The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-07
ANTHONY BLIGHT.

pecially on days in spring, when the winu
was in the east but the sun shone in vernal
llgstre. Behind rose a wood: in front the
ground fell away as a grassy slope TO the
read. 1t commanded an incomparably lovely
view of the winding valley between folding
wooded hills: and in the foreground was the
old church. with its gray tower and pima
cfes. and Scotch frs. century and half
old. clustered in the churchyard.
The tapping of the woods cut off the cold
winds from north and east And not | alone
loved this nook. The bees. the butterflies
the busy ants-all were attracted to it, and
cgme there when debarred from exercising
themselves elsewhere.
On a day in early spring, when the straw
berry flowers were in full blaze. and the
gcrse bushes about my seat exhaled their
spicy sweetness in the sun L sat on my
bench reading a book. 1t was in Spanish,
and not being a master in that tongue
had my dictionary on the bench beside me-
and every now and then, when / came upon
"A particularly difficult word. or became en-
tangled in a specially obscure passage, /
had recourse to my dictionary. Now, 1 had
been struggling at a sentence for some
while, and this prevented me from observ-
ing particularly man who was in the road.
Bat, presently when 1 had finally struck
light out of the Spanish darkness, put my
book down on my knees with a sigh of re-
lief. and looked into the road.
Now l noticed the man, and observed his
movements. He was standing looking al a
corner of the churchyard where were no
graves. It was a portion that had been
newly taken in, some fifteen years ago-only
a few square feet; but, as it was uncon-
secrated. or supposed to be so, the people
did not like to be buried in it-or, to be more
exact, to have their relatives laid in it,
here had in fact, been cottage on that
s which had fallen into ruins, and had
been pulled down. Obviously it had en-
crOached on the churchyard, and had had
no right to be where it was; so the inclos-
ing wall of the graveyard was carried round
this site. But. so far, no dead occupied it.
The man, after studying this spot, went
up the church path; and / observed him
cropping among the gravestones, reading the
several Inscriptions
This went on for some time. He appeared
TO me to be looking for some particular
grave and unable to find it. He was quite
a stranger; and ! laid aside my book ard
descended from my nook, passed into the
highway and assembled the steps into the
churchyard.
The man was we'll dressed. He seemed
not what we should call a gentleman, but a
man above the lowest class, with a bronzed
face, mustache and whskers grizzled; and
he seemed we'll built and bToad-shouldered
/ approached him, when he noticed me-
and touched his hat.
Il beg your pardon said 1. Are you in
quest of any particular grave? If SO, maybe
1 can assist you
No he answered, thank you, sir. None
especially. for they all interest me-"
There are no very remarkable inscrip-
TONS l said, NOR any tombstones of great
antiquity"
oh. 1 don't make no odds of the very old
ones" said he. $50 long as they be about
thirty years ago, and so on to read"
Seeing me look surprised and perplexed, he
added, in explanations You see, sir, / was
born and bred in this place, and I've been
away from it thirty years. so l wanted to
see who was dead and who were living"
oh, I have not been here so long-only
fourteen; so l fear 1 cannot help you as
much as 1 should wish"
There was cottage down yonder," said
he, with an indication toward the newly
inclosed portion THE Goodmans lived in
it,"
All but that has been ruinous, and
pulled down. heard they had scarlet fever,
H.
thought best to take the house down."
swept eff! They were fair children;
wonderful fresh faces and light hair thick
himself than TO me. "So!-swept off, after
pause. Have they a tombstone?"
No do rot think So 1t was before my
man only labOrer in Kersake farm. And
really believe they had no relatives in the
placeIat all events, none who could afford
a tombstone"
Swept away unused the stranger. "Ah,
time makes changes
Not many in this village. Except for the
cottage being gone, little has changed,
fancy
The trees have grown that left as plan
tation no higher than my knee; the hills are
the same. the church is the same -
Not quite; it has been restored"
ALI restored? Just so. l have not been
inside. | don't think l should like to see it
restored. 1 like it as it was when L was a
boy. But the rocks are the same, cawing
and building and wheeling and fighting: and
in Australia"
You have been there?"
Thirty years. VIII you excuse me? l
see some of the yellow furze there Towering.
i should like to smell 1T again AN old
west-COuntry expression escaped him. but
he had lost the dialect Il haven't smelt
the honey of yellow furze since l was boy
mot for thirty years, and now I'm about
erately to the very bench | had vacated.
and there he sat himself down. looked
round, snuffed the fragrant air. and pres
There's one of them birthstone butter
flies dancn about" said he. I'VE hadn't
them in Australia. It's thirty years since |
seed one. Dear me. how times flies! And
1t don't seem pretty without birthstone
butterfly That's just how ones old child
iSh fanCieS lay hold one. Out to Austria
liza l don't believe | ever gave q thought to
birthstone butterflies nor to yellow furze."
lie had returned into the road, and l had
gone TO him.
we hadn't any rocks out there" said
he 1T is wonderful how the sight of that
butterfly and the cawng of the rocks, and
the smell Of the furze makes me seem like
a boy again. Butts not so. All these go
On just the same, and will be when we're
dead and gone; but as TO the folk, there's
where the change comes There was a
danes school. old Betty Masters had it,
and ! went to il when 1 began to learn.
She taught her scholars bravely.
Danes schools are things of the past"
said l. I'VE have now a board school, and
a first-class teacher"
II dare say. Tut these old danes schools
well. I've reason to speak well of EN-.
learned most l did learn of Betty Masters.
Who is the gardener at Witheridge?"
''Fenrose."
1T used to be Waller Where is hep
Gone before my time. His sons went into
trade"
And who at Oghear?"
"Geake."
That's a new name to me: it was Fran
els. BY the way do the Misses Warne
keep little shop, and sell oranges and lol-
hpOps?'
mo. They are both dead"
hot nit I ul,- u h-rr~ 20