Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-07-04
CHAPTER Vll.-Continued.

Sometimes she thought of her par
pDts, sister, friends, of how they had
Oersistently refused to believe she
could or would stay in the West. They
we're always asking her to come home
She wrote that she would return to
her old home some time, of course, for
visit; and letters such as this
brought returns that amused Made
line, sometimes saddened her. Her.
fathers business had been such that
he could not leave it for the time re
CURED for a western trip, or else,
according to his letter, he would have
come for her. Mrs Hammond could
not have been driven to cross the
Hudson river; her un-American idea
Of the wilderness westward was that
Indians still chased buffalo on the out
skirts of Chicago. Madelines sister
Helen had long been eager to come, as
much from curiosity, Madeline
thought, as from sisterly regard. And
at length Madeline concluded that the
proof Of her breaking permanent ties
might better be seen by visiting rela-
tiyes and friends before she went back
East With that In mind she invited
Helen to visit her during the summer,
and bring as many friends as she
liked.
No slight task indeed was it to over
see the many business details of Her
MaJesty's Rancho and to keep a rec
ord Of them. Madeline found the
course Of business training upon which
her father had insisted to be invalu-
able to her now. 1t helped her to as
simulate and arrange the practical
details of cattle-raising as put forth
0y the blunt Stillwell. She established
an extensive vegetable farm, and she
painted orchards. The climate was
superior to that of California, and,
Win abundant water, trees and plants
ana gardens flOurished and bloomed
IA a way wonderful to behold. Here
"a Jhe farming section of the ranch
madeline found employment for the
tltIe colony Of Mexicans. Their lives
1au been as hard and barren as the
Wy valley where they had lived. But
as The valley had been transformed
" the soft, rich touch of water, so
Iaelr lives had been transformed by
Ne.p and sympathy and work. The
NNilureh were wretched no more, and
many that had been blind could now
see and Madeline had become to them
new and blessed Virgin.
Madeline looked abroad over these
lands and llkened the change in them
on' those who lived by them to the
ynange in her heart. 1t may have been
."ucy' but the sun seemed to be
"'IgnIer' the sky bluer, the wind
S"eeter. Certain it was that the deep
s'eeh OF grass and garden was not
.0ucy' nor the white and pink of bios
s0IN' nor the blaze and perfume Of
Ho"er' nor the sheen of lake and the
u"ueFlhg OF newborn leaves. Where
1leFe mad been monotonous gray there
VAS now vivid and changing color.
so''Aerly there had been silence both
S"y and night; now during the sunny
'o0lS mere was music. The whistle
y, pranclng stations pealed in from
s"e grassy ridges. Innumerable birds
-au come and, like the northwaro-
!ou'neying ducks, they had tarried to
10y, Inc song Of meadow-lark and
w., 1.oeAOlrd and robin, familiar to Made
.'-,e rom childhood, mingled with. the
~ and strange heart-throbbing song
- \, ue mocking-bird and the piercing
OIas' Of the desert eagle and the mel
~4'-'OIy moan of the turtle-dove.