Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-08-19

! The valley is lined with woods for
| long distance, but IN one place, little
more than two miles from the sea, there
is a clear space, where the big house
stands above its hanging gardens.
Strangers have occupied it for SO long
time that they would wonder and be in
, diguant did You call them by that name.
But strangers they must remain for the
sake of certain memories attaching to
the place, and the woods that line the
valley as it wanders away inland are
haunted by the gentle CHEST Of woman
whose beauty lives TO this day upon the
lips of lovers throughout all the country
round about
For 20 years an old man dwclt there,
continually divided SctWiXt the love Of
the living, his daughter, and a passion
for his dead wife hat was forever draw
ing him toward the land of twilight
wherein be pictured her waiting for his
comira He had lived hardly in his
youth, IN OycrwOrkcd and undcrpaid
drudge finding the whole of his life's
pleasures IN the books of the great mas
tors and in devoted care for his mother
Apart from these, indeed, he had 10
life His whole existence was BIZ Il
struggle to earn by mcot omal labor
the bUest means Of substance His
mother had died when he was nearing
40, and then his condition was even
moro to be pitied, for it seemed ne had
I,y l. \
the middle of his years and without cy.
pcricuce Of those things that make OK
-istpHee glorious. Vet thcEudS had much
Of bitter ana Of sweet in store for him
\ distant rclatiye---a cousin of his
mothers, mere name to him hitherto
--died and left will whereby he be
came master of the big house, and
withal man of means At first the
change of circumstance rather dotraCted
from his comfort than otherwise But
he was u gentleman, and person great
ly loved Ivy all who met HIM, He quick
ly adapted himself to the change and
made himself n place in the hearts and
homes Of the ncighboriug gentry lie
showed himself a charming host, and in
a wise and quiet way did much to pro
mote the public good
They say that the tale of how he won
his wife was as pretty rs any ever writ
ten His life hitherto had not been Of
the sort 10 inspire him with amy over.
wacuing sense Of his owu personal at
fractions, and it did not occur TO him
that his present position could make a
difference 10 the Judgment likely to he
passed on him hy amy young girl whose
hand hc might seek They say, for they
uc f0"3 of the story in those parts,
that ,L' wooing was al hers; that she
saw how gently he WAS rcsigning hila-
self to a burden he deemed inevitable
and made il clear 10 him that of all her
suitors he alone had touched her heart
Al any rate, he married youug wife
and lived with her in the big house for
somo few months beyond year. If he
had died at the end of that time, he
would have thanked the gods for the
best life twas ever given to man TO en-
joy hat that was not the thing ordain-
ed. Hlswiic died a day or two after the
birth of daughter. the Rachel of the
story you arc ta hear
The man WAS not altogether unhappy
during the years That followed. 1t was
nutlu his nature tn be- made murosr ANA
misau,hrowcal by crushing sorrow.
arJ, though he felt himself somewhat
ont vf place IN a world that no longer
hvH his Wllg-who had drawn To h1
tKtl,. Ilrr tr Iii. I..4.s.. .,- , l..ll.,.