Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-04-14
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story of Life in the Great
 Mississippi Valley.

ulN tlllS, tuChluS tIIt, ilu ot A.'SS "SAA
 nigh straightening her bent figure in destroying a spiders inimitable net. east dcftlv from the ceilings arch for unsuspccting flies Out, too, from old Jade grizzled beard, tor the gateway of his speech was only visible to the eye of fancy, rumblcd many satisfactory Croak As, in the old time, and with something like the happy whispering in his veins, he bowed again at the good wifc's kncc and laid his gray head thrrc, touching plaything for the cooing child. So throned. the roguish elf would twist his chubby fingers in the thin silver fringe that ringcd the old mans head, and turn his large eyes up with glee to catch the smiling nod of tho gray mother face above him. Very sclf-rcliant was this young Scottish-SaXon product oncc and stripped of fortune and all familiar sights, save the two kind old faces lowering about, hc babhlrd on unconsciously. Only at long intervals did his tremoling lips betray tho hun ger of his little heart. as sitting on the threshold in the sun he looked out on the ycllowing meadows and lispcd the name of "Mamma!' At such times old Jade would turn away into the garden with his chin l against his breast aud ply the hoe with ineffective vigor. and Grandam Erric's ample gingham apron sought her quickly filling eyes. Dear soft-hcartcd old children! the summer had como | back in part, but dashed with clouds and misgivings. They knew this flick cring sunlit season must, from the un- deriving fitness of events, provo but a | ,riO No al was theirs; the child to them was but a rosy accident, gift of sorrow, whose solacc needs must prove ephcmcral | Still, to them the dimplcd waif was not unlike some magic flower, picked up after storm in the gray winter of | their lives, with power to mako old blood seem new. Their pleasure in the child was softrncd, too, and touched | with something like religious care, since its wcll-loved parcnt-piant and placo were so mournfully wrecked and lost. Upin the little chambcr,as white and clean as lime and soap could make lit. old Nora slept beside the child; and Jade deSerting his couch below with the first note of the lark, would softly ascend the stairs and peep at the two slccpcrs with their silver heads upon one common pillow. and slip chuckling down again into the little kitchen and set the cotfec-pot to boil, then % out to dig about his few rich acres in tho dawn. Coming back when tho sun began to look kindly over the hills. and the house being scented with the cotlcc's fragrant steam, he would wake the sleepcrs if not vet astir and the nights fast would be broken checrily. Much child-like satisfaction too, the old gardener gave himself in those soft indian-days of autumn, by carving many and most indcscribablc wooden wonders for the babblinG babe with that pruning-knife of his, which for razOr-likc kccnnCss of edge and general uncomclincsS of out line had perhaps no rival in that region. Under ono of tho six great apple-trees that made the orchard, he would sit and whittlc by the hour, content to shape these harmless baublrs, and watch the
 child at play among tho scented shay.
 ings. tossing now and then lazy word
 and glance to Grandlm Erric. sitting
 just inside the open doorway in that %n'
 gular but easy seat, the wcll-Saggedr
 splint-bottomrd chair. Very placidly , would Grandam Erric smoke upor
 thCsc mellow afternoons; her cap: | frill rimminG her creased but pleasant
  |, her breast. and leaning forward in hcl l. lap with lifc's Indian summer mirrOrrt |, in her eyes, shc looked the picture O . contentcd peace. Something touching
 this would the aged whittier murmu
 Tn his board by times. tho slight unc
 ton of thrsc little rumblcs being in
 deed tho chief convryer of expression
 For old Jade was chary of ascriptiOn 2 of praise to things of either earth O
 Heaven, and when most deeply stirred {, by love or pride or satisfaction. as il ,t these furtivc glanccs at old Nora, hi ia words were prone to quit hi I lips reluctantly. lIe had quic g pleasure in her smoking, toe {, which, since ho affected to dcspis
 the comforting weed, it was his habit t
 disguise. But few things gave him great
 CT ease, in truth, or put him in nor
 forbearing humor with the world, tha
 the placid picture of his dear old spouse
 as with great content she burned tn
 soft intoXicant
 So the days went forward dreamily - old Nora caring for the child with live
 ly pleasure or smoking in benignar
 quietude, and tho ancient gardent
 turning the fat autumnal vegetable
 out of their loamy beds, or under h
 favorite fruit-tree whiting out woode
 toys of divers kinds and most unu s terable shapes. Ever and ano '' these happy indolent hours would SUI SC fer an eclipse from the never-rcstin at Absalom. Scarce a day went by ul :u hallowed of his presence. Across tt Ill meadows he would come upon the rul ou with his ragged hat-rim Tapping and a. tuft or two of hair stickin 2 up throug
 the crown, and larks and insects flyin
 before him for their lives. In at u
 gateway he would enter, n'
 unlike small and sweatin
 tempest, race up and down the garde
 walks and round the house and in
 the doorway. No human eye had ev' - caught him motionlrss, or seen hi
 yet without his grimy knee pans beir
 visible, with other more or less COT N promising wears and rents. At least v such discovery had eyer vet been mat