The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-05-03

| 1
| The brighter and nearer the beautiful light
Through the crimson of day all your fears will
| depart
If you open the sunshiny door of your heart
Julia H.May in Boston Journal.
AMARANTH'S INVESTMENT,
@HeyP What? Going to buy the old
Brooke homestead" asked Uncle Pele-
tian Stubblefeld. "Why, the girls
regular silly. That air land is ali wore
out. Won't grow nothin' 'cept sassa-
fras sprouts or wild chamomile," re-
marked Aunt Rubina, sententiously.
Says she loves the ole place and is
bound to keep it from going to
strangers, observed Cousin Melissa
| Brooke.
The rural population of Pineyville
township were mostly all either Stub
blefelds or Brookes or connected with
them by marriage.
"An' she's a-goin' to bring Reub's
widder an children from the city to
live with her."
Uncle Peletiah looked amused.
"Fine livin' it'll be in that old ram
shackle of house," he chuckled.
@Amaranth allus was hard-headed," 4"
groaned Aunt Rubina, who was stout
woman with large, fabby face and
blue eyes with white eyelashes. "But
wash my hands of 'em. If she wants
to saddle herself with Reub's family,
she needn't look to me for help"
"It's my 'pinion Sylvester Smalley
will hev somethin' to say about it. !"
smirked Cousin Melissa, with crafty
! look.
And so the gossiping tongues wagged
on and all because Amaranth Brooke
chose to invest the few hundred dol
lars bequeathed to her by a. distant
relative in buying back the old home
| stead, where she had frolicked away
her childhood days in care-free happi-
ness.
But Amaranth gave little heed to
their meddlesome gossip. She had
fought her own battles since the death
of Grandfather Brooke left her alone
and unprotected, with little or no as
sistance from the relatives who were
now so free with their advice and un-
friendly criticisms and she was deter
mined to manage her affairs in her
own way.
But in regard to Sylvester Smalloy
the case was different. He was her
betrothed lover and would of course
expect to be consulted in her affairs.
And Sylvester did have something to
say, as Cousin Melissa had predicted.
Amaranth had been looking over her
prospective purchase and was on her
way home when he overlook her and
at once broached the subject.
"No use to throw your money away
on that old, rubbishy place." he told
her. "You can't raise crop there
an wouldn't take it as gift. An
your money, with what I've got, would
build US nice, snug house on that
forty acres father gave me an help ia
stock the farm beside. Then we could
be married and go right to housekeep.
ing. Will you, AmaranthP"
He looked at her tenderly and for a
moment Amaranth felt almost tempted
to give up her plans and ambitions
and accept his offer.
They were lettering slowly home
ward and had paused at the old stile,
where a scarlet-f1owsred trumpet-vine
showered its gorgeous trophies at their
feet.
ssay yes!" urged Sylvester.
Amaranth felt her determination
weakening.
"But-but there's brother Reuben's
wife and the children!" she faltered.
"They are quite destitute and have no
one to look to but me-"
Sylvester frowned.
"Let Reub's wife look out for her.
self, !" he returned gruff1y. Il dare say
there's orphan 'sylums in the city
| where the young uns would be tooB
care Of"
Amaranth's eyes flashed scornfully
as she drew herself up with offended
dignity.
"Brother Reuben's children shall
never go to the asylum while / liven
she declared, Indignantly.
| After few more words their troth
was broken. Sylvester stalked mood
lily on his way, while Amaranth, with
pang of sore disappointment at her
heart, turned toward the gray-stone
farmhouse where she earned a small
stipend over her board by doing the
housework for a family of six.
The broken engagement offered
fresh food for gossip among the Brooke
and Stubbleield kith and kin, but
Amaranth was not to be turned from
her course by their outspoken CEN
sures and criticisms.
| The old homestead was bought and
paid for. TO be sure, the soil was
rocky and sterile and the dwelling in
need of repairs.
The orchard trees-what was left OF
them-were gnarled and bent and the
fences and outbuiidings in sad state
of dilapidatfon.
1t was really scarcely worth the
small sum asked for it, but Amaranth
had determined to buy it, and buy it
she did.
An ancient COW and half-decrepit
pony were included in the sale.
And after the house had been treated
to few repairs and thorough clean
ing brother Reuben's family were re-
leased from their uncongenial quarters
in the city and comfortably installed
therein.
Mrs. Reuben-a meek little woman,
with no more idea of supporting her
self than a canary bird might have
was yet good housekeeper and will
ingly undertook the management OF
domestic affairs, while Amaranth gave
her attention to the raising of poultry
and garden vegetables. And the chill
dren grew as round as butterballs,
romping under the gnarly old apple
trees or playing hide-and-seek among
the tall sunfiowers and hollyhocks that
nodded in the dooryard
Later on Amaranth earned few
dollars each week by the sale of her
produce at the little village of Piney-
wood Center, which was scarcely 6
stones throw from her back pasture
bars. But with all her industry and
economy she found it hard matter
to provide for herself and the helpless
ones depending on her, and there were
times when she really feared the vol
was already at her door.
The family connections held them
selves aloof from her and still contin-
ued their direful predictions
Sylvester Smalley took particular
pleasure in driving past the house, with