Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1920-01-14

perhaps the dismalneAs Of the given
description OF my close, quarters and
the dullness Of my solitude, too, might
as am alone. be the prominent
characteristics OF my write-up.
Though happy words always come at
4 call. and occupy their inevitable
places as they ought to do after my
receiving so many precious messages
of greeting for the Christmas and the
New Year holidays from my dear
Manchester friends and | thought the
best way to answer them al, would be
through the columns Of your excel
lent paper.
So, first Of all, must tell you of
an interesting hike that have Just
taken today, over the mountains and
boulders Of the vicinity Of Addy, It
being such a lovely, warm. bright
sunshiny day and a little troop OF 8
or 10 Of my little friends, or rather
my Sanday school class walked or
otherwise climbed long distance UP
mountainous heights to enjoy the hap
piness OF nature and TON" chaper-
|oned the outfit to keep the bears and
wolves away. The outing was Just
grand and from the top Of mountain
just west Of Addy, only a few steps
from my little home, and bordering
the banks OF the Coloille River, which
from our elevated position reminded
us of wriggling serpent forcing its
way down through the COloille valley.
We watched the setting sun casting its
last red glow over the frozen earth,
and our little town beneath, made a
beautiful picture with its frost COW
cred roofs, and tall pines, all bathed
in. golden tint, by the fast disap-
pearing sun, for always in the after
noon or at evening time, this. Coloilie
valley, in which we now dwell. seems
like a vast basin filed at this hour
with golden sunshine, and the vast ba-
sin seems like rift in the mountains
Through which this little river glides.
with mountains at right OF US, noun
tains at left Of us and mountains all
around us, and right now, In the dis
Itance, my eyes are resting on the Ia
nous Huckelberry mountain. not very
far away and in the early sunshine
its base is enveloped with mist, parts
|of which seem floating in the sky; SO
that the great foot-hill looks really as
|if it were founded on cloud, and just
emerging from the mist is seen, what
appears to be a field OF golden grain
and above that. forests and the mys-
teries of the mountains all around.
The timber here is, nearly all pine
but in early autumn the foliage of
what few naples there are begin to
change their hues. and look like bur-
|nished gold, and what shall say OF
the birds and wild flowers? Not long
since, Tom. and came down from
Merl's home only few rods and came
right across the lot or garden and
came full upon q pair Of Chinese
|pheasants concealed by the shrubbery.
They are birds OF a bright and beau
tiful plumage, nearly as large as an
ordinary duck and are quite plentiful
around here, and are the most beau
|tiful species of the bird kind I ever
saw. Tom says they are often seen
there in the timber but never saw
one only ON this side of the Rockies
and this bird talk makes me think of
the Audubon club of dear old Man
chester, and when / think of that
memory begins stirring the beautiful
past and begins unfolding its scroll,
as the story of my girlhood falls softly
upon the evening silence. There is
where lived my life, and shared its
Joys and sorrows. There is where
Tom and l dwelt together in the old
homestead and walked together down
the years, and find the light OF other
days is unfailing. Each little item
has its pretty past, pleasant or pain
ful to recall as the case may be, nor
lis this living in the past, entirely the
voluntary affair of pleasure or of
memory.
l often think, Notwithstanding all
the ups and downs of life, with what
wealth, elderly peaple are furnished.
Sweet, indeed, must it be, to sit
with folded hands, and dream life all
over again.
How dear Is the old hand in ours.
Years have added up the sum Of all the
felicity that we have known together,
and carried it oyes ostoday Those
who have left our asm1 and gone out
into other homes NJ still our own;