HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1938-12-15, Page 6PAGE SIX.
THE SEAFORTH NEWS
must be wavy and light with a little
tinge ' of gold in it. And her ,chee!.
mttst have the pink •of 'the rose 'and
dimples that .show in laughter. And
her voicethat must have music in
it .and the ring .of 'kin'dness and good -
nature., And her lips—let ;them. •allow
the crimson of her 'bioad and be
ready to give and receive a kis 'when
I meet her."
She sighed "and, nes't'led 'closer ' to
me.
"I•f I let you 'kiss me -hist once,"
she whispered, "you will mot ask me
again—will you'?"
"No :sweetheart 'I iwll net, I an-
swered. Then we gave each other -
such a kiss as play be Renown once'
and only once in a life time.
"What would you, do for the 'lave,
of a; 'girl like that?" she whispered.
T thought a moment sounding the
d'ep'ths of undiscovered '-Woe to see if
there were anything I would 'hesitate
to suffer and there was .nothing.
"I'd lay me down an' dee," I said.
And I well 'remember Chow, !wen I
lay dying, as I 'believed, in rain and,
darkness on the bloody field of Ball
Run, T Thought of that moment and
•oh 'those. words.
• "I ,cannot say such 'beautiful 'things
as you,", she answered, when 'I asked
Ther to describe her ideal "He must
be ,good and he ,must he tail and
handsome and strong and !brave,"
Then she sang a tender love ballad.
I have often ,shared the pleasure of
thousands ender the spell of +her
voice, ' 'but I have never heard her
'sing as to that small audience on
Faraway 'turnpike.
As we came near Rickard's Hail
we could hear Nie fiddles and the
calling off.
The windows •on the (long sides of
the big house were open. Long shafts
of dight shot out upon the gloom. It
had always reminded' me .of a picture
of Noah's ark that hung in my bed-
room and now it seemed to be float-
ing, with Testing oars of good, in a
deluge of dankness. We were greeted
with a noisy welcome, at the door.
Many of the boys and 'girls 'came,
from all sides of the big hall, and
shook hands with us. Enos Brown,
whose long forelocks •had been oiled
for the occasion and combed down so
they touched his right 'eyebrow, was
panting in a jig that 'jarred the house,
His trouser legs were caught on the
tops of his fine boots. He nodded to
me as I •came in, snapped his fingers
and doubled .his energy. 'It was an
exhibition both .of power and endur-
ance, He was damp and apologetic
when, at length, lie stopped with a
mighty +bang of his foot arid sat down
beside me. He said he was badly out
of ,practice when I offered congratul-
ations. The first fiddler was a small
man, with a short leg, and a charac-
ter that was minus one dimension. It
had length and breadth ,but no
thickness. He sat with his fellow
player on a little platform at one end
of 'tire .room. He was •an odd man who
wandered all over the township with
his fiddle. He played by ear, and I
have' seen babies smile and old men
dance when I heard it for the fust
time, I determined that I should be a
fiddler if I ever ;grew to he a ratan.
But David told me that fiddlers were
a worthless lot, and 'that no wise nen
should ever fool with a fiddle, One is
lucky, I have since teamed, if any
dream of yesterday shall stand the
better light of today or the more
searching rays of to -morrow. .
"Choose yer partners fer Money
Muskl" the caller shouted.
Hope and I got into line, the music'
started, the ,circles began to sway.
Darwin 'Powers, an old :but'. frisky
man, stood up beside the fiddlers,
nhistling, with Sobriety .and vigor,.
as they played. It was a pleasure; to
see some of the older men of the
neighborhood join the dizzy riot aby
skippiat,g •playfully in the cornrs.
They tried to rally their unwilling
wives, and !generally a number of
them were dancing before the night
was over. the life and color of the
scene, the fresh, young faces''of 'the
girls—some of therm models of rustic
be'au'ty -the playful antics sof the
young men, the merrymaking of their
fathers, the laughter, the airs' of gal-
lantry, the glances of affection,—there
is a magic in the thought of it ,all
that makes me young again,
There were 'teams before and (be-
hind us when we came ,home, late at
night, so sleepy that the stars went
reeling as we locked at thein,
"This night is the end ofmany
things," 'I remarked,
"And the 'beginning of 'better ones,
I hope," was her answer.
'"Yes, but they are so far away," I
said, "you leave 'home to study and I
am to be four years in college—Pos-
sibly
ollege-os-sibly I can finish in three."
"Perfectly tearilbde!" she said, and
then she added the favorite phrase
and tone of her mother: "We must
be patient."
ant very sorry of one thing," I
said,
"What's that?"
"I promised not to as•k'yov for:bne
more 'kiss,"
"Well . then," said she. "you—you—
"I 'cannot; I must go home," I said. The cheers came on ahead of him
"Of course!" said a red .cheekedi, him like foam (before a 'breaker,
saucy miss. "The stuck nip •things He Upon my eyes! it was Black Hawk,
wouldn't go anywhere unless he could' with nothing but a plain rope 'halter
have his sister with him." on 'his head, and 'Uncle Eb riding
Then they went away laughing. him,
I Mound Alb Thomas at the rifle "G'lang there!" Inc - shouted, swing-
, range. He was 'whittling as he oon- ing the ,baiter stale 'to the shining
sidered a ohadlenge from Tip Taylor !flank, "G'lang there!" and Inc event
to shoot a match. He turned an by, like a flash, the tail of Black
"hefted" •the rifle, silently, and then Hawk straight ,out''behind him, its
he ',squinted over the !barrel two or end feathered in the wind, Lt was a
three times. splendid thing to see—that white
"Dunne but what I'll try ye once," haired man, sitting erect on the fly -
he said 'presently, "jes t' see." ing animal, with only a rope hatter
Once started they grew red in thei in his hand. Every man about me was
faces and shot Themselves weary in a yelling, I swung my hat, shouting
reckless .contest of skill and en'dur- myself hoarse. When Uncle Eh name
ante. A great hulking +fellow, hail 'back the Hawk was walking quietly
drunk and a bit quarrelsome, came in a crowd of men and boys eager
up, presently, and endeavored 'to help to feel his silken sides. I crowded
.Ab hold his rifle. The latter 'brushed through and held the horse's nose
him away and said nothing for a mo- while 'Uncle E1b got down.
ment. But every time he tried to take "Thought I wouldn't put no lather
aim the man jostled him. on hint," said !Uncle Eb, "God's gin'
Ab looked op slowly and calmly, 'im a good Muff ,harness."
his eyebrows tilted for his aim, and The judges came and looked 'hint
aver,
"Guess he'll win the prize all
right," said one of them.
And he did. When we cane home
said, "Go off I tell ye." Then he set
himselfand took aim again.
"Le'me hold it," said the man,
reaching for the ,barrel, "Shoot bet-
ter if I do the Martin'," A laugh greet that evening every horse on the road
ed this remark. Ab looked •up again. thought himself a trotter and went
There was a quick start in his great speeding to try his 'pace with every -
slouching figure. thing that came up beside him. And
"Take yer hand off o' thet," he said many a man of Faraway, that we
a little louder than !before. I passed, sent up a 'shout of praise for
The man, aehin.g for more applause. the Black Hawk.
haat/ more impertinent. Ab quietly' But
I was thinking
of Hope 1 and
led the rifle to its owner. Then d t Rickard's. I ad p enty
something happened suddenly. It of money now and my next 'letter
was so quickly aver I am not quite urged her to come home at once.
sure of the 'order of business, but any- CHAPTER XXIV
how he seized the intruder by the Hope returned for a few days late
shoulders flinging him down so heat/-' in august. Invitations were just is-
ily it knocked the dust out of thel sued for the harvest dance at
grass. !Rickard's.
"A fight!" somebody shouted and "You mus' take 'er," said Uncle
men and boys came running from all Eb, the day she came. "She's a pur-
sides. We were locked in a pushing ty dancer as a .man ever see. Prance
crowd :before I could turn . The in -'right up an' tell 'er she mus' go.
trader lay stunned a moment. Then' Don' want 'o let any one git ahead
he rose, bare headed, Isis 'back cover-' o' ye."
ed with dust, pushed his way out and' ``Of course I will go," she said in
ran. answer to my invitation, "I shouldn't
Ab turned :quetly to the range, think you were a beau worth .having
"Hedn't orter t' come an' try t' dew if you did not ask me."
any aimin ," he said mildly, by way of The yellow moon was peering over
protest, ''I won't :hev it." I Woody Ledge when we went away
Then he inquired about the score that evening. I knew it was our last
and 'calinly took aim again- pleasure seeking in Faraway, and. the
The stallion show came on that crickets in the stubble filled the sil-
afternoon.
"They can't never beat thet boss,"
Uncle Eb had said to me.
" 'Fraid they will," 'I answered.
"They're better hitched for one
thing."
"But they haint got 'the .ginger in hardly dared touch her for fear Of
'em," said he, "er the git up 'n git. If spoiling something. When she shiv-
we can show what's in 'him the ered a :little and said it was growing
Haw'k'll beat 'em easy." cool I put my arm about her, and, as
If we won I was to get -the prize I drew her closer to my side, she
but I had small hope of winning:1 turned her hat, obligingly, and said
When I .saw one :after another prance it was a gaeat nuisance.
out, in sparkling silver harness adorn-
ed with rosettes •of ribbon—light step-
ping, beautiful creatures all of them—
I could see nothing hut .defeat for us
ence with a kind of mourning.
She looked so fine in' her big hat
and new gown with .its many dainty
accessories of lace and ribbon, ad-
justed with so much ..patting and
pulling, that as she sat beside me, •.I
I tried to kiss her then, 'but she put
her hand over my mouth and said,
sweetly, that 'I would spoil every-
thing if I did that.
Iadeed I could see we had been tool' ,I must not let you kiss'me, Wil -
confident. I dreaded the moment am, she said,"not--not fon all in
when .Uncle Eb should drive down 'have me do what I think is wrong the world, I'm sure you wrong t
with Black Hawk in a lain leather —
harness, drawing a 'plainer buggy. I would you?"
'had planned to spend the prize money There was bat one answer to such
taking Hope to the 'harvest ball at an appeal, and 1 made myself as hap-
Rickard's, and I had waaiked hard to •nn as possible feeling her 'head upon
touch -
put the Hawk in good ,fettle. I began' my shoulder and her soft 'hair to feel the 'bitterness of failure.ing my chee As I think of it mow
"Black Hawk! Where is BlackI the trust she put in me was some-
Hawk?" said one of the judges loudly, thing sublime and holy.
`!Owned iby David Brower o' Fara-) Then I shall 'talk—about our
said another looking thing." I said, I must da some-
way,"g at his
card.
Where indeed was Uncle Eb? I
got up on the ,fence and looked an-
kiously about me Then I )heard a
"Promised I wouldn't let you," she
said. Then she added ,after a moment
of silence, "I'11 tell you what you may
great cheering ,up the track. Same- do—tell me what ,is your ideal lei a
body was coming down, at a rapid of
one you would love best
pace, aiding a splendid moving animal, w all. I don't think that would be
a knee rising to the nose at each pow-1wicked—do you?"
erful stride. His head and flyingI 'think God would forgive that,",
mane obscured the rider ,but'1 cut*I, said, "Sheyet an Inn tall and spm,
see the end of a rope swinging in his with gaiety feet and hands, .end a pair
hand. There was something familiar of big eyes, 'blue as a Anlet, shaded
in the easyh' stride with long dark dashes, Am:d her 'hair
' high i of the •horse:
THrURSD'AY, DEC. 15, 1938..
needn't ask me."
And in a irg:acape ' I .)helped her out
at the door.
CHAPTER XXV
David Brower had :prospered, as I.
have said `before, and now he was
dltidfly concerned in the welfare of
his .chi'ldren. So, that Inc might give
ars the advantages of the town, he .de=
ci'ded either to lease or sellhis farm
—by far the handsomest property in
the township, I was there when a
'buyer ,came, In tlh'e last •days of that
summer. We took him over the
smooth acres from 'Lone •Pine, Ridge
to Woody' Ledge, from the top of
Bowman's Hill to Tinkle Brook in
the far valley, He went with as
through every tidy room of the.
house. He looked over the s'tookaand
bhe st'albles.
Wall! 'wdtat's it wroth?" he said, at
last, as we 'stood 'looking down the
fair green acres sloping to the sugar
bush.
David 'puked up a stick, opened his
knife, and began to whittle thought-
fully, a familiar squint of reflection in.
his face. '5'saappose he thought of all
it had cost him -the toil of many
years, the strength of his yau'ng man-
hood, .the youth and 'beauty of 1 is
wife, a hundred things that were far
better than money.
''Fifteen thousan' dollars, he said
slowly—"not a cent less."
The man parleyed a little .over the,
price.
"Don' care t' 'take any less t' -day,"
said David calanly. "No 'harm done."
'``How much dawn?"
David named the stun.
"An' :possession?"
`Next week,"
"Everything as it stan's 'sept .the
beds an' bedding."
"Here's some money on account,"
he said. "We'll close t'-morrer?"'
"Close 't'-morrer," said David, a lit-
tle sadness in his tone, as he took the
money.
It was growing dusk as the man
went away. The crickets sang with a
loud, accusing, clamor. Slowly we
turned and went into the dark 'house,
David whistling under his 'breath.
Elizabeth was resting in her chair.
She was chumming an old hymn as
she rooked.
"Sold the farm, mother," said
David,
She stopped singing but made no
answer. In the dunk, as we sat down,
I saw her :face leaning upon her
hand, ,Over 'the hills and out of the
fields around us came many •voives—
the low chant in the stubble, the bay-
ing of a hound in the 'far timber, the
cry of the tree toad—a tiny .drift of
odd things 1(like that one sees at Sea)
on tine deep eternal silence of the
heavens. There was no sound in the
room save the low creaking of the
rocker in which Elizabeth sat. After
all the going, and coming, and doing,
and saying of many years here was a
little spell of silence and beyond .lay
the untried things of the future. For
me. it was a time of reckoning,
"Been hard at weak here all these
years, mother," said David. '9Ouglhter
be glad t' git away."
"Yes," said she sadly, "it's been
hard work. Ye'a'rs ago I thought I
never could sten' it. But now I've got,
kind. o' ,used t' it" ,
"Time ye got used t' pleasure 'n
comfort," the ; said. "Come kind o'
hard, :at fust, but ye mus' try t' sten'
it. If we're goin' t' they sech fun ;in
Heaven as Deacon Hos'pur :tells on
we •oughter !begin' t"practice er' we'll
be'shamed 'uv ourselves,"
The worst was oven:" Elizabeth
began to 'laugh,
, At ten'gth a. strain of song carte
out of the distance.
"Maxwelton's 'braes are bonnie where
early falls the dew."
It's Hope and 'Uncle Eib," said
David while I went for the lantern.
"Wonder what's .kepi 'em 's late."
When the lamps were lit the old
house seemed suddenly to have' got a
sense of what had been done. The
familiar creak of 'bhe stairways as I
weft to bed had an appeal the
a
protest. Thi. rude chrome of tike vol--
uptuous lady, with red Pips and the
name of Spring, that had always
hung in my chamber had a'snournful,
accusing 'look. The stain upon 'her
cheek that had ,come one day from e
little leak in Inc roof looked now ii'ke
the path of a tear drop. And when
the wind came ip in the night and I
heard the creaking of .Lone Pine it
spoke of the doors of that 'house and
its own that was not far distant,
We. rented a new Thome in tow's,'
that week, and were soon settled in
it. Hope went away to resume her
studies the same day I 'began work
in college.
CHAPTER X•XIVI
Not ,much in my life at college is
essential to this !history~ -save the
training. The students 'came mostly
'from other .and remote parts of .the
north country—some even from other
states. Coming largely from towns
and •cities they were :shorn of those
simple and nagged traits, that disting-
uished the ,men o' Fate -way, and made
them worthy of what fame this may',
afford. In the main they were ,like
other students the world aver, I take
it, and mostly, as they have shown,
capable of wintaing their ownx fame,
It all seemed very !high and mighty
and grand to me especially the names
of Nae courses. I had any baptism of
Sophomoric scorn and many a 'heated
angument over any title' oto life, liberty
and the pursuit of learning. It be-
came necessary to establish it 'by
force of arms, which I did decisively
and withas little delay as possible. I:
toolc much 'interest in. athletic sports
and was soon e ;good ball payer, a
'boxer of sonrie skill, and the best
wrestler in college. Things were .go-
ing on comfortably when an tipper`
classnian met me and suggested that
on a earning holiday, the Freshmen
ought to wear stove pipe ,hats. Those.
hats were the seed of 'great trouble.
"Stove pipe !tats!" I said thought-
fully.
"They're a good protection," he, as-
sured me.
It seemed a 'very reasonable, not to
PROFESSIONAL CARDS
Medical
SEAFORTH CLINIC
Dr. E. A. McMaster, M.B., Gradu-
ate of University, of Toaonto.
J. D. Colquhroun, M.D., C.M., (Grad
elate of.'D'alhousie University, .Halifax..
The Clinic is fullyequip'ped. with
complete .and modern x-ray and other
up-to-date diagnostic and thereuptic
equipment,
Dr. Margaret K. Campbell, M.D.,.
L.A,B.P., Specialist in Diseases in
In'.fants and Children, will he at the.
Clinic last Thursday in every month
Isom 3' to 6 p.m.
Dr. F. J. R. Forster, Specialist in.
Diseases of the Ear, Eye, Nose and
Threat, will be at the Clinic the first
Tuesday in every month from 4 to,
6 p.m.
Free well -baby clinic will he held
on the second and last Thursday in
every month from 1 to 2 'p.ar.
say a necessary precaution, A .man
has to be young and innocent some-
time or what would (become of the
Devil. I did not see that the stove
pipe hat was the red rag of insurrec-
tion and, when I did see it, I was up,
to my neck in elle anatter.
"You see the •Sop'hs are apt to be
very nasty that day'," lie continued.
I acknowledged they were quite
capabrle of it.
"And they don't care where they
hit," he went on.
I felt of my head that -was still
sore, from a forceful argument of .the
preceding day, 'and admitted there
was good ground for the assertion.
When I met my classmen, that af-
ternoon, h was an, advocate of the
'stove pipe" as a means of protection.
There were a number of 'husky fel-
lows, in my class, who saw its resist-
ing power and seconded my sugges-
tion, We decided to leave it to the
ladies of the class and they greeted
our 'plant with applause. So, that
morning, we arrayed ourselves in
high hats, heavy canes and fine linen,
marclhing together am College Hill.
We had 'hardly entered the gate be-
fore we saw the Sophs forming in a
thick rank 'outside the door prepared,
as we took it, to resist our entrance.
They out -numbered us and were, in
the main, heavier batt we had a foot
or more of :good stiff material 'be-
tween each head and Barin. Of just
what befell us, when we got to the
enemy, I have :never felt sure. Of the'
total inefficiency of the stove pipe hat
as an article of armor, I have never
'had the slightest doubt since 'then
There was a great flash and rattle of
canes. Then the air was full of us. In
the (heat of it all prudence went to
the winds. We hit out right and left,
on both sides, smashing hats and
bruising 'heads and 'hands. The 'canes
went down in a jiffy and then we
,closed with each other hip and thigh,
Collars were ripped off, coats were
torn, shirts were gory front the blood
of noses, and in this condition the
most of us were rolling and tumbling
on the ground. 'I had flung a man,
'heavily, and :brake away and was
tackling another wheir. I heard a hush
in the tumult and then the voice of
the president. He stood on the .high
steps; his grey head hare, 'his right
hand. lifted. It must have looked like
carnage'from where 'he stood.
"Young gentlemen!" he called.
"Cease; I'coifiiiand you. If we can
not get along 'without this thing we
will shut up' shop."
'Well, 'that was the end of it and
c'acne near being the end of our car-
eers in college. We looked at each
other, torn and :panting and bloody,
and at the girls, who stood by, pale
with alarm. Then we picked up the
shapeless 'hats and went away :for re-
pairs. I had 'heard that ,the path of
learning was long and beset with
peril but I 'hoped, not 'without reason;
the worst was over. As I went off the
campus the top of my hat was 'hang-
ing over my left ear, •my collar and
cravat were turned awry, niy 'trou-
sects gaped aver one knee. I was 'talk-
ing with a :fellow sufferer and Patch-
ing the skin on my knuckles, when
suddenly • I met 'Uncle Eb.
"By the Lord Hatay!". he said,
looking me over from 'top to toe,
'teacher up there anus' 'be party
ha'sh,"
"It wa'n't the teacher," I said.
"Musa have fit then."
"Fit hard," I answered, laughing.
"Try t' wait on ye?"
'Tried t'' walk on me. Took several
steps too," I said stooping to !brush
my trousers.
,guess 'he found it rather 'bad
wal'kin' didn''t 'he?" my old friend in-
quired. "Leetle bit rough in spots?"
"Little bit rough, Unole Eb—that's
certain,"
,"Better not, go nidi'," Inc said, a
great relief in his face. 'Look 'a if
ye'd been dhopped down an' sawed--
an'
awed—an' split—an' throwed 'n a ,pile. Pal go
an' !bring over some: things for ,ye,".
I went with ipy friend, who .had
suffered less, damage, ,and :Uncle Eb
;brou'gh't me what I' needed to 'loaf:
more respectable than 1 felt..
The president, ;great aard good man
W. C. SPROAT, M.D.; F.A.C.S. r,
Surgery,
Phone 90-W. Office 'Johh St., Seaforth
. DR. H. HUGH ROSS, Physician
and, Surgeon Late of London Hos-
pital, London, England. Special at.'
tendon to diseases of the eye, ear,
nose and throat. Office and Residence '
:behind Dominion Bank. Office Phone
No. 5; Residence 'Phone 104.
DR. F. J. BURROWS, Office Main
St., Seaforth, over Dominion Bank.
Hours 2-15 and 7 to 8 p.m. and by ap-
pointment. Residence, 'Goderich St.,
two doors west of United Church.
Phone 46.
DR. F. J. R. FO+RSTIER- Eye
Ear, Nose and -Throat. Graduate in
Medicine, University of Toronto 11897,
Late Assistant New York Ophthal-
tmic and Aural Institute, Moorefield's
Eye, and 'Golden Square throat 'hospi-
tals, London. At Commercial 'H'ote3,
Seaforth, third 'Wednesd'ay in each
month from 1.30 p.m. to 5 •p.m.
Auctioneer.
GEORGE ELLIOTT, Licensed
Auctioneer for the County of (Huron.
Arrangements can be made for Sale
Date at The Seaforth News. Charges
.moderate and satisfaction guaranteed
F. W. AH+RENS, Licensed Aucttiot.
eer for Perth and Huron Counties,
Sales Solicited. Terms on Application.
Farm Stook, chattels and real estate
property. R. R. No. 4, 'Mitchell.
Phone 634 r 6. Apply at this office.
WATSON & REID
REAL ESTATE
AND INSURANCE AGENCY
(Successors to James Watson)
MAIN ST,, SEAFORTIII, ONT..
All kind's of Insurance risks effect-
ed at lowest rates in 'First -Class
Companies.
THE McKILLOF
Mutual Fire Insurance C
HEAD OFFICE—SEAFORTH, Ont.
- OFFICER'S
President, Thomas Moylan, Sea -
forth;' Vice President, William Knox,
Londeslboro; Secretary Treasurer, M•
A. Reid, Seaforth.
AGENTS
• cKercher, R.R.'1, Dublin; John
E. Pepper, R.R.1, Brucefield; E. R. G.
J'armouth, Erodhagen; James Watt,
Blyth; C. F. Hewitt, Kincardine;
Wm. Yeo, HolmesvilIe.
DIRrECTOR•S
Alex. Braadfoot, Seaforth No. 3;
James Sholdice, '.Walton; Wm. Knox,
Londesboro; George Leonhardt,
Bornholm No. 1; Frank McGregor,
Clintr,n No. 5; James Connolly, God.
ericli; Alex--McEwing, Blyth Ne. 1;
Thomas Moylan, Seaforth No. 5;
Win. R. Archibald, Seaforth No. 4:
Parties desirous to effect insurance
or transact, other business, will 'be
promptly attended to by applications
to.any of the above named officers
addressed to their respective post -
offices.
that he was, forgave us, finally, after
many interviews and such wholesome
reproof as made us 'ail ashamed of
our folly.
, (To be continued.)
Teacher (to . pupil entering class
late) "When were you born?"
Pupil -"'April 2"
Teaclier—"(Late again!"
Sergeant i(to'ra'w recruit) --‘"Mark
time, there, your
Smallish R 5. '(whose shoes are
too big—"Please, sir, I ant, sir! In-
side me !boots!"
Notice to Creditors, 3 Wks, for $240•