Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-04-08

Are memories still clinging
OF the old barn loft
AN UNUSUAL BURGLARY.
People are decrying the sophisticat-
ed state of the country, and by people
l mean writer's in particular. They
say that there Is little picturesqueness
except in the backwoods and in dis
tricts far removed from the environ
ments of railroads and electricity, and
that dialect peculiar to each locality
is being aattened into monotone by
the omnipresent schoolmaster, who,
they complain, has his way far too
much in this proudly new world OF
ours. But if this be true, as a whole
there are delightful exceptions. a
carriage drive of a few hours, or the
whirl Of ones bicycle an hour, brings
one to the home of folk lore and pro-
vincialisn capable Of causing ecstatlc
thrills in the heart of the dialect-mon-
ger.
Such were my thoughts as alighted
from my wheel at nightfall, one cold
autu.-nal day, and raped (there was
no belD at the door Of low-browed
cottage, behind which clumps Of
bushes shut off the horizon and seemed
to narrow the world down to the little
house, the yard, and myself, with a
heavy heart, standing before it, steady
ing my wheel, for was tired.
Presently an old lady came to the
door. Her comfortable, rotund form
and mild blue eye but decided chin
impressed me with instant respect,
while the inborn ladyhood Of her ma
ture was evidenced by her courteous
greeting and invitation to enter.
"Do you ever keep travellers over
night" inquired after a decent in
terval had elapsed.
I'VE do and we don't" " she replied;
"but you can stay with welcome. Sit
up and eat with me if you hain't had
no supper.
Il haven't, was my reply; and
presently the old lady and l were dis
cussing her homeIy but toothsome
supper, and doing it ample justice in
the way of testing its qualities; at
least l did.
"My husband has gone to town, re-
marked my hostess, "and if you hodn' t
come l should ben here all alone to-
night.
Would you have been afraid to
spend the night alone"
"Oh, no But tonight I feel diff
'runt, for, you see, at last were ready
to lift the mortgage. Its two hum
dred and thirty-three dollars an one
cent. That last cent got by selling
an aig, she said, with happy laugh,
"and now its altogether 'twixt the
straw-bed and feather-bed in my room,
and husband, he's gonter pay it off to-
morror-if he lives she added, with
the reverence felt by the old who have
seen so many hopes fade and friends
die that they never dare to speak even
Of almost certainties without an If.
But are you not unwise to speak Of
your money to stranger asked as
a warning.
ooh, no" she said, laughing pleas
antly, Il know an honest man when l
see him, and I was glad the minute l
see your face and knowed that you
wanted to stay all night. 'Taint likely
anybuddy would steal from me but
stragglers. One has been seen round,
and I feel a little mite uneasy
Ny hostess and I spent pleasant
evening together. She showed me
many an heirloom which had been
handed through FIVE generations from
an ancestor who had been a great man
in colonial days. There was a silver
punch bowl and a gold snuff box,
either worth more than the sum treas
ured so carefully in the owners bed 4;
but I suspect she would have parted
with her life as quickly as with either
of them.
They are James's," she said, "Or
will be when husband and l are done
with them. James is my nephew, and
he's out to Chiny now. He's had lots
of pullbacks, James has, or he'd helped
Us. But Won look tired. Mr.. -"