Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-02-14

The old home house that once resounded
with the tread and general racket of a
large family, and was the arena for many
political debate between my father and
neighbors during the late Civil war, is
now occupied by one only, a sister who
owns 1t.
As crossed the threshold, over granite
steps, as had done hundreds of times in
those other days, when lilaes abloom
freighted the air with their sweet odors, l
was greeted by my sister and led to my
room in the chamber, as it was called, a
room that had occupied before but not
as my room of my boyhocd. / began TO
settle myself for months stay in and
around the old home.
do not remember of eve having had
any difficulty in standing my full height
in this room before leaving home so long
ago, but now / am Obliged to drop my
head to one side in order to clear the
ceiling; and thus my ear on the upper side
is in very favorable position to catch the
first patter of falling rain upon the roof,
should it come, as il seemed it might at
any moment, This time ! was disap-
pointed; but few days later it came and
played Just as sweetly as OF yore and sang
me 10 sleep, indeed, to very refreshing
siumper, under the old home roof.
/ remembered that / had run my head
agalhsta header In certain doorway
GOOD many times. rms was an opening
that iather seemed TO nave made Tor MS
own sDecial benefit he be ing rather short
OF stature and how used to feel about
these bumps That kInked my neck and
gave me armament OF shooting stars;
and some words said would like to for
get, as well as TO nave them forgotten by
all VINO hearu them as they roled from
the END OF my tongue
80, many times nave come very near
losing my mead because OF the IDEAS oil
some short fellow. 1t has always appeared
TO me that there ought TO De plenty OF
clear space over ones head when he is
walking IN roadway or going through
door, and yet, ma In cities where they
nave y-scrapers, awnings are very much
in my way Outlines.
This leads me to the thought that al
most everything seems, IN measure, to be
eorraiied' one can hardly breath, think
or act In accordance with the dictates oil
ms own conscience ne Is hedged about
with so many connecting moves ana opln-
IONS, whi"h Is nothing more nor less tnan
a lot OF PARTITION FENCES that one must
scale in order TO reach the unbounded
piain'
noticed that there was little door IN
one OF the parIitlohs OF TINS room "hlch
nave mentioned, ana that IL opened TO
what knew IN chhdhood as the pear
hole or pears den ana before retired
That night opened II 10 see II could
smell Dear or near one gro"l' as hao
listened many tihe' at the top oil the
stairs, on my nightly CLIMB to my room 49,
especially after listening TO several Dear
stories curing tine evening" AZ ehat time
when was what the boys would no" eali
"kid
The opening that led into the pears den
was Just at the head OF the stairs on the
right; and here, on the ceiling loists, was
kept the old hint-lock rifle that was car
ried by one Smith to do service in the
Aroostook war twhich dio not material-
ize, believe, or come to pass TO DO much
harm), and an old max comb OF grand
mothers day which had trapped ana
killed many mouse, as its teeth, full OF
skeletons, bore evidence, and an old warm
ing-pan.
Here at the head OF the stairs was what
might be called a hall. 1t was, however,
simply an open space, ana, with the eX-
ception OF very narrow passageway, was
filled with one or two spinning-wheels,
bundle OF wool rolls, fresh from the cards
that are near, an old-fashioned swift and
one or more big chests, containing bed
ding, mostly OF grandmother's weaving,
such as coverlets and quilts OF various pat
terms; and the good old lady had started
in with the wool while it was yet ON the
back of the sheep bringing it through
from the points OF the shears, to the wash
ing, the carding, the spinning, the dyeing