The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-21
AFTER TEN YEARS.
By Margaret Gerard.

Taz-fd Fielding was a farmer, well to
do in the world, and one OF the lead-
ing men of the little village or Mill
dale He was of a harsh, exacting dls-
position, feared by all the boys OF tHe
village and respected by the men as
an upright. though hard man. Inc
only person who had ever found the
soft spot in David Fielding heart was
his gentle little wife. Nary
A few months before our story COM
mences he had laid this sunbeam OF
his life in her grave, and his heart
seemed to have contracted ana nara
ened with the great sorrow, TIL every
one pitied his poor child Harry, VINO
was a gentle, tlmid boy, III able TO Dear
harsh treatment. In truth, little Har-
rvs life was far from being pleasant
one. From his mother he inherited a
delicate constitution, and a quiet retlr-
ing disposition, and from his father
vigorous intellect Had Farmer Field
ing been an educated man he would
have made a name In the WOFlQI TOT
his talents were of a superior order;
but brought up to work on farm, ne
was entirely ignorant of book knoWi-
edge, being only able to read, write ana
keep his simple accounts Al ten years
old, Harry. thanks to his mother
care of his education, far outstripped
his father in learning, but his mothers
death abruptly terminated his course
OF studies
As time passed on. the boy. finding
no sympathy from his father, and haV-
ing no other companion, learned to
shut into his own heart all his thoughts
and feelings, and keeping there a deep,
pure spring Of genius and warm feel
ings, appeared to others as bashful,
retiring lad, pronounced stupid by the
neiEhboring farmers, and pitied as
broken-spirited boy by the women OF
the village.
When Harry was but sixteen years
of age he fell in love. The reader may
smile at the passion developed at so
early an age, but it was a warm, pure
love, Frightening his whole dreary life
10 Greu
an errand to one of the farms on the
outskirts of the village, when sud
den shower forced him to take shelter
under tree He was standing there,
dreaming, as usual, watching the
clouds as they gradually broke away,
when he saw a girl Of fourteen COM
ing toward the same tree, and setting
down her basket and closing her UNI
brellas take a place directly behind
him She was very pretty, Harry saw
that, and he lOnged to speak to her.
He cleared his throat, turned toward
her, and then, bashfulneSs gaining the
day, COlOred, and began to count the
eggs in her basket His next effort
was to try to touch her hand, and
pushing his own gently along the trunk
of the tree, he grasped-the umbrella.
a sweet, silvery laugh from his COM
paniOn served to break the ice, and,
overcoming his bashfulness, Harry
started a conversation. 1t did not take
long for Harry to find out that Nellie
was the only child of Nathan Grant,
and that she had just returned from
boarding school to preside in her faith
er's house. She was a sensible girl,
cheerful, and rather cOquettish, but
domestic and orderly, keeping her
fathers house neatly and well, and
making all the bOys|of the village her
firm friends and allies. Her father,
who loved his darling fondIy, only kept
her at home one little year and then
sent her again to school to finish her
education. It was taking the sunshine
from poor Harry's life to part him
from Nellie, but he submitted grace
fully. A few months after Nellie left
AIilldale, Farmer Fielding died, and in
obedience to his last wish, Harry went
to Philadelphia to seek his mothers
for the love of his sister, adopted the
orphan, and, rather ashamed of his
rustic manners and imperfect educa-
ton, placed him in the best schools at
once. We meet our hero again after
a lapse of ten years.
"Oh, DR.. FieIding?' said a gay beau
~. to a handsome. intellectual look
ing man, who was seated beside her,
you must come to my sOiree tO-mor-
row and I will introduce you to the
most charming little piece of rusticity
you ever saw. Ny cousin is coming to
visit me. Papa, you know, sent me
into the country last summer to restore
my health, and I visited my uncle in
Massachusetts. There I made a fast
friend of my cousin. who, although
educated in a very good school in some
little town up there. is the most innO-