The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1919-06-25
THE veneer Of THE YEARS
BY WALTER CREEP.
CHAPTER Nv
THE COATING DEEPENs

In q country village tiihe h'0'
RAPIDLY. OF course the same days
are counted on the calender as II
metropolis; the same holiday
are observed, the same festivities
and celebrations take place, but III
the city SO many events are crowd
ed in the short space between
Christmas, that it really seems 9
decade from one to the other. But
in the country 1t is different. Years
flow on in unchanging and mono
tonous succession. Days rise frorl
the east. spread tlelr golden wings
falter and faint and fell, beyond
the western mountains; nothing
unusual, nothing above the COM
monplace happens; no great eXer-
ton is required, none is put for
ward. Little of the worlds evil is
borne upon the fresh rural air. Life
is one long simple innocent dream,
idyllic and pure, narrow yet joy
Gus.
And of all sleepy little towns,
Devondale was the sleepiest. 1t
seemed that her few inhabitants
were oblivious of the existence of a
world beyond the borders of the
neighborhood. Most of them had
been born in Devondale and ex-
pected to die there. Few had ever
been farther away than the County
seat, which was about twenty miles
distant. The news they read in
their county paper, and a few, and
very few were subscribers to the
Louisville Courier-Journal. Maya
zines were an unknown commodity,
and any book, no matter how popu-
lar at the time of publication, was
usually about two years of age
when it reached Devondale. The
chief occupation of the citizens in
summer was to Toll on the benches
in the shade of the oaks that bor-
dered the principal streets and,
when they were not asleep, discuss
politics, religion and the last years
crops. The whole place seemed
invested with such spirit of Ian
guor that the towns people were, to
quote one of their sages, TO durn
lazy to take a sack of gold il you
were to hand it to them" they
would just say, stuff it down in
my pocket there (yawn or two.)
but still it was surprising to see
the amount of interest manifested
in local affairs and their wild crav-
ing for local praise. Never par
ty was given but the attendance
was the entire youthful popula-
ton, and men strove for the honor
of the petty positions that the lit
tie village afforded. The Sunday
school superintendent was a choice
parsonage, capable of deep respect,
and the choir mater was a prince
of the very elect. And in no less
degree was the favorite young lady
of the town, made important; if she
happened to be a belle or leader
in their Society Circle" she was
petted and feted by the other
young ladies in a manner most as
founding. For Devondale, like
hundreds OF other small towns, had
its Imitation Society" and the way
it's members managed themselves
would have put to shame the larger
circle OF people who engage in such
rank stupidity.
A few months after the affair ut
the Christmas tree, war was Off
cially and publicity declared by
both Samantha and Cora. A rival
ry sprang up between them, which
should be the local belle and reign
supreme in the heart of Oscar.
That was yhe question. 1t could
not be denied, that of the two Sam
autha was the prettier and much
more popular among the old folks;
but on the other hand her devotion
to Oscar and her parents hostility
TO social gatherings had robbed her
of much prestige among the
younger people. Cora however,
was extremely genial with all her
friesds and though she showed
special fondness for Oscar, she did
not let this endanger her standing
with the others. OF the two. one
would have branded her as the bet
ter diplomat of local affairs, for
she soon had Samantha out classed
and was the belle of the circle.
Samantha and Oscar, however,
by this time had made up again as
lovers quarrels are of short dura-
tion and always succeeded in bring
ing the lovers closer together in the
end. so they renewed again their
relations with, what we would call