Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-11-20

- WV W. ~ u II
~ light of the In
dian summer.
'I tell y, George, it's the best farm
in the county," remarked the weather
beaten farmer. "Over three hundred
acres, and v might say all but about
fifty under the best cultivation. An
even the bluff over there, with it's
rocks and scrubs, will be worth for
tune when / get that mine down. An
it's all yours ify' only do as say"
"But, father"
'I tell y there amt no butts about it.
What you want is good, healthy,
country girl for a wife. I can't see
what you admire in that school teacher,
anyhow. Let her marry one of her
kind, lawyer or doctor, or somethin'." ;"
"But, father, she is country girl,
and strong and healthy, and You know
mother says she is just the kind to
make good housekeeper"
"Don't tell me-" snarled the old
man. "She's proud as Lucifer, an III
want to live in style when she mar
ries. Now, I've given you an eddica-
tion, and that's enough in one family.
You don't want to hitch to wife
smarter than you are yourself. Now,
look at me. I won't say word ag'in'
your mother, but she had an edica-
ton and I didn't, an we never could
agree, especially about that gold mine.
l say there's gold there and as soon as
I've got down to it I'm willing to
make the farm over to you if you'll do
as I say. I don't want you to marry
awife who'll despise me an teach y
to go back on my advice, You do as
L say an the farms yours. But marry
that girl an you'll never get cent.
George Carey knew his father we'll
and was aware that to dispute with
him only rendered him more obstin-
ate. Nevertheless, he was deeply in
love with pretty Nellie Thorne, the
teacher of music and painting at the
academy in the neighboring village,
and he resolved to put his fate to the
test.
Gather" he replied, with quiver
of feeling in his tone, 81 owe you
much and never thought to dispute
you. But you have given me an
education and my tastes are different
from yours. You have no right to die
tate my choice of wife, and I propose
to marry the woman I love with or
without your consent"
"I say you'll marry Betsy Wood,
that picked ont for y long ago, or be
no more son of mine," shouted the
old farmer, breaking into sudden
passion.
every well, father, then we must
part" replied the young man, calmly
but sadly, and he turned on his heel
and walked slowly back toward the
house.
John Carey gazed after his son fora
few moments in astonishment.
"All comes of his eddication," he
muttered. "That's where I made q
mistake. He's been settin' himself up
ag'in me for some time. An he thinks
like his moth er that there's no gold
over in that hill. though old Farley has
traced it agin and agin with his di-
vinin' rod. Well, I guess he'll get
over his pet and come to my terms, if
I'm iirm-an' I'm always firm. It's
my way"
With these remarks he turned and
walked toward the distant hillside,
. where several men where engaged in
mining operations under the direction
of old Eben Farley, aquaint local char
acter, who professed to have occult
knowledge, and for years had claimed
the ability to locate mineral veins with
q witch hazel rod. He had succeeded
in imposing on John Carey the belief
that a gold vein existed in rocky hill
that formed the eastern boundary OF
his farm, and operations to test his
theory had been going on for several
weeks, during which the old farmer
had become more and more infatuated
with the idea that fortune awaited
him, owing to several bogus assays
that had been secured by Farley.
The miners, inexperienced laborers
from the village, were slowly blasting
their way into hard conglomerate
rock, following a small vein of pyrites
that the credulous farmer believed tC
be veritable gold. On arriving at the
spot he watched their operations fol
some time with great interest, and fin
ally at the invitation of Farley, de
scended the shaft.
The neighbors had been predicting
disaster at John Carey's mine, owing
to the dissipated character of the mer
employed by Farley, and it seemed
destined that their fears should come
true. The workmen were engaged il
tamping new blast while the two
men were intently examining the min
eral vein, when sudden shock as o
/ IN earthquake occurred. The bias
had prematnrely exploded, and hat
been followed by a considerable fal
Of dirt and debris into the mine.
Fortunately several of the workmel
we're outside of the mine and othe
help was hastily summoned, and tn
injured were rs speedily as possibl,
rescued from their disagreeable posi-
tOn Two NJ tho work m on wara nor;