The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-09-13


afmei Than ever She put Der arm round
lib meek, aud whispered in his ear.
~ dare not hasr yOu vow any more. You
Snow how oilsn-- Yon know you had better
nal, dare not bear you promise any more"
lie ioosened her arm from his neck, aud
rallied Willy 90 him. IIe held the frightened
boy between his knees, and looked him fall
Ia the face while ho said.
=, "Willy. you must not say that God made
Dan an IDIOT"
The stare with which willy heard this was
too much for his mother. She rushed up
stairs and threw herself upon the bod, where
she was heard long afterwards sobbing as II
her heart wOuld break.
"Father," said Willy, imidly, bat curious
~ "did yOu make mother cry, too 2"
Yes, Willy, | did II Il all my doing"
".Iben think you are very wicked"
$50 am very wick kod. Take care that
yon, are not Take care that you arc never
will 1 can't hear that molLer
should cry
--s-it st-ttH rtfts FotHrtt ----
Janet did all she could 10 arrest the ruin
which all Saw 20 be inevitable iier great
piece Of success was the training she gave 90
her eldest daughter, little Sally Ry the time
she was twelve years old, she was the most
efficient poiSon Ia the house. Without her
they could hardly have kept their Last remain
ing COW and many time she sot hcr moth
or at liberty 10 attend upon her father and
protect him, when otherwise the children must
have ongrossed her. There was no cowboy
now and her mother too Often filed the
place OF the labOrsr whom tho sowing or reAp.
ing season would otherwise have passed away
uiiused II was thing unhcani of In the
diswiot thnt n woman should work tn The
hcldsi but what else could be done Ravens
wasted aud trembling limbs were unequal to
the work alone and, little as &c ruuid do NJ
best he could always do the best when bis
wife was helping him. SO Sally took carr
OF poor Dan and the four younger ones, aud
made the oateu bread with WHY'S helm, aud
boiled the potatoes, and MIXED and fed the
COW, and knitted at all spare minutes for
thoro was no prospect of stockings for any
body but from knitting done at home The
children had learned "a bo thankful now
when they could eat thoir cat broad aud p0-
ttoes IN peace. They seldom had anything
else, and they wanted nothing else when thcy
could eat that without tcrros. But their ia
ther was now sometimes mad IL was n par
tirJar kind OF fmadnes., which they had heard
the doctor call by long name (delirium tre-
mens) aud they thought Il must be the most
trrrittu kind uf ats though IL aiwHy went of
alter NJ OF ~, which might last from a day
to a week. The doctor had said that Il would
NOT always 20 of--that he would do in one
Of the atiack1 The dread was lest he should
kill somebody else before that day camo for
hr WIS NJ unrorrrna,l,- ~ eey ..R ia. ll.allAll.
at those times, and fcariully strong, though
80 weak before and afler them.
When il WAS possible, the children went
tnfF Ia, Ill
hold him but il the weather was stormy, or
If their father was in the way, they could on
ly 60 and hide themselves out Of his sight n
mong The rocks IN ssr,-is rcr UP VT the Ton,
or somewhere and they know what their
mother must be suffering with him. By de-
grces they had scarcely any furniture Loft
whole but their heavy old-fashioned sedsteaos
The last Of their crockery was broken by his
ovcrturning the lame old table To which they
hal been dining. Then thoir mother said, with
n sigh, that 4hcy must somehow manage to
bay some things before winter There was
now nothing for any of them To eat out Of
She tnti-t get tets'.s aseaag tEancheEz- Lin
mugs. But how 60 get the money for the
whole of the land was mortgaged now.
A little rnoney-waa owing for oats when
November arrived; and the purchaser had
sent word that he should be at n certain sale
at Langiale, at Martinmas, aud that if Raven
should be there, they could then settle ac-
counts. Now, this money had been destined
to 90 as far as il would toward the payment
OF interest duo ut Christmas. But II Raven
went to the sale (the usual occasions for social
meetings in the Lake district, in spring and
autumn)he would only waste or lose the mon
cy. lie had long ceased To bring home any
money unless his wife was with him: and then
il was that she brought It, and il possible,
without his knowledge. She must 90 with
him, and lay out the money Immediately, in
necessaries Tor the house and the children, be-
foro her husband could make away with L.
in worse way than il he threw it into the
sea.
They went at dawn,in a clear, r,cold Novern-
Der day. Raven had taken care Of himself
for day or two, aware Of the Importance of
the occasion, and anxious not 10 disable him
self for the first social meeting lac had enjoy
ed for long, and thinking, in spite of himself
of the glasses of spirits which are, unhappily,
handed round very often indeed at those
country sales. As the walk was an arduous
one for an infrm man, and the sale was TO
last two days, the children were to be left for
one night. Oat meal and potatoes enough were
left out for two days, and peat, to, dry within
the house for fael. Willy engaged 70 nurse
the baby, while Sally looked to the COW
Their mother promised tho Ettlo ones some
nice things for the winter, if they were good
while she was gone aud their father kissed
Them all, and said hey knew they would be
good. +Snd so they were, all that first day
and a very good dinner they made after.play-
ny about the whole morning, and they all
went instantly TO sleep at night, while Sally
'at knitting for an hour longer by the dim
'ed light of the peat fire. The next day was
not 50 fine. The mountain ridges were clear
'ut the sky was full ofvery heavy gray clouds,
md before dinner, at noon, there was some
now falling. 1t came on. thicker and thicker
md the younger children began to grow cross
'ecause they could not go out to play, and
lid not know what to do With themsel vess--
S5ffy rhgarpt Them win talking abuut how I
oon Wother wonld come home. Mother had |
lot come, however, when the littlo things |
Worried and tired went to bed. Nor had she |
ONE some hours aftcr when Sally herself /
gantadl very much TO be asleep. She had |
ooked out at the door very ofteRs and Il was I
tlli spoMlbg; and the last time, such q cloud
snow vas. driven againat her face that IL
'as a settled matter in her mind at once that |.