The Ambler Gazette 18971216

              the ambler gazette vol xvi xo 2 ambler pa december hi 1897 81.38 a \ ear treasu11e thove a ciihistma8 stokv dy 8 baring-gould tho forest of dartmoor is surrounded on every stdo by wido stretches of moorland that belong to tho several contiguous par ishes and every householder in each of theso parishes claims rights on the com mon of his parish over which moreover tho manorial lord asserts paramount au thority and enforces it when he can tho iluchy of cornwall however to which tho forest belongs professes a sort of sover eignty over all theso commons now there lived in tho parish of south tawton in tho curious old villago of zeal whero every house is an nrchceologicnl cu riosity iand overy householder is independ ent n poor young man of the name of jo sinh day commonly known as young ralnydny this nicknamo was acquired by him through his excessive caution jos was not a lazy man yet his exag gerated prudence led to much the same re bults as inertness ho was working on tho common out tiiif up granite blocks wherewith to con struct a new take wall whilo thus engaged jos came ol n pile of small stones lie cleared awuy fecso as too small to serve his purpose anldjgp^vwg^kgggsjg them a granite slat>f-*-tws ho levered j6idewitjjojmiiuicjiii d hla i he peered cautiously about him eurpriso discovered a stone cist or coffin constructed of rude blocks he crept in and was still further surprised when ho found within a pot containing charred bonus and ashes and near it a cup of yel low metal and sojno rings and hoops somo weighing 6 others 10 and 15 ounces apiece ho hastily scrambled forth and as the j setting sun gleamed out ho examined his find by its light ho rubbed tho cup and the rings on his sloove and uy gingerl said ho i'm darned if it ain't all solid gold come i'm in luck's wny this shull stand over against n rainy day such was his lrst thought tho second was this if it be known that i havo found a treasure then i shall havo tho duchy putting its list down on it tho lord of the manor demanding it tho crown oxacting it the parson holding out his hand for a tenth and every housoholder in the parish as this is common land clamoring for his share and there be 143 havo rights there'll bo naught left for mo but tho disappointment of having found and lost treasure " losiah stood turning over tho gold cup and rings then he peered cautiously about him to make suro that he was unob served then tho young iium replaced tho cover ing block then heaped tho small stones imil mtth over it und disguised the fact that tho place had been disturbed ho returned homo very satisfied with himself and with his prospects now ho could look forward without blinking to tho inevitable rainy day at present ho bad heulth strength und youth mid with those ho could ram his livelihood but s jos put it i can't reckon on then last ing 1 knows sovonil young ohupu as has had colds settled on their ohflllh mm vul huvo died of a decline and tom kndl cott ho dislocated his hip and now can't hobble up on to tho innor after granite do more and as to old ngc and decrepitude — theiii's no denying it every day and hour and minute brings niu higher to it accordingly jos wont on breaking up stono and inclosing and instinctively he extended his new take wall inthodirec uon of tho oftlrn and btono ohett tliut eun tuined his treasure it must not be supposed that jl)s w«s not tempted to realise but fear of discov ery und the hmim-.|u.-iii conliseatlon of the gold iiljiivo all his prevailing dominant passion of caution iikiiinst "¦ future unpro vldedfor prevented his doing ho on tho verge of the moor lived a girl named mury aggett with her bedridden mother she made a livelihood out of nine poultry ghu kept out of flint arrow heads viiuh by searching she found on ino moor ana wmen sne aisposca ot to an archteologist she also did some needle work jos passed tho cottage twice daily on his wny out and on his wny home and very frequently ho saw mary at her door and they never met without exchange of salu tations on one occasion when overtaken by a hailstorm ho had been invited into tho cottage and had been given n cup of ten that warmed his heart as if it had been peppermint and got into his head as if it had been whisky on leaving tho cottage ho said to him self 1 might go farther and fare worse tho old mother is well cared for tho houso neat , tho maid is pretty and bright and pleasant but — he shook his head — it don't do to marry early that means a family coming fast and nothing drags a man's head underwater liko a lot of ba bies clawing hold of it if polly aggett had money that would bo another matter altogether then it might bo worth con sideration " one day when they met on tho moor tho northeast blast was so cutting that they retired together under shelter of a rock to eat their lunch considering how cold tho weather was jos put his arm round polly and having an overcoat ho threw ono arm of it over her shoulder tho ensuing night was one of soretemp tationjto jos ho tossed on his bed he roihl^oirirds&r hosallied very early fnin his house and wgnt'ttf&e moot **- so lt i to raise his treasure di«()o3d at jc da:t fortuno and marry as in passed the cottago of mary aggctt he did not seo her ho wns glad of this lest sho should have asked him why ho went to his work two hours earlier than usual he proceeded to the cairn removed tho stones heaved tho covering slab aside got into the chest and brought out the gold rin^s and cup he furbished thom up and they sparkled in the morning sun when all wore ranged before him hn shook his head it would bo madness to risk it said ho if i married polly women bo thom corkscrows she'd have the whole story out of me and they b that chatterboxes they can't help talking and she'd blab about it to everyone in th place then i'd have tho crown and the duchy and tho lord of the manor and tho parson and tho 143 commoners down on mo demanding their shares be hanged if i'll risk it womon is terrible dangerous animals with their tongues never to bo trusted then in went all the treasure again into the coffin that had contained and preserved it for 4 000 years i know what i'll do said jos i'll build my new tako wnll right over this old grave and then no one can get at tho treasure without pulling down the wall " little did jos suspect that ho was being watched and that his every word was overheard by polly herself who was be hind tho rock hard by whero she hud picked up flint chips and lakes slowly painfully jos day worked at his wall he succeeded in carrying it over the cairn and thus ho secured his treasure from being disturbed and thus was it made fast against the rainy day in tho course of the next threo months he had completed the inclosure and hud takon from the common a tract of good land of live and twenty acres in extont now then said jos to himself my way is to be as still ns a mouso thu duchy won't know nothing about it tho lord of the manor lives far away and his agent is a sleepy chap if ho squalls then i'll claim rights under the duchy or as a commoner and if tho duchy squeaks i'll claim under tho lord of the manor about this time mary aggett's mother died jos pitied her greatly the oottago was so lonely for tho girl his heart grow soft when he saw her in black bless ino be laid if i lived in that cottuge it would save mo half my journey every day but 1 won't risk it shortly after this a great surprise canio on him one morning ho found in his new tako a hock of sheep all branded m a ciraclous bless us i exolalmed jos however oumo the sheep there i'll run ask l'ully sim may know sho must ' have seen some ono drive em this wuy be wont to the cottage and spoke in heat mury somo owdacious radicals havo been turning sheep into my new tako during tho night they are all marked they inn mine jos yours i'ollyf yes it was very kind and consider ate of you jos to innlom so many acres or me i thank you with all my heart inclose for you it is iuy new tako i • there is some misunderstanding an swered tho girl tlio new tako is oer tuinly mine i havo been to tho lord of tho manor and have bought it — 25 aorei t so much gold per nor 1 have the papers all drawn out yours i where did you got tho money t that was a question mary did not an swer after much consideration jos said fa erlngly this is a nretty uol how um i co do pain tor tno g i'm sure i can't think jos " but it has engaged ino off and on for 18 months fifty pounds wouldn't ropny my labor i can't afford — i really am sorry for you " by ginger oxclalmcd jos there is only one wuy out of it that i can seo and cheistmas feasts old time dinners of amazing pro portions that is by changing tho brand on tho sheep ; whbt tlley csed to eat in the dayg of king arthur hour's head served with ceremony an anolent dinner to the poor it is almost impossible to say when from a to d and by lumping togothor my wall and your land well i'm not particular answered mary and so the matter was settled they were married and jos found that he had secured not only a very capital bit i the custom d~egan of celebrating christ 1 if . " " y y i mas with a sumptuous feast it il ccr at"tho close of the first twelvemonth ( tain bowem that the observance has there were threo in tho houso in tho place i never lapsed slnce english history bo of two at the end of tho second year tho gan whistlecraft a writer who delved number had mounted to flvo for the sec deeply among the traditions and records ond addition to tho family consisted in j of the reign of king arthur of tho twins ] round table describes the christmas but the conscience of jos was uneasy j dinner of tnat day in verse something stood between him and polly „, , , he had a secret from her and that 1b ever they sorvud up balmon ver a barrier to connubial unity christmas was approaching jos resolved to mako a clean breast of it and tell mary every thing christmas arrived and jos put off his sunday coat and lowered wesklt " took his lever and went forth polly " said ho como along i'vo a surprisofor you ho deliberately threw down a portion of ms new take wall discovered the lid of j5te*s?os5"cnbsie~fevercd it aside and tirn jinped into the box next moment lie out of it blank with despair trem bi ng with disappointment his treasure w s gone iy the side of tho cairn and ovorthrown w 11 stood his wife watching him with a sn he on her cherry lips and a twinkle in ik bright eyes a toddling child clung to ier skirts anil she held ono of the twins in ach arm poll ho gasped by gum i'm a ned man i've lost everything i've n robbed hen sho laughed and when sho laughed th child holding her skirts laughed also nn . tho babes in her anus chueklod and en wed no jos rninyday she said you ha o lost nothing you have gained much