Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-04-16
CHAPTER II.

and-there was U17e at the wedding.
CHAPTER II.
A whirring, buzzing sound filed Mrs
Giddings' small south-room, for the good
lady was spinning thread of fax with
which to make up the winter clothing
And she was thinking she must send to
Claydown Valley fol Patience Hale the
Tailo~ess, TO commence making the grey
Observation-Disclosures for the young Gid
dingses when there was click Of the
door latch and in a moment Miss Hale
stood before her.
The whirring noise died out of the
room in an instant, and instead there was
the buzz Of tongues.
do be seated Miss Hale, are you
well? How strange that you should
come just as was thinking of you; I
suppose your sister is smart"
By this time Mrs. Giddings had got
possession of Miss Hale's new bonnet
and trotted away into the pa?lor with it !;
while her visitor smoothed her hair, ad-
iusted her dress and seated herself with
quick nervous motion that would have
prepared one for the sharp, stirring, tone
in which she exclaimed.
There, declare l am tired climbing
those hills, but it is such long time since
I had visited you l told sister Maria that
1 must come to-day"
THAT is right" answered Mrs. Gid
dings as she seated herself by her wheel
again.
Have you heard the news?" queried
Miss Hale.
No. nothing particular" answered
Mrs. Giddings dipping her fingers into q
white shell of water and applying them to
tie fax preparatory to spinning; but hel
hands dropped in al instant as the new:
was announced.
Freeman Winlay has gone off ant
left his wife, and taken both his children
Richard and Jamie now what do yol
think of that ?"
), "Sakes alive!' gasped Mrs. Giddings
- think he is drunken villain, that
what l do, and always did. What vii
Ruth do without her boys, and what ca
they do without her?"
"The Good Father knows, Mrs. Gid
dings; I am sure I can't tell, but on
e thing I can tell, that Freeman Winlay
no man, rum scorched him up long ago
- Let me think, it is ten years since Rut
and he were married, and for half tn
l., time he has been home drunk ever
. week, sometimes every day"
Poor. poor Ruth, how she used +
take the little children and climb up gal
ret and draw the ladder up after he
when she saw him coming. When h
would rave around breaking furnitur
-, and threatening to burn the house if sh
!. did not come down."
N q know it, twas the delight of his Ill
to torment her, and should be glad h
sr was gone if he would only have left ii
children, what could he want with then
Richard is hardly nine years old al
lr Jamie but six"
b. Why can't you see he knew it wou
grieve his wife more than any thing ell
Mt he could do 0, it was sad day whe
id she married him, she ought to have know
I'd that there is little hope for those your
I'd men who always carrying brandy be
tie in their pockets and use pipe or {
dS gar before they are twelve years old.
his "She did know but would not belly
. him guilty of such practices"
r well, rum has brought sorrow enou9
?" 10 ltT SOu lciiVihDSl io" oO'l'iiy u'SN
vn How Johnny died could any who sa
Ter him ever forget it? I remember it "
re training day, and Rnth took such care
nc dress him neatly that he might 60 a
lily hear the music How the hour she to
mt him he might be gone heightened ir
ad four and he did not come, how the
to wore away till the sun was going do'
d and then they brought him home to d
all The rumseller had tempted him TO ia,
en the sugar left in the glasses by those "
yht drank, until he willingly cleared all Il
ION were given him; and when at last
ne thought of home he could not walk o
,ed step toward it know he could scarce
her speak when they laid him down, but
ust pointed to the fire and then down
lad throat and gasped " burning, burnin
for - Then his agony was so great We thous
he would 90 mad. but when night ca
led down intoour valleys he died. ! thou.
Is Ruth would die too, in that terrible ho
owe of watching. May God forgive me
and the great bitterness that fills my s.
les, when think how Johnny died.
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