Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-01-12
BY THE FIRELIGHT.

! ne Shy JluL DuJ COlucf, uiucI' HuIuOt
! in tone was repeated in the line OF
mountains stretching away 10 the
south. Among the shifting heaps OF
/ fallen leaves shone 6 cams OF color
b"t the moss had turned to brown,
and in the cold windy evening tho
lately denuded trees seemed to SILVER
A woman came out OF a pasture
with Il pail Of milk in her hand. A
light wisp OF "a creature her cotton
gown hung Imply about her thin
form. She covered as the wind
struck her and coughed painfully
yet she fingered. She was too much
child OF nature to cXp.ain how the
autumn days made her feel both for
lorn and eXpectant and yet she was,
perhaps, the moro affected by the
moods of tho Great Mother not at.
tempting to translate them into hu.
man needs. Tho clattcr Of hoofs
made her turn slowly. One glance
and her heart gave a leap sending
the warm color to her check. BY the
time the horscmun had reached her
the color was gone.
Good evening. Does Unclo Billy
G'imes live here?
Yes sir "
DO you suppose he would BE- will
ing to put me up to night?
Il reckon. Light and Ill take
your nag
The gentleman hesltated as if his
gallantry would not permit him to al
low a woman to put up his horse. but
seeming to think better OF it. thanked
her and, taking his saddle-bags,
turned toward the house.
At tho door he was met by au old
woman who, learning his wish cor
daily made him welcome. Offering
him seat by the side OF the hearth
on which a great fire was burning.
He tilted back on the snort-legged
chair with the feeling of warmth and
we'll being which follow long. cold
ride and soon found himself gently
slipping into the mood he had been
trying all day to cultivate. This had
once been his home, and after half u
lifetime spent away lie had returned
to the land OF his childhood only to
find the Carolina mountain, less grand
tLau others he had seen. and the sim
pie life OF the people which in mo-
! monts OF sentiment he had remcm.
! bered as idyll!c, rough. uaCOuth and
| cherries. He was too far removed
from their lie for sympathy too close
! 10 EEL the picturesque interest and
! pleasure OF Il real stranger. These
people were more or less nearly re.
lated to him yet they seemed another
race vi be nga.
He had let his mountain home u
mere boy and had gone West where
Il new lite opened for him. Some.
thing N his nature always made him
reject what was coarse and vulgar,
and when he became suddenly rich
his native gentleuess and simplicity
of manner stood him instead Of breed.
ing and education. dIsarming criti.
Cism till. with the quick perception
initiative faculty which were his
birlhnght he had largely repaired
the deficiencies of his early training
acquiring much of the manner and
tone Of people OF culture Now he
had come back and was stranger
in his own land.
But the bright freight dancing or
the wall illuminated the rough IN
terror Of the farmhouse kitchen; auL
he began 10 feel less offended by the
meauneSs Of his surroundings. Mem
cries OF his childhood rose up before
him as he watched the younger wo,
man in her preparations for supper
She had mixed up the corn bread and
now knelt on tho floor beside the
hearth moulding it into loaves ant
putting them INTO Il large iron skillet
The freight flashed GA the tin pan
gave a ruddy glow to her thin face
and turned her dull ycllowiSh hail
to red gold. As the stranger watched
her something rose in his throat
Nancy"
She turned suddenly.
Chris
Il did not know you at first
Il reckon I've changed. she said
sadly.
Not so much. twas rather dark
1t takes the tirclight TO make you
look natural. But how came yol
here?"
Uncle Billy married my aunt an
she wanted somebody to help her an
| hadn't no home"
No" She picked up her pan ant
left the room.
1T cannot be she has waited al
these years for me" no thought
'Of course not; such constancy is no
to be found among women OF her sort
How faded she is! These mountain
folks particularly the women. grow
old early. Poor thing! | suppos
she has had TO work hard and sh,
never was very strong Why. sh,
can't be much older than Lois Eli
son" He shuddered at the contrast
Miss Ellison was his partners sister
They were the best Of friends. IL
had proposed to her annually for tn
last five years and yet they still re
manned friends. She treated hin
kindly and without coquetry an
pleaded a prior attachment. as th
other man was dead. Chris waite
ana hoped. Sometimes he had bee
tempted 10 doubt her reason for re
iusing him. but it only gave him pain
dhu ic hdu always Hlduc IL IL Eui
never to doubt lady's word. Cir
cumstances had now and then oblige
him TO he false IN this principle bu
he lived up to it when he could. Hi
romantic fancy was touched by tn
constaucy OF the fair cultivated VIC
man OF the world but in this mour
tain girl such sentiment SCENE
painfully iGcongruous He knew to
well that the position OF an old mai
here was one neither OF honor nc
profit
Uncle Billy came in and greete
Chris with warmth and they sat dow
TO supper
so you've come back ter yer o.
v home began Uncle Billy. "Wher'
YER companion?"
haven't any"
!. 'Not got noue?"
NO"
. Couldn't yer SUIT yerself out
4 Caliiorny? ;
!. The girl | wanted didn't wal
4 me.