Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-11-26

"Go and sell your herrings, idle girl" replied
Robert, "and don't trouble yourself about the
passers-by."
The little girl, confused, hostencd into her
mothers shop. Just then, Hope reached the
house of the butcher who was chatting with his
neghhor the blacksmith.
"You are just the man we want" said they,
stopping Robert, and they Immediately began
to talk Of business but hardly had they begun,
when an old woman, Peggy Turton, came up,
dressed in her plaid and blue apron.
"Heavens, Mr. lIopew cried she, gathering
up her apron with her hands, "what a horrible
thing on your back ~
Robert turned round to tell her to let it alone
but when the blacksmith perceived the mark
"By heavens, look :" said he laughing "he
can serve a sign for the inn Of the White
Cross 80
81 suppose" added the butcher, 'that his
wife put this mark ON his shoulder for fear Of
losing him."
Hope felt that there was but one way to es-
cape their jokes, so he hastily lcn the place. but
not without calling them foolish idlcrs 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 a few steps when he found himself in the
midst Of the school children. The school was
over, and the scholars burst out into the road,
| disposed to make the most of any occasion for
froG. which might present itself. Hone was
seized with A terrible re>tlessness; he seemed
already to hear the hue and crv after him Re-
fore long his fears were reolzed hardly had
he nassed when loud crv was hoard. and ot
least fifty scholars began to run after him, point
ing at him and throwing their bonncts and caps
in the mir.
Look look :" cried one "be looks like n
sheen marked for the butcher
"Do Won moi see" said ouo,her. "thot he has
lhoon cr.ossed and ;s e,o;no IN rove cor p,los-
tinrp"
And ,be sbou,s Of louybter begop main loul-
er than ever. Hone now became nnie with nn-
per. he turned round like n surly house-dog
worried by children. and nerbaps would have
Itakcn cruel revcnoc IN his ner.ecntors if Mr.
Johnson. the scboolmastrr had moi inst then
Lown himself NJ thr door of hi. house
pnhnr, ,,,,,, ,,,ards liz, ,,'d Loas,, 20 oor,
,Jain that lie school was corrose1 of yaco-
bonds and irsolcnt cbildren N. Jobnson rc-
l;oI ,or,l. No, M, ,,n,,Id mot 60. ali thc ,,orld
rnco,,rngc ;mnsr,;nerce in his scholars b,t that
,he ,ybtc crnts which he hal lis L,cL ,yomlJ
mako nconl, wiser Than chiIIrcn l,ugh
.Wbot Lus;nnss i ,L,, tnyo,, ;" re,,l;od Rol-
.r, bau,b,;lv. sis M, my. iocL my ,vyr nron-
cr, -
e Tho schoolmos,or hovol ana Homo con,inu
o1 ON his ,r,v Nu, tho cro.s lor, ,,ore aud
marc bnov;lv nm bis .bouldors Ue Lorar IN
think il would NOT he so casy +, avoid Hoving
Mr. Tovlor his ront ,f,or ali II en- r,onI ;ol ns
7 lollow him already. what would i he when they
knew the reason Of This foolish ornament Re-
anc,in, inns Rohcr, came noa, ,ho tavern he
| was soiur TO pass ON. when he per.eiyed Mr.
Tovlor himself a cew s,ans IN odyancn ouI on
~: othar siJc h;s ne;aLbor IJNll;ns dra@,;nn
! .
StoIe the cnrncntrp'
e Harry Stoke was the wit of the village, and
$ an no account did Home wish 10 be ioked by
: him bcrore Uullins So he tool ree,Se in m.
= tavern. But that was not long tenable. The
5 drinkers were NOT slow +, nercriye the cross
e and ;oked Hone about il. a quarrel broke ont
t nnJ ihr inn-krcner. fearing something seriou.
= would bannrn. had Robert nut ont Of hi, bouS,
= hv his man.
$ l,nbert had left his own house. intending tc
: 90 and look after some work which had beer
e offered him in the neigh, ,orinp Village. hut hi,
! trmprr had been SO rufFed by the Old man Fox
Patty Stevens, the blacksmith. the butcher
e prg',y rurtop. and the holars. th,t he decilee
to return home, thinking that after all he shoulo
d be more o,lict there. 81 he started for home.
IS Som ,times he would walk quickly. so as mo-
TO be oyertaken; then lie would take a stem ,
r minnie. in order NOT to mass some one he woul,
d see in advance: sometimes in the road. some
n times in the fields. he would rlide behind bush
es and iump over walls and iy from the sinh
n of men with as much care as a robbcr who 6a,
d stolen n chicken from a nf,rm-ynrd-all this Tim
- the white cross was insunportably heavy. A
1t last he reached home, and he hoped now to lin,
a lttle ouiet. But as Soon ns his wife saw him
n She cri d out,
IS ARE you not ashamed to come back as yo,
s. went QUIZ Already five or six of our neirh6or
have asked me if YOU had NOT lost YOUR Sense.
a Quick. now. let me mass nv apron over tha
< crnss"
" So saving Mistress Home tried to ret hold q
it ber husbands orm but he rudeIv nnshed he
bock' Mistress Hone who was not oyerbur
s. dened with patience, replied with blow, an
M u~e"." ~ w. Fi.et 49, " ''.' 49, '
* to the great scandal of the neghbors, who IA
IN TO separate them'