Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-09-02
A SUMMER OUTING.
Notes From the Fields and woods
and Waysides.

There was no doubt We were Welcome
4 $9-a-week welcome-although through
some delay of message the precise time of
our arrival had not been known.
As We followed the CHEEKY little house
maid up the narrow fight of old-fashioned
stairs into bright corner room, with two
windows and light cottage furniture, we
gave sigh of happy content. How un-
pretentious but comfortable seemed the
atmosphere of the house; how fresh and
pure the wind blew through the great
trees in front; how the absence of city
noises made the country stiffness eloquent
of restful meaning, and when we descend
we were prepared to look upon everybody
and everything with kindly and unpreju-
diced eye.
There was the stout lady and the thin
gentleman with the usual sprinkling of
common place people, the inevitable inva-
lid and an occasional guest of the young
people of the family. The stout lady
proved most valuable acquaintance. init
iating the new boarder into the weather
signs of the menu and the proc1ivities of
the engaging host. Being of staunch
friendly character this acquaintance grew
into something more and is still continued.
The invalid seemed to grow out of her re-
serve under the sunny influence of the
small boy, who attached himself to the
table maid or the milk boy, as their par
himself generally useful in the domains Of
both as the opportunity offered. The fine
air was delight to breath and the little
family had become quite at ease and in
terested in each other when the lucky or
unlucky discovery that the house maid
flung everything to the breeze from the
bedroom windows, except the bedding,
which was smoothed into order with the
greatest dispatch, led to the rather hasty
departure of the astonished discoverer of
these remarkable proceedings.
To mine host, who had INDUCED this
| fastidious boarder with sphinx span new
spring mattress this departure was doubt
less disappointment, as we'll as to the
sojourn of greater length, but who waf
now obliged to pack her trunk and wan
| der elsewhere for summer comfort.
The milk boy donned his Sunday sui
and carried boarder and luggage to tn,
railway station, seven miles over the hills
and then short trip by steam returned
the party to their home. It was, indeed
an unexpected pleasure to find there let
ter from the old ancestral homestead will
urgent request for sight of these discom
forted summer tourists. So the trunk
were rechecked and the willing guest
were soon beneath the roof which ha,
sheltered child and father and grand
father, and, please God, may shelte
many coming generations. Albeit, grand
sire and dame are no more there, two ger
tie women keep alive the hospitable trad
tions of other days, and gave WELDON
with true family sincerity.
The August days slip by, so restful, {
placid. The days duties begun with God
word read and his blessing asked; the Ii
tie ones turned loose in orchard an
meadow, to find the pleasure that only
city child can find in stone walls an
swampy pastures; while the elders dro
back to their childish habits of 'shelpi1
aunty' to wash and put away the dear o.
china in the quaint cupboards, openir
and closing with venerable brass sprir
and ring. Although it is quite as true no
as aforetime, that our help was not exsc
ly helpful, for every piece seemed to r
call memories of long ago, and each IT,
to the cupboard was heightened by Il
= searching into remote corners to beho
once more the cups and saucers, teapot ar
pitchers "that grandma had when 81
went to housekeeping in 1872" The fra
ments of talk that came up during the d.
gave much priced items of family lor
which extended back to tho days when Il
Plymouth and Massachusetts colonies we
enjoying their first prosperity, and Bet
Alden went with her father to visit got
Parson Wilson at Boston, and the got
neighbors gathered by boatfuI or on sadd
and pillion to hold their reunion and a
II ple-bees.
9 The barn and farm buildings, thous
3 empty now of the olden time tenants, a
!. of commodious size for even these da
:. and bear witness to the abundance al
d hospitality which made the home of DR.. ]
i a frequent and chosen stopping place for
tering brood of white feathered fowl
with pretty yellow legs, issues daily fro
- their roomy quarters, and the childr
soon learn enough Of hen language to q
= derstand the announcement of 'tfresh Ia
eggs" A matronly cat, with demu
Quaker-robed kittens, trots slowly do,
the walk; the stonewan with flat stones
top still marks the line between the va
and orchard, into which the wooden stel
grown gray with age, lead now our fe
as in childhood, into its fruitful and inv
. ing depths. All is the same, without q
within; the wooden shutters at the windo
q, | duo lucy WILL phue5 VI glass 81 lilly VI
q. twenty-four are required to fill the ga
. which modern builders now fill with tv
10 The bed rooms are furnished with for
u posters, which although somewhat lower
OF from their original height are still 30 hi
"a that one of the youngsters climbing or
e. the snowy bsd exclaims, after this feat
successfully accomplished, "Mama, I thi
this bed is unusually high" and peeri
over the edge, added: 81 think it must
hundred inches" The doors open wi
theisame iron latches that they have VIC
Ia tiny hands cannot reach them and f
l. tened on the inside with a fiat strip
hard wood, depending from a string 8
fitting into the staple above the lat
on would Withstand a hard pressure q
a., inspire feeling of security which mode
It locks and keys cannot afford.
'i' But space would fail me now to tell
all the treasures of this old home.
u pretty tripod tables and others of 80
lie, cherry and mahogany, the antique writ
desk with quaint draws and pigeon he
GUS bookcase towering above, the dignii
straight-back chairs, some with leat
seats and some of flags, and then the
tic; alb, the treasures of that atticl
you ever see a foot-stove, or a basket
finely woven that it will hold water?
cherry cradle is there, too, which has rocl
whole generation and stands, like p
little Oliver, asking for more; the car
bags with leather thongs for fasteni1
the brass-nailed trunks and yet more
Gent cedar chests, all are stored az
with gentle reverence.
And while these voiceless mementoel
the past bring to the memory the lin'
sturdy ancestry whose names are read
M our tongue and we almost imagineoursel
s. the generating guests of Plymouth Col
founders, the engine screams and mod
rail train glides upon the scene, 80
rouse from our reverie to join in a welc'
to the fresh arrival of friends to the
old homestead. KEITH SAINT JON
I'LL
BEL Rising In Her Profession.