Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1903-11-12
CHAPTER |.

u of Niprun,s on the Mahns... ,..r O..
Enying remnant Of an old and curlou-.y
yuurlcd cherry tree known 40 t.lr
ltoussillon tirp. lc ccris er de- 'Ninns.pI
Eoussillon. us the French inhablnns
call IL. which az lolg us 50 lived bore
lrult rrmurl,ub., Tor rcluov@ OF flavor
tnd peculiar dark ruby depth 81 color.
The exact spot where thlt llule Old
trcdllnr from ln belle France aourishcd
/ declined and died cannot b" certrnly
i POINTED out. Tor I'm the rapid aud happy
\ , rowth OF Nincenues many landmarks
. ,ncc notable. among them le cerizler
4 a. Monsieur KousslibDn. have been de
: iroycd and the spots where they stood.
4 ,ncc familiar 10 every eye Ia old Vim
& ,rnncs. are now lost In the pleasant
confusion OF the new town.
The old. twisted. gum embossed
cherry tree survived every other dis
i sincuishug feature OF what was Oncc
j Abe most picturesque and romantic
4 lhncc Ia Hnccnnes Just north Of IL
ttood ln the early French days low.
i gambling cabin surrounded 10y rude
aeraudas oycrgrown with grapeyines.
This was the Roussillon place. the most
t,rrtentlJur home ia all the Wabash
,ountry Its owner was Gaspard kous-
uon. a successful trader with the In
CLANS Tie was rich. for the time aud
shr place. influential To IA degree. n
,nan Of some education, who had
iirought with him to the wilderness a
stumble 81 books and a taste Tor read
.ng
II is not known just when Ninccnnes
Nns hrst founded. but most historians
,uakc the probable date very early In
rhc eighteenth century. soulewhene be
rwccn 1910 aud 1870. In 1910 the
lgouSslllon cherry tree was thought by
o. distinguished botanical letter writer
leo be- at least hfty years old. which
would make the date OF It's planting
about 1890 Certainly, a. shown by the
aime stained family records upon which
Hhs story Of ours Is based II was
tiourlshlng and wide topped tree In
hhc early summer of 1878, its branches
huadcd 10 dropping with luscious fruit
~ low did the dark red clusters hang
ht one point that tall young girl
standing on the grouiHi easily reached
bhc best ones and made hcr lips purple
ayith their juice while she ate them.
That was long ago. measured 10y
what has come TO pass on the gentle
Hweu Of rich country from which Vim
Ncnncs ovcrlooks the Wabash. The
bicw town nourishes notably aud its
appearance marks the latest limit or
arogrrss Electric cars In It's streets.
s,lcctric lights In It's beautiful homes,
hhc roar Of railway triuns coming and
going In all directions. bicycles whirl-
inp hither and thither. the most fash
ionablc styles Of cpuipagcs from
brougham 10 pony phacton, make the
days OF hintlock guns and buckskin
trousers seem ages down the past. and
yet We are looking back over but a
littlc more than 10 years TO see Alice
,Roussillon standing under CHEEKY
srec and holding high n temISing cius
acr Of fruit. while a short humpbacked
youth looks up with longing eyes and
Nainly reaches for IT, The tAbleuu IL
not merely rustic. II Is primitive.
Jump the girl Is saying In French.
Jump. Jean: jump high
Yes. that was very long ago, In the
days who's women lightly braved what
the strongest men would shrink from
now.
Alice Roussillon was tall 1.-THE.
strongly knit. with an almost perfect
digure. Judging by what the master
Eculptors carved for the form OF Venus.
hnd her face was, cuncly and winning,
III not absolutely beautiful; but the
time and place wepa vigorously indi-
!. Gated by her dress which was Of
A coarse stun and simply designed.
Plainly she was n chih OF the Amer
lean wilderness. a daughter OF old Vim
.cennes ON the Wabash, In the time that
tried mems souls.
Jump. Jeanr' she cried. her face
Laughing with a show OF cheek dim
piles, an arching OF finely sketched
brows and the twinklmg of large blue
lgray eyes
Jump high and gepthcmr
While she waved her sun drowned
Sand holding the cherries aloft, the
lbreeze blowing fresh from the south
west tossed her hair 80 that some loose
strands shOne Ike riInplod thames.
The sturdy little ,hunchbark didileap
lNAhi SUI hNafAeJf
freacherous brown. hand went higher
go high that the combined altitude OF
slls jump and the 'resrh OF his !unnat
blralty long arms wasvoercome. Again
End again he sprangl vainly into the
mir comically, Ikea hong; leggedAsqua'
SDodied frog.
And you bragg OF 'your agility gand
strength, jean" she laugmngly re-
marked, but you can't taket cherries
pvhcn they are offered to'you. What
tlumsy bungleriyOu are!"
IL can climbiand get some, he said
with hideously happy grin. ,and I'm
pnediately embraced the bole OF the
hree. up which he began scrambing al
most as fast as N squirrel.
When he had mounted high 'enough
No be extendingia hand for a hold on a