The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-12-28
Robert, sand don't trouble yourself about the


"YOu are just the nun we want" said
they. stopping Robert, and they imme diately
began to talk Of business but hardly had
they begun. when an old woman. Peggy
Turton came up, dressed in her plaid end
blue apron,
"Henvens, Mr.. Hope !" cried she, gather
ing up her apron with her hands, "what
horrible thing on your back ~
Robert turned round to tell her to let it
alone but when the blacksmith perceived
the mark'-"Look - said he, laughing, she
! can serve as sign for the inn OF the White
Cross -
81 suppose" added the butcher, ",hat his
wife put this mark on his shoulder for fear
of losing him."
Hope felt that there was but one wsy to
escape their jokes, so he hastily left the
place but not without calling them idlers !;
the cross began to weigh on his shoulders
more than he had at first supposed it possible
The unhappy Robert seemed destined this
day to unpleasant meetings, for scarcely had
he taken few steps when he found himself
| in the midst of the school children. The
school was over, and the holars burst out
into the rood, disposed to make the most OF
ary occasion for froIic which might present
itself. Hope was seized with terrible rest.
lessness he seemed already TO hear the hue
sud cry after him. Before long his fears
were realized hardly had he passed, when
loud cry was heard, and OF least fifty scho.
lars began 10 run after him, pointing at him
end .hrcWing their bonnets and caps in the
lr.
Look, look !" cried one che looks like
sheep marked for the butcher :"
"Do you not see," said another, "that he
has been crossed, fnd is going 10 leave for
Palestine =
And the shouts OF laughter began again
''uder than ever. Hope now became pale
with anger he turned round like surlv
h usedog worried by chiIdren, and perhaps
would have taken cruel revenge on his per
secu;ors, il Mr.. Johnson, the schoolm sster.
h*d not just then thown himself at The door
Of his hopse.
R"bcrt went towards him and began to
complain that h is school was composed OF
vagebcnds and insoIert children. Mr. John
son replied gently that be would not for all
| INN L
scholars, but that the white cross which he
had on his back would make people wiser
than children laugh.
"What business is that to you !" led
Robert, haughiily sis not my back my own
property !"
The schoolmnslor bowed, and Hope con-
tinued his way. But the cross bore more
and more heavily on his shoulders. He be-
g'n to think it would not be so easy to avoid
paying Mr.. Tsyl lor his rent after all. II so
mory jokes follow him already, What would
it be when they knew the rescon OF this or.
nament! Rejecting thus, Robert came
neur the tavern he WAS going TO pass on,
when he perceived Mr.. Tsylor himself few
steps in advance, and on the other side his
neighbor Hulins, dragging along his wood
en- leg, and chatting with Harry Stoke, the
carpenter.
Harry Stcke was the wit of the village,
and on no account did Hope wish to be jok.
led by him before HuIlius. So he took re.
fuge in the tavern. But that was not long
tensble. The drinkers were not slow to
perceive the cross, and joked Hope about it;
a quarrel broke out, and the inn-keeper fear
ing something serious would happen, had
Robert put out OF his house by his man.
Robert had let his own house, intending
to go and look after soma work which had
been offered him in the neighboring villa &C.
but his temper had been SO r, fTled by the old
man Fox, Patty Stevens, the blacksmith,
the butcher, Peggy Tutton, and the scholars
that he decided to return home, thinking
that after all he should be more quiet there.
So he stsrted for home.
Sometimes he would walk quickly 80 as
not to be overtaken; then be would take 4
step minute, i'm order not to pass some one
he would see in advance; sometimes in the
road, some times in the fields, he would glide
behind bushes and jump over walls, end fly
from the sight Of men with as much care as
robber who had stolen chicken from q
farm-yard-all this time the white cross was
unexpectedly heavy. At last he reached
. home, and he hoped now to find little qui-
ct. But as soon as bis wife saw him she
cried out
"Are you not ashamed to come back as
you went out Already five or six of our
neighbors have asked me if you had not lost
your senses. Quick, now, let me pass my
apron over that cross"
j So saying, Mistress Hope tried to get hold
Of her husbands arm but he rudely pushed
her back. Mistress Hope, WHO was mol
overburdened with patience, replied with q
blow, and the result was fight between the
two, to the great scandal Of the neighbors,
who ran to separate them.
1t is not necessary to say that everybody
decided against Robert, who at first braved
the general disapprobation, and even found
consolation in his fury but the more i'm
petuously the fire burns, the sooner 1t con.
sumes that which nOurishes 1t even as pas.
I- = ~ i