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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1885)
214 THE WEST SHORE. loct the apples which lny scattered about the grass. After a time I set a ladder against a fruit-laden tree, which I proceodod to mount, while my wife steadied with bar foot and hnnd the somowhat rickety contrivance. The tree stood close beside the high wall which separated our garden from the Jansen property. Just as I was asconding, I heard a noise as of a stone thrown against the wall, at the same moment our tortoise-shell cat came floundering helplessly down and crouched tremblingly at our feet I was so much surprised at signs of life issuing from a garden where hithorto silence had only been broken by the faint rustling of leaves, that 1 resolved to mount my loddor high enough to look over the wall. Never before had I scon such a crop of tangled briars and woods! Not a vestige of either flowers or vegetables, not a trace of a path anywhere I Huge stones lay scat tered alxmt jiiHt whore they had fallen, and the sombre foliage of tho doally nightshade predominated over alL Alwve this wilderness a fow fruit trees reared their heads, and I saw undor one of thorn the crouching figure of a diminutive woman bent almost double. She was drossod in an old-fashioned black silk gown, worn and faded, while on her head she wore a Leghorn hat, from which a white ostrich feather trailed dismally. The tanglod weeds rose highor than her knees, and I had oine misgivings lost she would disappear altogether be fore I had time to catch a glimpse of her features. Sud denly she raised horaolf, and seized a basket fastened to a stick, which she had probably dropped in order to atone my cat Although the old woman seemed to move with dim oulty, she vigorously shook the branches of the tree and" managed to collect some fine pears, which she dropped uu "" "uu w,lu B" solemnity, into her bosket I witched her attentively, whde my wife, with the charac Ww .o impHt.enoe of her sex, tried to make me descend by shaking the lmldor in a provoking manner. I con r.vo.1 to remam firm however, by grasping a .trong branch with bo h hand At this moment the old lady who hud turned round to gather aome fruit which had previously eacniKxl her notice. iwncU. iu - .... . waa riaibly .Urtled and remained motionless. From lirwl.tr har tar.. l.-l .1 i. . 1UIU " , lw oiack eyea, which lit nD Mory other feature in her wi,,,-l fvl. ,,. " np filed upon m. I felt a momentary .ensaiion of shaTa Vuile aha crutinied me I Alan atiwKAI V . i a . w ur, ana nis- corned trace, of past l.uty, marred by . profusion of : , , UM DV wy I salute; I was em bnrraswHL and hardlv knew wl,-i em' prise the widened ohl lady returned my bow and Zl' !. .f(..P . . .. . m? nl curtsied ,, , our greai-grandmothera. At thia i tuiuiM 10 uesoeutt "I have paid our visit to Madame Sievart Jansen." Uu Uie lollowiiiff nmrn nn . ..I I i 1 1. 1 " . u,u "oman, the aame U the edible, at the -tre,.t crner, brought ua, Madame Jansen'. compliment, . ba,, TT.4 lhe.'U " W iarl el miaul, m iiit'ii iiKii miw.vi iuo.ii ... : i wiumurea excellent We were very much surprised. The fruit was deli. cious. Shortly afterwards I told my right-hand neighbor of the inoident "It is a sure sign that her end is near," said he, sol emnly, " unless, indeed, you possess a mysterious charm," and he glanced comically at me from head to foot One morning I started on a DilcrimaEre which mv mn. science told me ought to have been made lone a. A a T W Q Q A trudged along alone my thoughts reverted to my child- 11 I T 1 . ... ... nooa, untu i almost forgot the present in the past My memory carried me back to my father s house, wherein a few steps led from the corridor to an isolated chamber which had been built out into the erarden. Evnn i t.Via great distance of time I never see that room in my dreams Al II oinerwise man Dathed in sunshine and bright in the rad iance of flowers. Its occupant was a fine and gentle old man, my motner s lather, -who, after a stormy and adven turous life, had come here to end his dnva in nnnna TTnnr often had he told me stories of his native town which he had not seen since his boyhood! His descriptions were so minute that I was soon familiar with the arrangement 01 me nouse, its staircases and passages; and one day, to please him, I made a plan of it If ever you are in those parts," said he, placing his hand on my head, do not fail to visit that house." Then he suddenly rose and opened a cabinet where he kept his treasures. "Look!" he said, hold , - o uiiuiavuio luuuuvuu iu silver, "that was mv nlavmntn. ok i j. r J wt UTCU UOJLt WAM W UB. 1 rom the gable of her house hung a dried shark's skin. UOi huh a Bea captain. As I RQZOd at tfifl miniAfnra rw n iu mne admiration. I Baw before me the semblance of a young girl of rare benntv on u u :i i cliarm and the sweet expression which beamed from Ml nun nnniliM..- tv wauxuua eyes. "Does it please you?" asked my grandfather. "Here she is painted in her bridal attire. Ah! you should have seen her-that little brnwn i,ji i. ' i. i gggjn wiicii Biiu w at yuur And he told me many things about his pretty play mate which interested me exceedingly. ' Her father was often absent on his voyages. When ae came from aeroaa , . v. i . . , h. i uo wouia onng ner quanti- ties of toy ornaments, bright scarfs and other things. JuU! Ver f1 her" She had formidable wmS? iR"f gld 8ilver PieceB- of 8h0 WHS VArv rriil T ii ' mr ,i V." 108 gamen W6 PM81 the long sum her f.U 7 6 8tGp8 f B 1uaint Bumn house which bunt !1 "tructed for her out of an old boat; we her rSf Md here she Ah! mv of 001118 f to see and admire, her 1 vl0 brWn moU8eI Tllat was the name fol owWn8? -6r-. Andyot'" C01ltillueJ the old man, n hoTor V T f .LiB " 8e was clothed hoZ r?6 th ,ored feathe i" her hair, she 2r? .a f Pftradi8e than moU8 nd oe almost expected to we her fly away. I remember
