Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1910-02-10


devoted had he sssa 70 SO welfare
and growth. vtntsr aad summer. that
bis curious attachment bsc&eas . ey- I
word snenx HE frfsads. 49, 90 whom ,
tried In tura ssns utfs Doinusss .
ple>ssntry.
Il Easss Tsnss Est q essnsars Bur
I'D snds< his ehsyry ts<a- s>kf enc.
With . psssat viak @ ns<Asx. vko
stood sAtiax ripe shssrt.a. A~ hasy
on her Arza. - Txns s~.~A sAs1
down
Il have. tndssA.- w~s Twas crave
answer: SAD there's AosoSs sst ne
and the tree esaaE - kasv what u
10. sith<-
Its one q TaAss aid k.eAaitisa."
said Esthsr. - she reieaasd Q red
oGncA from eAs ehtia's elnscA
One day. tust 1t dusk. TnRis sapeaR-
ed on the nsxt-door sArasAold vita
distra1ght sxprsaaion which wAa clear i
evidence OF soms Aeu tmpa1ssos OF
Hospitality.
Got any cookies. EstAerF. he sAid. |
dep<scatingly - he rsnogsd his lat
and rubbed his red lssks In q fever
Of parplsxity-"oF anything slaS handy
70 eat' And. aay. can't yOa send the
boys over quick. 70 Diek ehsrrissr-
Why. Tune. that ais youf No one
could pick cherries nOu. its too dark.
and they'd look Grassy enough up the
trees with q lantern what kiad OF
mess have you got yourself into'
Company again. I a'pose. and you for
. got you asked EN-
Wen said Tune. IL looks little
; ike that ! seem 20 remelnber that
: an 7 vent down town this morning I
said 20 several people that my cherries
4 were ripe. Come up tonight I said.
and help yourselves must have
said Il twenty times. for there sit
twenty people over 90 our house walt
! Ing 20 help themselves, New. I say
4 Esther he added beseechlngly. as he
1 observed the severity ln her face you
know as well as 1 DO that twenty peo.
pie can't get into one cherry tree III
have 90 pacify 'cm wlth something else.
s and Jane cant And thing ln the
i house
. The latter half OF this speech Was
/. delivered Co Esthers irate back. az
s they walked ga a procession OF tVo
s. around Co the outside cellar-door. the
10 entrance 20 base Of supplies tia,
d nctct Jailed poor Tunis in his eXtrcm
r.. IT'S When they ISSUED from the DARK
h. depths. be was clasplng tightly Go hts
n IA
To- cookies. and Esther. as sue reheCtel
-d on her wasted mornings work. aunl
e- after him a parting shaft
OF Heaven only knows. Tune Var
et Brunt. what ever will become Of 30,
I'M when I'm dead"
~ The man stood stock -stiu wlth
sudden shock that nearly finished th
lu crock on the stone Wall and locke
ut after her receding figure with fright
eA eued expression in his eyes
- Heaven only knows he said. sit
a sigh which vas almost sob. "Vha
"a Z could do
~ So the summers came TO runls an
-. his cherry tree. tarried briefly ara
slipped away. until one day they foun
Al. themselves old and quite ready 20 h
IA rut down The man lived hts l'
Ia backward now Ia dreams OF long gou
n. Junes. and the tree had forgotten no
~ 90 blossom and bear save In a fseb
"a reflective way that vas like a memor
r. Tunls would go out aud stand und'
ii, It's dropping leaves and fancy hlUse
49, once more a schoolboy. hand Ina bar
- With Esther. that happy day when 81
IN, brought him a bunch OF oIhearts
- her nttls dirty pocket Once mo
~ he tasted the luscious sweetness OF q
I'M dark Guit Favored with her shildi
mc. love and The grit from her peck
ied treasures. once more he hOArdsd q
yer pits And stole out at dusk - plA
ted them IA his OWn garden plot. ~
again be Watched With daily rccurrt
mt JOY the little sprig OF green that gr'
hi AZ last 20 a tail tree to become Tor hI
I'm the secret comnlemOrEtiOn " "a
nss long affection.
oor The noisy voices or Esthsr's Oh
ON dren would sOmstimes breAk into {
her old mans reVery. their cries =
ON laughter. and their mothers tones ca
,val ing them home Again. the tall 90
> a and daughters came back from sch
and and college. whsre Uncle Tunes &
ar. erosity had sent them and once m'
and IN memOry's panorama they MARI
mar or passed away into the engulfing mi
nj. Of the greater world. Again. they
80 turned for brief stays. or 20 inv'
Ne the ever-reAdy help 81 their neKtd
ots almoner.
his But the times that stood out a. b
end piest OF all in those visions were
wss last years. when be had Esther 20 b
con self Quite alone and widowed.
mes seemed 70 90 back with him 70
his companionship OF their school "a
laUv Together the two children resuu
fel- the closest Of boy and girl relate
~ 4 entertained in common unsSpec
guests. or ate the few cherries {
the came each year on the drying hranc
luch Of the old tree. and sat through
Van long winter evenings talking OF
dur children who went their ways on
the tant paths OF divergence. Then
( fhar FfaN