South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-09-12

AiNCu river. laaelanu8 proper u
contented village OF two dozen
houses situated on a forlorn. mar
rOw-gauge railroad line You wonder
whether the railroad lost itself in
the pine woods and ran into Lake
lands from fright and loneliness. or
whether Lakelands got lost and hud-
died itself along the railroad 10 wait
for the ears 20 carry IL home.
You wonder again why Il was
named Lakeiauds There are no
lakes. and the lands about are too
poor 20 be worth mentioning.
Half a mile from the village stands
the Eagle House. "a big, ToOmy old
mansion run by Josiah Rankin for
the accommodation Of visitors who
desire the mountain afr az iueXpen-
sive rates. The Eagle House S.
delightfully."- mismanaged. II IS full
81 ancient instead of modern inn
provemente. and 10 is altogether as
comfortably neglected and pleasingly
disarrauged as your own home. But
SOU are furnished with clean rooms
and good and abundant fare your
self and the piny woods must do the
rest Nature has provided a min
cral spring grapevine swings. and
C-oquet-eyen the wickSts are wood
On. You have Art 20 thank only
DIT NI.h II|l.|IH.-a IaN .AAAAA 4AAAaAN wa <
week at the hop in the rustic pa
yilion.
Tho patrons % the Eagle House
ere those who seek recreation as
ucccssit-. as well as a pleasure. They
are busy people. who may be llkened
% clocks that need a fOrtnight's
winding 20 insure years running or
their wheels. You viii find students
there from the lower towns now
and then an artist or q geologist alb
sorbed iu constituting the ancient
strata Of the hills. A few quiet
families spend the summers there;
and often one or two tired members
Of that patient sisterhood known 70
I.akelands as "schoolmarms."
A quarter Of a mile from the Eagle
7FouSe was what would have been
described 70 fits guests as IAN object
of interest" in the catalogue, had the
Eagle House issued a catalogue This
was an old. old mill that was no
longer mill In tho words Of Jo-
siah Rankin. it was "the only church
in the United States sab. with an
overshot wheel. and tho only mill in
the world. sah with Tews and pipe
organ" The guests OF the Eagle
House attended the old mill church
each sabbath, ard heard the preach
cr liken the purified Christian 10
bolted flour ground TO usefulness be
tween the millstOnes or experience
and suffering.
Every year about the beginning Of
autumn there came 90 the Eagle
House one Abram Strong, who re-
manned for a time an hOnOred and
beloved guest. In I-aFelands he was
called Father Abrau. because his
hair was so white. his face so strong
and kind and lOrd. AS laugh so
merry. and his black clothes and
broad hat so priestly in appearance.
Even new guests after three or four
DAYS acquaintance gave him this ia
miliar title.
Father Abram came long way
TO Iakelands. He lived In a big,
roaring town In the Northwest where
ne owned mills, not little mills with
pews and an organ in them, but
great. ugly. mOUntain-like mills that
the freight trains crawled around all
day like ants around an ant-heap.
And now YOU must be told about
Father Abram and the mill that was
church. for their stories run to
Eether.
In the DAYS when the church was
mill. Mr. Strong was the miller.
There was nc ioIlier dustier buster.
AaNfNtfI NIIAIANA Ail H.AA NNAN tNNtANA IMAM
he He lived in "a little cottage across
the road from the mill. His hand
was heavy. but his toll was light.
and the mountainous brought their
grain TO him across many weary
miles of rocky roads.
The delight of the miller's life
was his little daughter Aglaia. That
was a brave name. truly, for flax
en-haired fodder. but the noun
taineers love souorous and stately
names. The mother had encOun-
tered it somewhere i'm a book. and
the deed was done. I'm her baby
hood Aclaia herself repudi8ted the
name. as FAR as common use went.
and persisted I'm calling herself
''ums The miller and his wife
often tried 20 coax from Aglaia the
source of this mysterious name, but
without results At last they 7rIiJ ed
at q theory. I'm the little garden be-
hind the cottage was "a bed OF rho
dodendrons in which the child took
peculiar delight and interest. 1t
may have been that she perceived
in "ums" a kinsbiD 20 the formidable
name Of her favorite flowers
When AElaia was four years old
she and her father used 90 go
through a little performance in the
mil every afternoon. that never
failed 20 come of, the weather per
hitting. When supper was ready
her mother would brush her hair
and put on q clean apron and send
her across 70 the mill TO bring her
father homo. When the miller saw
her coming in the mill door he
would come forward. all white with
the -four dust. and wave his hand
and sing am old miiler's song that
was familiar in those parts and ran
sonlethiue like tLis
"The wheel goes round.
The -rist is ground.
The dusty uiIIer's merry.
Jie sings all d7y.
HIS work is play.
While thinking Of his dearie."
Then AE'aia would run % him
lauShinr and car Dada. come take
Duus homer and the miller would
Fwin- he- 70 his shoulder and march
over 90 supper singing the milIer's
SONG Every evening this would
tfkc place.
one day only a week after her
fourth birthday. Aclaia disappea red
When I1s- seen she was pfuckinC
Wild flowers hv the side Of the road
81 front 81 The cottage. A lictle while
later her mother went ont 10 see