Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-04-05
8: + r + + : + s + = + + = i
:: u THE Man AND ':::;;: .: C.: :'' - -
= :: s;;7, n; si;7 THE MOUNTAIN - -
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| Fl ~ ~ - ~
WE was such large, strong man
IHI that when he first set foot In
HI the little parallelogram called
my garden it seemed to shrink
to half its size and become preposter
Gus. But | noticed at the same time
that he was holding in the open palm
of his huge hand the roots of violet
with such infinite tenderness and deli
cacy that | would have engaged him a.
my gardener on the spot. But this
could not be- us he was already the
proud proprietor Of Il market garden
suburban California town where | liv
ed. He would, however. come for two
days in the week, stock and look after
my garden and impart to my urban in
tellcct such horticultural hints as were
necessary. His name was Ruetli
which | presumed to be German. but
which my neighbors rendered us Root
leigh. possibly from some vague con
nyciiou with his occupation. His OWL
knowledge Of English was oral and
phonetic. have delightful recollec
ton of bill of his in which | was
charged for "tioletZ," with the vague
addition Of "maine Gains" Subsequent
explanation proved it to be many
| kinds"
Nevertheless my little garden bour
| geon ii and blossomed under his large,
| protecting hand. became accustomed
to walk around his feet respectfully
when they blocked the tiny paths and
to expect the total eclipse by his enor
nous bulk of that garden bed on which
| he worked. for the tniest and most
reluctant rootlet seemed to respond
| To his caresSing paternal touch. III
WIS pretty sight to see his huge
fingers ,ying up some slender stalk to
| its stick with the smallest thread. anu
| he had Il rpverent way of laying Dulo
/ or Il seed in the ground and then gently
shaping and smoothing small mound
over il, which made the little inscrlp'
| ton on the stick above more like an al
| fec;ing rpitaph than ever Much OF
this sen.lcncSs may have been that
apo!ogy for his great strength common
| WIKI large men. but his face was dis
| tinctly umabc, and his very light blue
eyes were ut times wistful and dosilke
in their kindliness. But | was soon TO
learn that placablity was not enllrely
| his nature
The Garden was part Of fifty vara
LOT Of land on which was simultane'
ouSly erecting i house. but the garden
| was finished before the house was
through certain circumstances yer!
characteristic OF that epoch ana CIV
| iiiZa,ion. had purchased the Spanish
title-ti.e only legal one-to the land
which. however. had been in posses
sicn" OF Il "squatter." But he had
| been unable TO hold that possession
against n Jumper" another KIM OF
sauatter who had entered upon it Gov
ertly. fenced il in and marked it out
i'm building sites. Neither having legal
| ri~liS. neither could invoke the law
| Tie las, m,n held possession. There
WAS no doubt that in due course OF lii
i::a;icn ant time both these ingenious
! gentlemen wou.d have been dispoSsess
c, i'm favor of the real owner myseif)
but that course would be Il protracteu
| one. Following the usual custom VI
| the locality. paid u certain sum TO
the Jumper peaccably to yield up his
. Al, nd
build uuon it.. 1t might be reasonably
| supposed that the question was set
| tied. but il was not. The house was
nearly finished when one morning
was called out of my editorial sane
tum by pallid painter looking even
more white loaded than usual. who in
formed NE that my house was i'll the
possession of five armed men. The en-
| try had been made peaceaCly during
| the PAINTERS absence to dinner under a
wayside tree When they returned
t!.py had found their pots and brushes
in the road and an intimation from the
windows that their re-entrance would
be forcihly resisted as a trespass.
| honestly believe that Ruetli was
more concerned than myself over this
liSpossession. While he Loyalty be-
licved that would get back my prop
| erty. he WAS dreadfully grieved ovel
the inevitable damage that would be
done TO the garden during this interval
of neglect and carelessness. l even
think he would have made truce
with my enemies if only they had let
him look after his beloved plants. AS
il was. he kept passing but melan-
choiy surveillance of them and was
indeed better spy of the actions OF
the intruders than any could have
employed.
One day. to my astonishment. he
brought me n moss rose bud from a
bush which had been trained against
Il column of the veranda. 1t appeared
that he had called from over the fence
the attention of one of the men to the
neglected condition of the plant and
had obtained permission to come In
and tie ii up" The men. being mere
hirelngs vf the chief squatter. had no
personal feeling. and | was not. there
fore. surprised to hear that they pres
emily allowed Ruetli occasionally to
come in and look after his precious
"slips." If they had any suspicion of
his great strength it was probably off
set by his peaceful avocation and his
bland. childish face. Meantime | had
begun the useless legal proceeding. but
had also engaged Il few rascals of my
own to tie ready to take advantage OF
any want Of vigilance on the part OF
INV adversaries. never thought OF
Ruetli in that connection any more
than they had.
| .-...s....'o '...~. "'..' .'.'.."e a.
the little tea ar,or Of Ruetlfs nursery
peacefully smoking with him. Present
ly he took his long china bowled pipe
from his mouth and. looking at me
blandly over his yellow muStache. said
You vonts sometimes TO so in do,
house. ei:
Cows that fai
cially Aftel
|