Frostburg mining journal., 1900-04-07
% p L @x
: az .
= T. ~ BI GS
=: =: =:
Ely ROSA G. EICHORN.
9: - -
CGuIT-iJLt, 1900, TN Il. c. EichOTn. |


Even though now hcmmcd in by city
streets. who of us country born folk but
recalls the associations of childhood
DAYS? Tender dreams Snatched at
twilight. before the lamps are turned
up, Danish the shadows of Iif"'S dull
routine. and before we are aware we
feel the special delight of that crisp
morning in April when Sarah Maria
Stone ShOocd us all out of her warm
kitchen and vowed she "Warnt goin
to burn wood to keep such lazy bein's
alive" y late SnoWStOrm had rCtard-
ed the season. and it "warn't cold
enough for wood chopin. nTthcr war
it just the season fur plantin." as SO,
Ion, comwonly known as sarah Maria
Stones So!nu." expressed it.
Il was not 50 much the thought of
the budding pussy willows beside the
freshly thawcd brook as the hope of
finding nuts undiscovered by the active
chipmunkS ON Hickory Nut hill aud
none the worse for their winters sleep
beneath the snow covered leaves that
took away from the full Significance Of
her words. We rushed out and over
the stihly frozen cornficldS and stopped
only to mark the willow with the lar
gost ruSsi"S What mattercd our first
hastily formed plans when the birch,
with its white Strcakcd bark, stood di-
rcctly in or path? Who could resist
the temptation to make flutes from
such sturdy tWiGS? We slipped off
the most promising and twisted the
long lA.k loose from its juicy stem.
Then so simple Il matter to calk one
end securely and insert a silver from
the Woodman'S ny half way across the
other, Il few round holes along the
stem, and there You are, Down the
broad aisle Of the chestnut grove Sa-
cred to the annual MaypoIc dance we
marched in single file. our sturdy lii.
tie lees marking time with the vigor-
ouS footing Even nature became in
cenSvd at such unruly cl&mor, and she
tempted rs with the sweet black birch
down by "DId Uncle Georges" elm lot.
The great. tall tree with OutSprCading
branches seemed to invite us on. We
leaned lack against the rough, deeply
corrugated bark and stuffed ourselves
to our h"at'S content. The freely
flowing "Spittlc" put Il stop to all toot,
ing for that day, and reluctantly we
surrendered ourselves to the switch
when we presented ourselves few
hours later with diScolorcd lips and
much stained fingers. Alas. those Wig.
orCUS yet fruitlcss scrubhingS.
But To- Jammic. "Old Miss Wfpplp's
son, the lore of the woods was as
second nature, He knew all her So
crctS and frequently favored us on his
ramblcS He was born to the woods,
ana ne rcvclcd in his self acquired
EnOWIcd"" EnvCd of all was the one
whom Jammir called for a days out
Ing However stcrnly forbidden such
pleasures not one of us would hesitate
between the Joys of such n day and the
possibility of punishment aftcrward.
And when at night we returned, muddy
ana tired. mothers were appcaScd by
Jammie'S Offering OF balm of Gilcad
blossoms, freshly gathered from Squire
Rubcn'S horse chestnut tree. We cS.
capped to bed, weary but happy children.
while they busted themselves in pre-
serving th" fragrant balSam. 1t was
Jammir who urged Sarah Maria
Stones SolcH to plant poplars near his
beehive because those humble workers
used the rrsin0us varnish which coats
the scaly buds to seal up the cracks
and coat the interior surface of their
homes. You nights well give 'em the
material Z hand" he said. and con-