The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-05-24
A CHoCORUA EPISODE.
nv JOHN
NEW HAMPSHIRE has % ,ot,
ooooooocosnocesoooc

NEW HAMPSHIRE has Of late
IN gained an uncnyiable notoriety
for its numerous abandoned farms.
Like many supposed misfortunes il is
turning out n blessing; three Of these
are already apparent. II has offered
surprising Bargains to city dwcllers
in search of summer homes in the
most picturesque region of New En-
gland; then il has benefited the fam
lies who remained on their farms in
giving them more opportunities to dis
pose Of their produce and labor with
less competition, and lastly. forests
are growing up over these abandoned
lands 10 make good the devastations
Of the lumber companies.
There is nothing that gives one such
a feeling If sadness. mingled with ro-
mantle interest, ms to come apon the
sight OF n Of these abandoned
homes. Sometimes the buildings re-
main. but in ruins; more often they
have been removed or torn down. and
there is the uncovered cellar. trees
growing in it,: the remains Of the
chimney stack. the well, now covered
or filed up with stones. But beyond
all other signs of dissolution and aban-
donmcnt. affecting alike to sentiment
and memory. are the forsakcn flowers
once cultivated in the yards and still
living on, in spite of neglect ana en-
croaching grass or wild ~shrubbery.
They bloom perennially, and some
Kinds even increase.
These abandoned farms are usuallv
widely separated; but along the old
Worth Division road" in Chocorua.
directly under the wonderful peak OF
Mount Chocorua, there are IA farms.
not n of which is now occupied. A
few buildings are left and the an
cicnt schoolhouse. in which 30 chill
drcn used to cipher out of Dabolrs
arithmetic and Wcbster's speller.
Each of these old farms has its rustic
history, pathetic, uneventful or anus
ing. From them sprang a small. local
poet. one college valcdictorian. and
several public men with short his
sories. The would-be statesman is
not allowed To become great in New
Hampsire. When that is imminent he
moves TO Bosto on or Ohio.
The present historian has busted
himself for several past summers in
recovering some of the incidents con-
nectcd with these IA abandoned farms.
Thus far he has succeeded in learn
.ng several worthy OF relation: one
~ these he heard with many details
here omitted. from n very aged man.
himself having acted a certain part
IN IL.
In the little red schoolhouse lust
spoken Of, Lucy VIM. the daughter
OF Q farmer in an adjoining town.
taught school for several seasons.
She was only Is when she began to
teach. a comely, country maiden,
rather better educated than was com
mon. but excessively shy and modest.
The blush neycr left her cheeks dur
4ng the hours of school; and when
her day of fatiguing and often
narassing labor was over IL was sue
ceeded by an extreme pa'lor. Her
pupils were of all ages, from those
learning their letters to young men
and women Of her own age. and two
or three men older. for il used TO be
me custom in country districts for
ooys and girls to continue in school
nhtii almost or quite mel and women.
especially in the winter term, when
enere was little else TO do.
Lucy loved her small A, II. G pupils.
and her older ones were fond OF her.
ana one Of them. Sylvanus Waldron,
vas too fond. His attentions were
open n bold. and they often an
''oyed her TO desperation, as she was
conscious of the increased flush in
her face whenever he asked any aucs-
non or recited a lesson, and she was
that The whole school observed
~. BESIDES She had a lover, with
Nhom she was well pleased. although
'ne decisive word had not vet been
I poken' He was called Ensign Gof.
re was six feet two i'm his stockings. q
s'a'"art, frank. noblc-heartcd young
man. who carried the flag in the mill
company TO which he belonged,
where he got his title Of ensign. by
y men he was always called, and Of
when he WINS rather proud. IL was
'iis habit to spend every sunday even
ing with Lucy, and he seldom saw her
~ any other time. Usually she had
recovered her strength and color by
ne rest Of a Saturday afternoon and
ne sabbath. But toward the end of
ne term this became difficult and In.
'reQuent Her relations with Sylyanus