Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-08-30

was something. With a joyous crack
of the whip, and strange sound from
the recesses Of his throat, William bid
his team "Gee.up!'
The mighty hoofs took hold OF the
road, the great wheels slowly turned,
Il shower OF confused armony fell IN
dropping sweetness from the bells, anu
with creaking and grooming, and nod
ding heads, and rhythmic blending
! of PAGES and music, the wagon lum-
bercd pondrrously along the level
chalk road which led, uniuclosed by
! hedge or fence, over the open down.
TO ride in Il wagon with ease, and
at the same time enjoy the surround
! Ing landscape without constant eX-
crcise of symnastic skill in balancing
and Counter-balancing the body in re-
Spouse to the heavy sway and jerking
Of the unwieldy machine, is difficult;
to sit on the ledge is to be an acrobat;
to lie on the floor is to see nothing
! but sky, besides having ones MEM
bcrs violently wrenched from the
other. Alma, however, was very COM
fortably placed on pile Of sacks,
which served as an arm chair, dead
ened the jerking power of the motion,
and left her head and shoulders above
the ledge so that she could well see
the gray surrounding landscape in the
! deepening haze.
She leaned back with Il feeling of
agreeable languor, wrapped her hands
in her shawl, and gaZed dreamily on
! the down rising stecply to the left,
and forming, where chalk had been
quarried in one place, miniature
| precipice, crested with overhanging
copse, rich in spring with fairy treas
ures Of violetS in white sheets over
the moss, clusters Of primrOses and
oXlips among the hazel stumps. blue
lakes of hyacinth, and waving forests
Of anemone; and she gaZed on the
slopng fields, farmSteads, and bound
ing forest to the right, lulled by the
steady music of the bells, among
which she heard from time to time
| Williams satisfied growl of "Ay, he
med we'll say that" and the occasional
song of Jem, as he trudged along by
the leader
For to pillow, and to SOW, and to reap,
and to NOW.
Is the work of the farmers bu-oy-oy."
Happy and harmless she looked in
her rustic chariot, as they rolled slow
~ along in the gathering gloom, now
over healthy stretch nearly ut the
summit of the down, past Il lonely,
stecproofcd, rcd-tiled hostelry, with Il
forge chcerily glowing by it's side,
whence tn anvil-music rose and blend
ed pleasantly with that of the bell.
team, and over which hung Il sign
board bearing he blacksmiths arms,
the hammer, with the couplet inscribed
beneath,
''By hammer and hand,
All arts do stand"
Downhill now, with the heavy drag
east beneath the wheel by mighty eff
forts on the part of Jcm; then again
on the level road, with the chalk
down always rising to the left. and
falling away to the right; past farm,
houses, where the cattle stood grouped
in the yard and the ducks quacked
for their evening meal; then once
more down Il hill, steep and difficult.
down to the level Of n willow-shaded
stream by copse, outside which DAT
fodils rioted all over the sloping lea
descending to the brook side In spring;
and then again up and up, with strain
ing and painting and creaking, with
iron feet pointed INTO and gripping the
steep chalk road, with louder peallng
of the fairy chimes, whose rhythm
grows irregular and titful, with
strange shouts and gestures from the
men, with "Whup!" and "Whoaw and
"Iither! with many pauses, when
the great heads droop, the music stops,
and the mallet Is brought into requsi-
ton,
Happy and harmless indeed was
Alma, the lashes dropping over her
roSc-leaf cheeks, her fancies rowing
unfettered. She was hoping to get
homo betimes, for she had something
nice for fathers tea among her par
cells, and she was thinking of the
penny periodical folded up in her
basket, and wondering how the hero
inc was getting on in the story which
broke Off abruptly at such an inter
esting moment in the last number
Was the peasant girl, in whom Alma
detected striking likeness to herself
really going to marry the poor young
viscount who was so deplorahly In
love with her? She could not help fur
nlshing the viscCunt with the form and
features of Mr.. Ingram SwayneStone
Sir Lionel's eldest son, though the
latter was fair, while the viscount hap
pencd to be dark
Now they IRE at the summit of tho
steep HILL and pause to breathe and
replenish pipes. On one side Is dense
coppice; on the other, Swaynestone
park slopes down in woodland, glade.
and park-like meadow TO the sea-
bounded horizon Then again, up Hill
and down dale past cottage and farm
stead, with the park always sloping
away to the sea on the right. Lights
b ,yl>,x. ,,ny, CT cot.