Year: 1871

Ever since AOdm 1Duulgeu III love
young dream amid the vernal bowers
of Eden, and wandered with Eve be-
meath the happy shades of early crea-
tioD, the human heart has at certain
periods of its existence palpitated with
accelerated motion in the presence OF
women, and there has never existed a
full-fedged man from that premeval
period to the present, who has not at
some time in the ecstacy of genuine
affection said to himself, "let her palp."
Love laughs at locksmiths, says the
old saw, and that love laughs at black
smiths is equally certain, as our brief
story will show, though the sequel
porves that blacksmiths may at times
turn the cachinatory tide upon Cupid,
and for brief season at least triumph
over the boy with the bow and arrow.
The following facts were related to us
by one of the principals in the affair,
and may be relied upon as correct.


In Clarion county, near the cele-
5rated oil producing district known as
Parker's Landing, and not great dis
tapce from where the Clarion river
mingles its pellucid waters with the
swifter rolling tide of the Allegheny,
has lived for years man named
Hewitt, who, coming to the country
i'll its early history, erected a cabin
and maintained an humble existence
by following his profession Of horse
shoeing. The years glided along and
nothing occurred to vary the monoto-
NY of his humble and happy life save
an occasional fracas with an unrly
horse, or now and then being confined
to his bed for few weeks, from the ef-
fects of a mule.kick on the cranium, or
dig in the ribs from the hind foot of
rebellious OK, for Hewitt used to
pursue his trade in all its branches,
and furnished shoes to everything that
came along, whereby an honest penny
could be made. Meanwhile daugh-
ter was born to him, who grew up in
her mountain home like the pines that
surrounded his dwelling, and was as
graceful and beautiful as the wild
flowers amid which she played. Laura,
for that was her name, obtained fair
education at the district school, aided
by her mother, who was an accomplish
ed graduate from an eastern academy,
and her natural beauty and brightness
was increased by an occasional visit
to Pittsburgh and eastern cities, where,
amid higher social scenes than those
which surrounded her birthplace, she
rapidly acquired the numerous little
graces and coquetries of fashion which
go to make up the "girl of the period" :"
1t is no wonder, then, that to the old
man she was the apple of his eye-as
bushel of apples in fact, of the old
fashioned, rosy checked "none such"
kind-and that as she attained wo-
mans age and stature, the father look
with q jealous eye upon the native ad-
mirers who surrounded Ger, and stern
ly frowned upon the forward young
cultivator Of buckwheat who, by the
slightest action, sought to win her
young hearts affections and transplant
his wild flower to another soil and
home.


About this time the oil excitement,
which for several years previously, had
ragged upon Oil Creek and its tributa-
ries, broke out in the vicinity of Par
ker's; an influx of strangers, opera
tors and spectators began, and short
ly after portion of Mr.. Howitt's farm
was discovered to be on the belt, and
leased for round sum to wealthy op-
orators. Though now comparatively
wealthy, Hewitt still followed his orig
trade, though with light heart as lie
thought Of the bank account which
would enable him to bring up and ed
ucate his family in a superior style,
and place his daughter in position 30
cially to which her attractions and at
tainments entitled her.


But at this junction a cloud appear
ed upon the old blacksmith's horizon !,
at first it was about the size of mans
hand, but it speedily grew to the full
size and shape of u man himself, who
proved to be workman upon a well a
short distance from the Hewitt cottage,
and who fell head over heels inte that
delicious pool Of affection, in which
most Of mankind have padded blind
ly during their young lives. At first
Laura resisted her suitor's advances,
but as weeks passed and there wus a
lack Of society which at other times
might have served as an antidote to
the growing admiration she began to
feel for the young driller, who was
comely, young and strong, and pos
ed the not unpleasing name of Henry
Richardson. She gradually sought
his society cher father had long since
forbidden his coming to the house,
and hardly day passed but that she
was seen in the derrick, watching the
pulsations of the walking beam and
her heart at the same time, and listen
ing to his stories of adventure by food
and (oiD field. "She loved for the
danger he had passed." and he loved
her because she believed his yarns, that
no one else would; and, finally, one
bright day, as he had just finished a
terrible recital Of escape from death
by a falling sand pump pully, she
"wished that heaven had made her
such man." when he abandoned the