MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE OLD VILLAGE ROAD, decidedly interesting topic, Just now, in proof 
of which listen: 
BY charlotte N. cordnkr. “ They say he left her every dollar he had in 
Winding in ana out. it saunters up the hill. n °? *' ^ ’<**}*'*"*■ 
Growing just a trifle broader by the mill, f Q he is f detlfled P retty **' anyway, and if she 
Where U lingers fora, moment with hare feet, 8 as r c 1 tboy say why, hanfr it all ! she II 
Just to dip them In the pond and lilies greet. have,every fellow in the village follerin' arter 
Then renewed its rumbles onward by a field her•” 
Where a border of wild roses perfumes yield. “ Well, it wouldn't do you much good, Jim 
Then it winds’neath quivering branches, where the Fellows, if you did go‘follerin’ arter her.’ 
,lg bt You might follow and follow, and at the end of 
breaks in stars upon Its bosom large and bright. a ye;tr yol ,. d flnd you hadt ,. t got any nearer than 
Then it meets a pretty cottage, by whose door " ®, r8 *i* e J ou ^‘ 
It has found a piece of carpet for its floor, Ma, ha, ha. from all around. “Mebbyyou 
Patterned o’er with title flowers, red and white, think you would ?” 
With their hoods drawn o’er their faces very tight. “No, I’m not such a fool. I don’t believe fa 
Then a brook with laughing murmur passes by, a man’s going to woo one In a position above 
And the road turns oft to moot it, for the sky his own ; if he does he ought to got bis walking 
Teems to light the Gentian’s blossums. and red spires papers and taught how to know' hi* place.’’ 
Of the Cardinul hero about it light thoir tires. T .. ... 
T d like to know how much better blood 
further on, n group of nut trees seem to rise flows In the veins of old Jim Lane’s grand- 
ln their tall, majestic beauty to the skies, daughter than in mine, Noll Marvin? He 
Where in autumn children gather when their store, was only nil old farmer, and if it wasn’t for his 
Ripened, falls below upon the grassy floor. money wbac better would he a been than any 
Then, with gypsy march It passes ou once more 0 ’ the rest of them about here ? As to his daugh- 
Til I some wandering roots like vines cross Us floor, _ , ,, , 
Which have roamed outside the fences from a tree ters ’ wliy ' fh r ° ro * on ? ° f then, > ““P* bor 
ToUioroad like rustic children, more to see. mother, time was the least bit extra. She hap¬ 
pened to go into the city and get. a little nicer 
So it wanders ever forward oil its tramp, ways than the rest and then marry that oollege- 
Tdl upon the hill (tends where it sees a lamp— bred chap_” 
Just a cross of gold, which glitters on a spire, “Anri ih. a.. „ ,, . . , ,, 
High above the mists and vapors, like a fire. °°? W t* r ! d chap that 
Here does AVlsdom teach the erring to be wise, , ' came which makes that which flows 
Telling them of other pathways to thr skic 3 , IQ ° “ ■’ LAne 3 granddaughter's veins better 
Where the angels who have loved them often wend, than yours,,! rst Fellows. Blood such as years 
And ’Ms fltting earthly pathways here should end. of intermarriage would never bring to a future 
.. . - -- generation of your family I" 
^ rv i tt “My stars! flow high-flying the young man 
«ll,ftl I JVV talks; one would almost think ho was an ac- 
VIL/WJ LUI JI v* cepted lover eh, boys?” said Jim Fellows. 
— — “ Which matter does not concern you in the 
„ . _ least. There is one thing which does concern 
BECAUSE SHE LOVED HIM, me; and that is the ready way that loungers 
-. such as you, who do nothing but hang about 
by deforrest p. GUMMe iiso n. stores from dawn until shutting-up time, have 
- of discussing the private affairs of every woman 
Three times within one week had the old who may be compelled to come Into that store 
#itr 
BECAUSE SHE LOVED HIM. 
BY DE FORREST P. GUMMER30N. 
church bell in the diminutive village of Worth- 
ly announced the departure of one of its resi¬ 
dents to “ that bourne whence no traveler re¬ 
turns.” The faces of nearly all one met wore 
a saddened look, and many whose earthly acta 
had not been quite such as to Insure them a 
right and title in that other land to which, 
sooner or later all must go, actually trembled 
as they thought that probably it might be their 
turn next. 
Intho village store hoary-bead¬ 
ed men gathered together in fTiTTv^^SSj 
groups and discussed the event If 
In a manner which implied to (jNy/jLv^^ 
any chance stranger who may / 
have listened to their rudo but 
honest conversation, that such a I 
thing had not taken place since fj I [y /|jj|'|! 
the memory of the oldest inhab- MlY' 1 f fill j 
Itant, as three deaths in a single ||U| JJjjj | 
“ Quito a gatherin’ to-day,” said 1|^ 
an old, white-haired man to an- ft 7 
other whose head, though not so |jKs 
white, began to show || |j| 
“ i.tno* of silver Interwoven WL f | jil | pji 
’.Mid the threads of chestnut brown.” ||A/ j 
“ Quite a gatherin’,” musingly ; |\/\ 
** wonder who among us will be |!U 
the next one to get the sum- |«j/ , 
mons?” W/- 
“ Can't tell, brother— can’t tell, I 
It’ll be well for us all to be ready ijw k | 
when the summons does come, | / 
though, I take it. Better all on |A- 
us see tiiat onr lamps is trimmed r}/, I 
andburnlnV |/y 
“Sprightly kind o' talk now M. 1. 
that'era Congregational’gin us at t 
old Mrs. MOKRtS' funeral, warn’t | ^ ^ 
It? Think I like them talks bet- -sdn ‘ |l|'V'' 
ter than sermons: seems to me flUr W, 1 ’"j|ii 
they go right at a man's heart |Y , | I./X ' 1 
that Is, If he’s got auy, and broth- MV I Jft: 
er, you know as well as 1 do that ||IA [ Ji Vl| 
there is them as hain’t.” |flf | nill| ( '| 
“Yes, pretty good for him. IJIJ iiLiffiill 
’Fears to me I’ve heerp the same fi ( A l|||j imi 
story from his lips, time and agin, 'X.' V jl [ 
though. Guess every time a If u. ||V|j 
member dies the same sermon jn tfl\ || |jW| 
fits—don’t you think eo?” | III 
Just then the door opened and l| 1 1 | ||j 
a fair, girlish creature, dressed f\A I fjji , 
in the deepest mourning, enter- * 1/ 
ed. Instantly ail conversation fill K'jj 
ceased; and, as is the habit and ;t'/ J ( ,» 1: 
custom iu these country stores, HjjV jAlJjlJJi; 
all eyes turned upon her and all 
ears were opened to their full ex- ( 1 ii 1 
tent to catch even the raintest 'JYi ■/! 
whisper that might chance to fall W f i 1 il 
from her lips. Only a bit of lace ,|A ij M|| 
to match a piece which she held Jw,» ji|i| |||| 
In her hand she wanted, and as it / | j{|| 
could not be obtained she quick- m/ jl M 
ly withdrew. l|l 
She had hardly seated herself ?i> Ij 1J 
Jn the sleigh and wrapped herself :\A | R 
snugly in the robes, ere the inter- jL |j | 
rupted conversation in the store j (i/jf ij 
was reiuiiied. Not the broken ' AA 1 il 
thread that svas left with its ends MlL f [| 
flying In the air, subject to the 
weaver’s will aod option to take j| 
it up at some future time when --— 
a more interesting topic could 
not be obtained. There was a 
to make even so small a purchase as a pieoe of 
lace. I tell you and such as you, that every 
woman is entitled to come and go as she pleases, 
Into what and every other store she may choose; 
and while she is there and after she Is gone, the 
man who discusses her in even the slightest 
degree, is mean and contemptible." 
This was said in a somewhat passionate heat, 
but with an earnestness that convinced all who 
chanced to listen, that the boy was right. Jim 
Fellows subsided after this. He knew that he 
was no match for Noll Marvin, either men¬ 
tally or physically, so he drew off upon some 
ruiuor topic of conversation, and gradually 
worked his way into a corner among a few of 
his chosen friends where lie lingered, as usual, 
until closing-up time. 
Noll Marvin withdrew at once, after hav¬ 
ing said his say. He was not nu habitual 
lounger, and only came luto the store when it 
was necessary to make some purchase, and 
never stayed longer than co warm hi nisei f, if it 
was winter, or to get that for which he came. 
JJeunice Gray, riding toward her home, 
safely wrapped away amid the robes in her 
sleigh, was all unconscious of the little war or 
words her appearance In the store had caused, 
or of the champion she had found to defend 
her when her claim to being of gentle blood 
had been iu dispute. She had been an orphan 
for many years; indeed sho could scarcely re¬ 
member her mother's rune. With her mother's 
people she had lived ever since her mother 
died. With her life had gone on In an even 
way. The only wave that came across It to 
ripple its surface was the semi-yearly visits of 
her father—visits fraught with a great amount 
of happiness, as he never came without bring¬ 
ing a large number of presents. He was kind 
to her to an unusual degree. Having lost that 
which was dearest to him of all on earth so 
early iu life, namely, his wife, the love that 
had been hers was added to his love of their 
child ; Indeed, lie felt this ! >vo to bo the con¬ 
necting link between him and the dear one in 
heaven 1 
When Bernice had reached the age of four¬ 
teen her father died. Ho had gone upon a 
voyage far over the seaa in search of health, 
and Bernice never saw him again. Ho was 
buried in the land In which he died. For tho 
next live years after his deatli she lived on in 
her grandfather's home, and then the death 
angel eame once more and robbed her of all 
that was left to her—her grandfather. She had 
hl3 own hands and prevent its further contlnu 
auce. 
One after the other they marriod and went 
into homes of their own; but tho hatred with 
which they had in the beginning received Ber¬ 
nice into their father's home grew in their own 
by what It fed on. They possessed none of that 
line nature, that tact, which sometimes causes 
those born In the lowest walks of life to rise 
above and become eventually patterns for 
those wlio by right of birth have always held 
the position and title or ** lady." Married to 
men whose only love was that oT gain, whose 
only knowledge was that of how to drive sharp 
bargains—men who despised tho simplest thing 
that could not be put to real, practical, every¬ 
day use, and who would aesoon think of tlirow¬ 
ing a dollar Into some passing stream as buy 
therewith a picture for the adornment of their 
walls—the fact that old Mr. Lane thought 
nothing too good for his Hbrnick and allowed 
her unlimited use of his purse, so that his home 
blossomed into a perfect realm of heauty, on 
whose walls hung pictures rare and costly in 
price, only angered them tho more. 
“ if things go on in this way there’ll be noth¬ 
ing left for us,” said tho husband of one of 
Bkunick's aunts the evening after her new 
sleigh had come home, together with a new 
harness for her horse, a handsome set of silver 
bells and an elegant sleigh robe. They might 
have saved themselves any undue worrlmentof 
mind about that particular purchase being the 
means of ruining their future prospects. Old 
Mr. L ine’s will had been made for over two 
years on that eventful night, and they each bad 
all they deserved left to them — one hundred 
dollars apiece. The rest belonged to Bernice. 
CHAPTER II. 
Null Marvin and Bernice Gray hail grown 
up together. From tho time that she had com¬ 
menced going to school there had sprung up a 
sort of childish friendship that had only be¬ 
come stronger ? s tho years came and went, 
until now, when aha was In her nineteenth 
. . .. . , , , I .* hub iu iiii iiiiittLeeni/ii 
almost Idolized the old man, who had lived in and he in his twonty-flrst year, the friendship 
iwnrv Uril V t fl mil L' n VlOI* I 1 <1 lifinnir nr.n T .nl.l tv ... 
every way to make her life a happy one. f said 
all that was loTl to her. True, tlu.ro were still 
two of her aunt* living; but they were long 
ago dead to her. From the first hour that sho 
entered their home, they foresaw a possible 
favorite for the old man, their father, and 
commenced at, once a system of persecution, 
which, when one day they had carried it too 
far, caused the old man to take the matter into 
SAMBO’S MISTAKE. 
so early begun bad ripened into love. Neither 
had confessed this love; but In each of their 
hearts It found none tho less secure resting 
place on this account. 
II Bernice Gray hud been left poor at her 
grandfather's death, l think Noll Marvin 
would have been the first to have offered her a 
homo aud true affection. But now that she 
was by far the richest person iu tho village, he 
kept aloof from her, lest, tho gos- 
_ sips should accuse him of mer- 
j rrn nT ~ cenary motives ir ho should seek 
1 || her society. He had bis life-plan 
formed. Two more years of 
Mid schooling, and then he would go 
Swy/| out into the world and battle 
J Yjl > with It until success proclaimed 
iMm ! him victor. He had never dared. 
Jj dream of a college education, 
' IllJjJ' I though he had at times a faiut 
^ \j\ I longing that it might In some way 
j \lV 1,6 hls 1,0 obtain—that, through 
MJ ||V some seemingly Impossible way 
I j Ujjlj | | as yet. his father might bo able 
YU J to raise the means, or he himself 
JjM/i i bo able to earn enough toseo him 
V ' ii r ’ :tfoly through. This before bis 
L'lkl I nineteenth year; after that nev- 
l|Ml| y * r. From that birthday of his 
I j4 l l \,] Nl bfe his whole purpose was to 
\ i jl work out hls own salvation 
j vjj!| 'j! through whatsoever paths he 
!( ijTJJ j should be called to walk, lighting 
(Jjvwi every obstacle that might lio in 
jjj "J/i / bis way, if only at the end lie 
if mW ln, ffbt flnd success, 
f iHFiib\,i i ' r,,e dfiy 0,1 which Bernice 
Jbk\'\ \ Gray came into the store was 
Sm. iM; the one previous to that chosen 
*M|\ by Noll Marvin to leave his 
m l VJ borne for the busier life of the 
|pf|/ I ! city. Bernice had heard of his 
'"AJi Ij '/ j l intended departure and wonder- 
\ -A ' ed why he did not come to bid 
her good-bye. “I suppose that bo 
ra'fm thinks, now that I am an heiress, 
tbero will be too great a differ- 
mm Jii N once in our position to allow of 
mUj (m I || utirold-time intimacy. If [could 
Bwi'/if H III without overstepping the bounds 
r> J/H ° f womanly modesty, let him 
/■ I know in some way how light a 
J j value 1 8et on worldly wealth, 
save ,l9 a mean8 with which to do 
good to my fellow creatures, per- 
U I haps I could overcome this feel- 
ing and have him for my friend 
(CSSagain. He is very proud I know, 
ii and baro 8Ufl pieion that some 
\M J . people would have of him were 
lie to be on friendly terms with 
\ me. now ihat all my grandfath- 
or’s wealth Is mine, would keep 
v - blm away forever,sooner than be 
would bear the name of “fortune 
\ \ hunter." If people only dared 
: x V'u' Hfft’ do quite as they pleased, without 
askvBT r ^ oarof Public opinion, bow much 
i better things would go In this 
tiresome world of oura. If, for 
RgpT instance, I only dared write him 
a note, telling him that I would 
Y I like to see him a few moments 
before he goes, how much better 
§1 p f In the end it would be for both 
.yiWjfyifHj!0 of us. I feel that ho loves me aud’ 
I know that I love him." 
An honest confession truly, 
