Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1900-08-23
THE OLD APPLE TREE



1WAS disappointed in my friend. We
had arranged to spend the day on
- the river had not met him for
years. not since our Ballol days, until
| saw INN again after seven years at
the varsity sports in the early spring.
Then ci.sht or nine of Us. all old Halliol
men. dincd her, and we had ii re-
frcshiu. talk over ali that had occurred
while | was away in Canada six years
of 1t | had there, and when | returned
was SURPRISED to lind 50 much altera-
ZION in everything and everybody. Hut
dear old Fry was the same as ever.
gtanch and genuine and generous,
When | met hin in Lombard street.
fortnight before, ii WIS he who had
suggested and settled Tie details OF our
trip on Tie river. II was to be on June
ii. and We were to have had Il long,
healthy. celebrating day, with plenty
of hard exercise and Il long chat about
old times old chums that we were.
Tho day came and l was in river-rig
at the honthotse agreed upon half an
hour earlier than we had mutually
fixed But Fry did not come. The
half hour went. and another, and an
other. know of nothing more rri-
tating than to have to hang about for
another fellow 10 turn up when one Is
alone like thar. At last. got note
by his servant. If he had sent wire,
| should have hati his message sooner,
but old fashioned cuurtescs still char
acterize Fry, and he sent his groom
eleven miles with long note Of eXpla
natnn and apology
His excuse for not coming seemed to
me a himSy one. Ills wife's father had
Fixed n sudden meeting of family trls-
tees, and afterWard he had to see his
sister on business OF consequence re-
latjng to trust. However. whether
It WAS an excuse or whether it WAS
a reason. he was not coming with me
for our projected river trip-tliat was
clear: and now that | knew he was not
to Join me. was content. 1t was an
uoying and. as | realty loved dear old
Fry. it was Il disappointment. But
trust an too p!lilosUphic to feel any
dining deeply that cannot he helped.
counternlanded the pair skitf and had
out a single canoe,
In five minutes | was ION the bosom
of old Father Thames" The hAckneyed
words. as thought of them, We're in
themselves n comfort and as padded
OH thought how Il gay heart wants
no friend. Solitude has charms deeper
than society can afford. Out of my
memory tcemed troops of friends, and
they were with me as | willed. They
came at my call and vanished as |
wished when thought of another sug-
gcstcd. Even Fry himself, with his
hearty laugh, his loyal brotherly spirit
communed with me, and was dispelled
again as a more recent chum who had
tracked many a bear with me in Can
ada haunted my memory.
was now in Il lovely backwater more
beautiful than the Thames itself The
bankside flowers were more abundant
and nearer to me-indeed, they hedged
me about. The pale blue eyes of innu-
merable forget-,ne-nOts smiled upon me-
the yellow toadtlaX grew out of the
clay banks, wild roses and brambles
bloomed amidst their thorns. the leaves
Of the osiers whispered every where,
md weeping willows hung their arch
Ing boughs right across the narrow
creek which it now pleased me to ex.
plorc.
The water was clearer. too--wonder-
fully clear 1t was. Padding slowly
along between the lawns, | looked into
the depths Of the water. with all its
wealth and wonder OF plant growth, the
waving forest OF submarine weed,
where ! could see shoals Of mjnnows.
Now and then a school Of perch, start
led by my paddle, darted into the shad-
ow of the weed and huge jack. sulk-
Ing in n deep green pool, made me long
for rod and line.
Whilst thus engrOssed. bending my
head over the side of the canoe, in
which continued to drift slowly along.
failed to notice how narrow the creek
had become, until suddenly found my
self close to lady lying on lawn
SO close that was almost touching
her She was quite at the edge OF the