The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-11-30


and three cowes"-which last we fear |
from subsequent entries he used TO plow |
his fields with, for he certainly did plow |
and SOW, and l hear of no other beast fitted |
for the yoke. They sailed from Boston |
around Cape Cod and safely reached the |
calm waters of Long Island sound. Here |
a number Of days were lost at the mouth Of |
the Thames, which the captain declared |
must be the great river up which they were
to sail At length they reached the Con
necticut.
just here some pages are wanting We
know however, that six stout fellows,
probably carpenters and masOns, had been
brought TO build 'ye house and create
stone wale, which shoulde encompasse ye
house wyth its offyces as well as a great
Eprynge."
The house, which was probably Of logs,
IS gone The stone wall can be in some
places traced, but the great spring" still
pours out its sparkling food, as we all have
seen.
A year and two months after they had
settled in their new home there was born
to them q daughter whom they named
Priscilla, a name that my small tyraut yOn-
der has inherited. OF her her wonderful
doings and sayings, the mothers diary is
henceforth full She even after a time cut
teeth and did other as remarkable things.
Before this a stout young woman had been
sent for, and now, relieved of some of the
domestic cares, we find the young mother
and her babe as frequent companions to
the husband when he went 60 the stream or
forest.
The years ran on, as they do with us all.
A man and his wife were broueuo o.y,
assist in the farming and house built TO-.
them in the valley. Beside il was % lu"
warehouse for the beaver skins and other
peltries which were now purchased in large
quantities from the Indians
Well, one fine summer day there came "A
young captain, who had left his ship in the
Connecticut and been rowed in his barge
to the warehouse which stood just across
the meadow from the foot of the hill. He
was handsome young fellow, the son of
one of the principal merchants in Boston,
and although now only four or five and
twenty had been for eight years at sea.
He had gone to England at 16 for his edu-
cation, but after "A year had run away
from school and shipped before the mast
on a vessel bound for the Indies.
At first the father had been very angry,
but finding the son able to help himself,
and that he was already second officer on
]
ship built for him and provided him with
capital enough to fill her with merchandise
on his own account, for the masters Of
ships at that day were also merchants. He
brought letters to Mr. Weatheringfield,
but in such place at such time any edu-
Gated stranger was more than welcome.
How much more this young fellow who
| had been round the world, had seen
| strange lands and sailed on unknown seas.
The name of Weatheringfeld has, / be-
| lieve, disappeared, but when | tell you that
this youth was named Paul Marsdon you
will guess half my story, as it was my ty-
rants, and | have told you that this place
belonged originally to her family.
To Priscillas father and mother it came
like a blow that their baby girl was a young
woman. They had been loving her and ad-
miring her for so long that it had never oc-
cured to them that some one else might
love her; that she had come to an age at
which she might be wooed and wed.
1t was the old story. Her Prince Charm
ing" had come, and before he left it was ar
ranged that he should return in a month
and take father, mother and daughter back
with him to Boston, which the elders had
not seen for nearly 20 years. As for the
daughter she had never been 10 miles away
from her childhood home.
WeatherngGeld was more than well to do.
His father had died and left him his heir.
So it was agreed that house should be
taken and they should live in the city dur
ing the coming winter. In the spring the
young captain should have his answer.
Needless to say what it was. The winter
passed, spring came, and bride half
smiles, half tears--a bride whose beauty
had driven the youth of Boston to distrac-
tion, but who had been true to her sailor
lover-left her mothers arms to go on ship
board, for her wedding journey was to be q
voyage to England.
So soon as she had gone the father and
mother sadly returned TO the home they
had planted in the wilderness, feeling that
the light of that home had vanished
Months passed before any word came
from Priscilla. Letters from beyond the
sea were rare and precious in those days.
To their surprise, hardly a fortnight after
the receipt of the first there came another
epistle, this time dated from Boston, anc
sent express across the country by friend
ly Indian. 1t was directed 10 the mother
and bore the word "Couidential' under
scored in the corner. The contents brought
both JOY and dread to that tender heart
Her child was in turn about to become
mother! In this her first trouble the young
wife instinctively turned to her
81 must be with thee,n she wrote.
1t was little after the middle of Octo
Der, but the winter had that year comt
early. The rivers were frozen, and the snow
lay deep, as if it were December If th
hard frost held travel would be compare
lively easy. The Indian was questioned
closely, for both Mr.. and Mrs. Weathering
field knew not only many words o. tn