Year: 1874

1


BY JOHN B. HOLMES.


Once upon a time, there lived two
farmers, whose names were, respective
ly, Merivale and Vladimir. Their
farms Joined and they had lived side by
side for several years. They had al
ways been firm friends, except OCCASION
al miffs, such as will sometimes come
between the best of friends, as clouds
float between the sun and the earth.


Mr.. Vladimir had had son Claude
and Mr.. Merivale daughter Ruth, who
had been playmates from the time they
were old enough to play together, and
were in their intimacy almost like
brother and sister. Their child love fer
each other was such that, had they been
older, it would have "meant some
thing The girl was two years older
than the boy, so that she had the adj
vantage in point of age.


Mr. Merivale was quite prosperous
man as compared with his neighbor
Vladimir, who had the misfortune to
be one Of the LATEST men in all creation
rs well as one of the most inveterate
topers. Liquor had 4 bad effect upon
his disposition, and he had abused his
wife until she was almost heart-broken,
and wasted to the shadow of her former
self. But his vengeance seemed to be
especially directed against his son
Claude, who was child of gentle dis
position, and had experienced great
deal Of sickness from the period of his
infancy. lie had been beaten and
bruised by his father until he was so
bent and doubled that he was known as
the little lame boy, and was an object of
pity in the neighbOrhood.


Mrs. Vladimir tried her best to make
the life of Claude as happy as possible;
but when husband comes home drunk
and brutal what can woman do?


At these times she would try to pro-
tect Claude from his fathers cruel
blows, but generally without avail. The
poor boy would watch for the coming
of his father, and when he saw him he
would skulk away out of doors and
seek refuge under a great elm tree that
stood ON the edge Of the garden, and
on the line between his fathers farm
and that Of Mr.. Merivale.


He would not long be here before lit
tie golden-haired Ruth Merivale would
come and sit by his side and with all
her vocabulary of endearments try to
sOothe him.


The time when Ruth had extended
her loving protection over little Claude
was not known, and the children them
selves appeared to have no other idea
than that it had always been so.


So pure and disinterested was this
child-love that it was the talk of the
neighborhood, and blessings were
shOwered on the head of Ruth Meri-
vale.


"But alas!'' sighed one, "what ter
rible blow it will be to poor Claude,
when Ruth becomes young lady and
goes out into the world and sees the
first well-formed young men, who will
lay their hearts at her feet. Alack-a-
day for the poor lame boy!''


"Better by far to break it all now,
when their hearts are young and will
soon heal" said another.


And some well meaning persons act
ually spoke to Mr.. Merivale about it.


"Pooh, pooh!' said Mr.. Merivale.
ats only children's notions; but 1 con-
!ess," continued the kind-hearted man,
''that it gives Inc the utmost happiness
to see in Ruth the evidence of so deep a
regard for the happiness of poor child
who, besides his mother, seems to have
no practical friends" and Mr.. Merivale
put the accent on practical" 81 re-
gard child-love the most beautiful love
in the universe, because so much
of it as there is, is pure and unselfish.
1t is confiding, guileless and truthful.
But it must be confessed that it is as
fragile as the dew of summer morn
ing. 1t beauties while it lasts but
leaves no perceptible trace. As 4 touch
will dismantle a rose of its dew-drop,
x,.fIl
break the gossamer web of child-love.
No, no." continued Mr.. Mcrivale, "let
the dear child love the little lame boy
-Pd much rather that than that she
were petting cats and dogs!" And so
MIS-. Merivale said the same thing; so
there was an end of trying to break up
the happiness of the TIVE children.


The effects of Mr.. Valdimir's idleness
and Incorporate habits were visible
about every nook and corner of his
home. He had long since exhausted
the natural capabilities of the soil, and
his crops were meager and shrilnken.
The fences were in tumble-down con-
dition, and the buildings in the last
stages Of dilapidation and decay. The
appearances of the farm contrasted
strongly with the thrift and prosperity
that marked every part of Merivale's
farm, which was in the highest state of
cultivation, and immensely profitable.
The contrast made the intimacy of the
children all the more noticeable, since
it often happens that prosperity and
poverty do not live in harmony.


1t was generally conceded that Val
dimir was Il worthy man when he let
liquor alone. Mrs. Yaldimir herself
said that but for drink her husband was
US kind man rs could be found. When
sober he would make all manner Of
promises of reformation, and would
caress little Claude with an over demon-
stration of affection In order, If possible
to wipe out the remembrance of past
abuses.


Claude and Ruth were together a
great deal of the time which when they