
respect again peopling the place with forms
long laid In the earth, while sad, and awakening
emotions for the past, is after ALL satisfying in
its very effect of again bringing to the mental
v sion those who were near and dear in the
long ago. Sheriff Jones turned his back ON the
OLD site with thoughts that any mortal who has
ever revisited some spot fraught with so many
associations and recollee ions will readily ap-
preciate. Arriving at Cyclone, he helped him
self to the accommodations of the board shanty
that is now utilized as depot in place of the
one recently destroyed by fire. and not long
afterWard was again in Ravenna, having trag-
eled upward of twenty miles on foot, the first
half of which he made in "a hours. No one
who knows anything about the h rrible condi-
tion of the roads would hesi t. a moment in
choosing his method of trav>i,: She best