Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-02-04

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all these trials. lie had wandered from place
to place in search Of new strength. But he
failed rapidly, and at last himself gave up all
hope Of recovery. Then he wrote to my
aunt, the mother Of his boyhood. as he called
her, and bequeathed to her Tenderness his
only child. scarcely four yers old And the
old man who brought him to us was one
whom Joseph once rescued from drowning,
and who remained with him, out Of gratitude,
to the last hour Of his life.
Aunt Ester bowed her head above those
golden curls and said, while her tears drop
ped fast on the bright face that was so like
its iather's-"I will take the child"
1--WE made up my mind" said Aunt Esther
suddenly, one day just after dinner; and she
folded up her knitting and looked off a mo-
ment upon the dusty road that wound like
dngy red ribbon through the pastures Of
Woodside.
"What have you made mp your mind 20 do,
aunty;" asked cousin Alice Lake and 1 sim
as we looked up from the moga-
zines we were reading
"That TIL take Weston. Joseph child, and
90 straight over TO Farmer Pixies thi. after
ncr nap when we get there. It's very well
for him 90 talk as be does SO long as he don't
SEQ the child, but come 10 that, / believe
twill be more than he can bear
We believed it, too, when we saw the beau
tiful little creature vaddling out of the gate
by aunty's side. although when the neigh
bors informed Farmer Pike that Joseph was
dead, and that he had bcqueathed bis only
child 10 my aunt. he sternly replied-"Let
her keep him. then As for me. will mover
sec him. never have ANYTHING to do with him. 90
It was not to be wondered at that Alice
and awaited our aunts return with eager
curiosity, or that the inquiries with which my
story commences. greeted her entrance. She
did not reply at once: she took M a palm
leaf fan that Law on the table. seated herself
in the arm-chair. while her features worked
painfully
81 never had anything come across me so, 90
she exclaimed at last. more 20 herself than
u.s. And then the tears rolled over her
checks. Aner "a while She grew calmer. and
told her story 10 cousin Alicc and me. sitting
in her large rockingham. tanning herself
with her palm-leaf fan.
you see Famer Pike had lust risen from
his afternoon nap. and was going out the
back door as ] got round bv the meadow in
front of the house spied him, and hurried
round there as he got up to the we'll
"'How d've do. Farmer Pike = | said. in
a free, neighborly way, as I came up to him,
cant YOU let this child have a drink of wa
ter. he's had long walk, and has got pretty
nigh tuckered out.
"Thc old man was completely taken aback
could see that BY the way he looked at me.
and looked back at him as cool and as in
nocent as a lamb. Then he glanced at the
child and saw the muscles round his tight
mouth culver little. but he didn't saw a
word he took up the tin cup that stood on
the spout. and filed it from the bucket. and
held il out TO me. but his great hand shook
so the water spilled over the ton but of course
d dn't mind that. lust kent on talking in
the most natural way vou could imagine about
the weather and the good crops we are like
TO get.
3" Now say thank YOU. grandpa. said as l
flung out the water after Weston had done
drinking.
"'Thank YOU. Grandpa. came out in the
soft small notes of the little child. and knew
they went away down into that old mans
heart like a sharp cutting sword.
"'Whose that are child:' he asked in a
low. gruf voice. as if he didn't dare trust it
90 speak louder.
".Well. now. Farmer Pike. saws /. TO hear
Won ask this question. If YOU can't tell the
color of them ewes YOU must be struck stone
blind. and did you ever see a forehead that
was inst the shape o that one. and little
round heal that was never still but always
kept shaking. and didlin' round like leaf on
a silver tree. and if YOU don't know that. YOU
can forget that heap of golden curls. lust
the color Of ripe rye when the sun strikes on
it. never sec curls like them except on one
head and that's under the grass a long way
from here now
"The old man sat down on the stoop. and
! saw it was because his great limbs shook so
he couldn't stand
Il sat down too ''Tis rather warm. far
mer. went on. standing in the sun to-day.
though there's "a good breeze from the west.
Speaking about Weston. though don't think
he has his fathers mouth. though Joseph's
had way of setting down tirht and grim lust
like vourn, farmer. spocially when his mind
was made up on any subject
"But if you look vou'n see that mouth was
cut after the pattern of Mnrv's. even to the
dimple in the left corner. declare. it takes
me right back to the time when Mary and I