The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-09-16
MISCELLANEOUS.
From Putnams Magazine for September
Unc1e Josh.
A NEW ENGLAND STORY

bred, farmer on Plainfield Hill. and a
specimen lfsome strange phrases were
grated on his New England vernocuar,
1t was because for fifteen years of his
youth he had followed the sea and the
SEQ, to returr the compliment thereafter
followed him
His father, Old Josh Crane, kept the
Sanbury grist.mill, and wns a drunken.
Shift,css old creature, who ended his
days in tumble down red house q mile
below Plaiofeld Centre, bling took
with tho tremens" as black Peter said
when be came for the doctor-all too
late. for the 'tremens' had indeed, taken
him of
Mrs. Crane our Josh's Mother. was
one of those calm, meek. patient crea.
lures. by some inscrutabe mystery al.
ways luked to such -7en; martyrs bv
the pang wi'hou, the PALM Of whom
noble army shall yet rise out of New
EugIaud's desolate valleys and melan-
choiy hills, to take their honor from the
NJ as'er's hand. For years this woman
live alone with her child in the shut.
tered red house, spinning, knitting,
washing, sewing. scrubbing, to earn bred
aud water, sometimes charity fed but
never failing at morning aud night, with
one red aud kuotted hand upon her
boys white hair. and the other on her
worn Bible, to pray, with an intensity
that boy never forgot, for his well.bcine
forever and ever for herself she never
prayed, aloud
tben came the oountry's pestileuce
consumption, and, after long struggles,
relapses, rallies, all received in the same
calm patience, Hetty Crano died in a
summers night, her little boy asleep be-
side her, and whippoorwill on the ap.
pie tree by the door sounding on her
Pickering sense the last minor note Of
life.
When Josh woko up and knew his
mother was dead. be did not behave in
the loast like good little boys in books.
but dressed himself without tear or
sob, and rao for the nearest neigbbor.
'Sakes alive' said Miss Ranney 4
never did see sech cretur as that are
boy in all my days be never said moth.
in to mo when he came to our folks's
OILY Jest Miss Ranney. I guess you'd
better come cross lots to see motbor.
she don't seem to be alive Dew tellp
seq |, an so slipt on my Shaker bun.
net jist as quick's could, but be was e,
spry's cricket, an when / got there be
was settln' the room to rights, he'd
spuuked up fire and hung on the kit.
| lo | H..
inter the bedroom and turned down the
ki4er, aud gin little screecb l was 80
beat, for sure enough Hetty Crane was
dead an cold, Josh be heerd me. for
be was clos't onto me, and he never
spoke, but be come up to the bed and he
put bis head down ond laid his check
right along hers, and 'twent no redder'u
her'n, au' staid SO bout minuit; then
he cleared out and l neve: see him NO
more all day. but Miss Good'in she
come in. and she said he'd stopped there
an sent her over.
We'll, We laid out Hstty, and fixed
up the house and Put up a curtain to
her winder, aud Miss Good'in she'u
calkerloted to set up ell night, and was
jest putin mess of tea to draw, SOS
to keep lively, when in come Josh. drip.
pin wet, for the dews was dreadful heavy
Them August nights, aud he said nothin
more'n jest to answer when lie wa.
spoke to. aud Miss Goodin was a rca
feelin woman, she guessed he'd bettel
be let alone so he dripk't q cup of tea
aud then he started off into the bed
room, and when she went in there. lions
towards idnigbt, there be was fast a
sleep on the bed beside of the corpse, as
straight as pin, only holdiD' on to on
of its hands. Miss Good'in come back
cryin', and / thought I should "a boo
hoo-ed right out, but kinder strsngled
it down, aud We set to work to 6eger ou
what was a goin' TO be done with tn,
poor little ehupi that house of sheir'n
that old Josh had bought of Mr.. Ran
ney, hadn't never been psid for ouy
the interest money whenever Miss Crane
could scrape it up, soft that would e
right back into husbands hands. au
they hadn't got no cow, nor no pig, anf
we agreed the s'lectmen would hav' t.
take him aud bind him out.
Il alters mistrusted that he'd waket
up, and heerd what we sail, for mex
morning wheD we went to call him ht
was gone, and his shirts an goto.meet
iu'., too, and he never come back to th'
funeral, or good spell after.
Il know after Hetty was buried, snt
v'a resolved to sell what things sh'
-. TO get her q head,store, for Mr.
Rauney would never put 10 for the res