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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1887)
HER FIRST CASH CLARA Willis stood in the door, and surveyed the charming sceno bo fore her, with unmixed pleasure. It was not new to her; in fact, she had seen it every day for the past ten years, but it never grew old nor monotonous. It seemed to vary with every change of weather and season, and it scarcely seemed the same more than an hour at a time. She had got supper ready, and was waiting for her father, brother and the hired man to come in. She slowly put down her sleeve, mechanically smoothing the rufiles at her prim, shapo ly wrists, as she gazed at the picture she knew and loved bo well. In front of the house, a green meadow lawn sloped gently to the river side, where the sunset rays lingered and re flected a rosy glow on the musical, danc ing ripples, that chimed so readily with the twittering of the birds, as they said good-night to each other in the swaying willows on the bank. Across the river, stretched a grassy valley, which gradu ally rose to the foothills, and they, in turn, climbed to the mountains, with rocky, fir-lined gulches, whero a lino of enow caps towered, grandly, back of all, up to meet the sky, and seemed the limit of earth, as it was of vision. Tbo sun set light was over all, glorifying it with the subdued splendor now slowly dying away. Clara heard the men on the back porch, and turned from the door with a sigh of regret; as her father called " Ready, Callie!" She stepped into the neat sitting room, which opened upon a piazza in front and at the back. The men were airily XIIJ-74 seated at tho table, and Clara, ipuckly bringing in hot dinhes of " warmed-up " potatoes and cream toast, with the tea, took her own seat, and bent her head reverently as her father ankM tho ac customed blensing-a custom too well learned in tho East to bo given up, even in tho proverbially (Iodic Went Tho mother's placo was vacant, for the and tho younger daughter hod gno East to mako a long-deferred vinit, while Clara kept house, and tried her lx nt to rival mother. Clara finished her meal first, and excuning hewlf, went to the dr again. " TherVs a man coming acrowt th railroad bridge" iho said. "A tramp? M briefly rejxndd Iit father. " Probably," replied Clara, a ihe watched tho man advance. " He's com ing here," sho added, "as all the trarnj do." " Well, it's little enough w havo a chanco to do for our felloes here; wn needn't grudge 'era a bite uuw and then." 41 1 don't, father," said Clara, M and we, shall havo a chance to do a little for our fellow mortal at once," as tho little gato clicked ami a man walked rapidly up tho path. " Don't walk like a tramp," murmured Tom. Tho man panned at tho f"ot of thV i azza steps, M Could I get my sapj r hero to-night?" ho began, in a frank, straightforward manner, ad In wing Cla ra. " We havo plenty of bread and milk, if that will do," replied Clara, m she usually answered such rejort.