Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-03-05
TIL LIl5HT
IN TIE PLFARlN6
u A TALE OF THE NORTH COUNTRY
IN THE TINE OF SILAS WRIGHT
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IRVINE hAEHEuER
0ot mopeN b NA
u11D LIZZIE
AnsnA q
0Dt s0lDeN pu AND DANIEL o. TF1 kIssso ElIA
klls1O W WITH lzzR. &c &c


I reached the warm welcome Of ou
little home just in time for dinner
They were expecting me and 1t was ,
regular company dinner-chicken pi,
and strawberry shortcake.
How well remember that hour with
the doors open and the sun shining
brightly on the blossoming fields ant
the Joy OF man and bird and beast IL
the return Of summer and the tall
about the late visit of Alma Jones anC
Mr.. and Mrs. Lincoln!
While we were eating I told then
about the letter Of old Kate.
"Fullerton!" Aunt Deel exclaimed
Are We sure that was the name, Bart 2
"Yes."
Goodness gracious sakes alive"
She and Uncle Peabody gave each
other looks Of surprised inquiry.
'Do you know anybody by that
Manner / asked.
Eve used to-" said Aunt Deel as abe
! resumed her eating. Cant be she's
one o the Sam Fullertons, can itf'
"Oh, prob'Iy not" said Uncle Pea
body. Back East they's more Fuller
tons than We could shake stick at"
A week later we had our raising.
Uncle Peabody did not want public
faising. but Aunt Deel had had her
way. We had hewed and mortised and
bored the dmbers Tor our new home.
The neighbors came with pixies and
helped to raise and stay and cover
them. A great amount OF human kind
meas went into the beams and rafters
OF that home and Of others Ike It I
knew that The ThiAg Wa sun alive
IN the neigAbOrheoA. bat evsa that
could not paralyse ~ hslpf1l Aands Of
those people. Indeed, what was said
81 my Uncle Peabody vas settling
more or less than q had Of eesvsrsa.
donal hrevood I cannot think that
any one really believed IT.
We had q cheerful Day. ( barrel Of
bard cider had been Get MP In the door
yard. and remember that some drank
Il too freely. The he-o-hes Of tho nen
- they lifted on the pixies and the
sound Of the hammer and beetle rang
10 the air from morning until night.
Mrs. Rodney Barnes and Mrs.. Dorothy
came to help Aunt Deel with the cook
Ing and great dinner was served on
an improvised table In the dooryard,
where the stove was Get up. The
shingles and sheathes and clapboard
were on before the day ended.
Uncle Peabody and I put In the
floors and stairway and partitions.
More than once In the days We were
working together I tried to tell him
what Sally had told me, but my cour-
age failed.
The day came. shortly, when I had
to speak out, and took the straight
way Of my duty as the needle of the
compass pointed. 1t was the end of
. summer day and we had watched the
dusk fill the valley and come creeping
up the slant, sinking the powders and
thorn tops in its food, one by one. As
we sat looking out Of the open door
that evening told them what Sally
had told me Of the evil report which
had travelled through the two towns.
Damn, little souled. narrer con-
tracted-" Uncle Peabody, speaking In
q low, sad tone, but with deep feeling.
cut Off this highly promising opinion
before 1t was half expressed, and rose
and went to the water pail and drank.
"As long as we're honest we don't
care what they say" he remarked as
he returned to his chair.
If they won't believe us, we ought
to show 'em the papers-ayes," said
Aunt Deel.
thunder an Jehu! / wouldn't 60
round the town tryin' to prove that l
amt a thief" said Uncle Peabody. 1T
wouldn't make nc Difference. They've
got to have somethin' to play with.
II they want to use my name for a
bean bag let 'em as long as they do it
when amt lookin'. wouldn't won
der II they got sore hands by an by"
never heard him speak Of 1t again.
indeed, although knew the topic was
often In our thoughts 1t was never
in our home but once after
that, to my knowledge.
We sat for long time thinking as
the night came on.
That week a letter came to me from |
he senator, announcing the day Of !
Mrs. Wright's arrival in Canton and |
asking me to meet and assist her In
getting the house to rights. I did so. |
She was q pleasant-faced, amiable |
and most enterprising house /,
:leaner. I remember that my first |
ask was mending the wheelbarrow.
II don't know what Silas would do i
{ he were to get home and find his |
broken" said she. ut IL
llmost an inseparable companion Of |
lis"
The schoolmaster and his family |
we're fishing and camping upon the
liver, and so lived at the senator's |
rouse with Mrs. Wright and her moth
r until he arrived. What wonderful |
rouse 1t was, in my view! I was awed !
y its size and splendor, its soft car
,ets and shiny brass and mahogany.
let 1t was very simple. /
1 hoed the garden and cleaned its
,aths and moved the dooryard and did |
ome painting In the house.
The senator returned to Canton that |
vening on the Watertown stage. He
reeted me with fatherly warmth.
again I felt that strong appeal to my
We IN his broadcloth and fine linen
A>~-ap hot ~AA a. 49, ~-p.-afl |