Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-08-09

disease gained ground, its characteristic languOr
unstrung his force; the hard and sinewy limbs
became attenuated and relaxed his breath la
bored ; hectic fever burnt in his veins like
light flame every afternoon, and subsided into
chilly languor toward morning profuse night
sweats increased the weakness and he grew
feeber, offering of course less resistance to the
febrle symptoms, they were exacerbated, till at
times Slight delirium showed ITSELF and SO,
without haste or delay, he " made for port" as
he said
His name was Eben jackson, and the home
ly appellation was no way belied by his aspect
lie never could have been handsome, and now
fifteen years of rough-and- tumble life had left
their stains and scars on his weather-beaten
visage, whose only notable features were the
deep-set eyes retreating under shaggy brows,
that looked one through and through with the
keen glance of honest instinct while light
tattooing of red and blue on either cheek bone
added an element Of the grotesque to his home
Illness. He was a natural and simple man, with
whom conventionalities and the worlds scale
went for nothing, ng,-without vanity as without
guile. But it is best to let him speak for him
self. found him that night very feversh, yet
not wild at all.
Hullo, Doctor y said he, " l m all afre
I've ben thinkin' about my old mothers hum
stead up to Simsbury, and the great big well to
the back door; how used to tilt that are
sweep up, of a hot day, till the bucket went
way down to the bottom and come up drippin'
over,-such cold clear water swear, I'dgive
all Madagascar for drink ont "
| called the nurse to bring me a small basket
of oranges had sent out in the morning, ex
pressly for this patient, and squeezing the
juice from one of them on a little bit of ice, /
held it to his lips, and he drank eagerly.
4" That's better for you than water, Jack
son." said l.
~ dunno but 'tis, Doctor; dunno but it's; ;
but there ant nothin' goes to the spot like
that Simsbury water. Ye ha MT never v'yaged
to them parts, have ye?"
Bless you, yes, man was born and
brought up in Hartford, just over the noun
tain, and I've been to Simsbury fishing, many
time. >
" Good Lord You don't ever desert fell
Ter, eff the ship is a-goin' down " fervently
calculated Eben, looking up as he sometimes
did in his brief delirium, when he said the
Lords Prayer, and thought his mother held
his folded hands but this was no delrious
aspiration. He went on
:" You see, Doctor, I've had somethin' in the
hold good spell t wanted to break bulk on,
but didn't know as was ever goin to see a
shipmet agin; and now I've jined convoy list
in time, for Davy Jones amt fur off Are you
calculatin' to 20 North afore long?"
{" Yes, mean to go next spring." SAID I.
| jackson began to tumble with weak and
trembling hands about his throat, to undo his
shirt-collar, he would not let me help him.
and presently, flushed and painting with the
effort, he drew out a length of deicate Panama
chain fastened rudely together by link of
copper wire, and suspended on it little old
fashioned ring of reddish gold, twisted of two
wires and holding very small dark garnet
jackson looked at it as have seen many a
Catholic look at his reliquary in mortal
sickness.
Well, said he, " I've carried that are
gimcrack nigh twonty long year round my old
scrag, and when I'm sunk want you to take
it off, Doctor. Keep it safe till you go to Con-
|necticut, and then some day take tack over to
Simsbury. Don't ye go through the Gap, but
90 long out on the turnpike,ove the mountain,
and down t'other side to Avon, and SO nOr'ard
till jist arter you git into Simsbury town you
see an old red house 'longside O. the mountain,
with big ellum tree afore the door, and stone
wall on the side ont. Go long in and ask for
Hetty Buel, and give her that are thing, and
tell her where you got it, and that | ha'n't
never forgot to wish her well allus, though |
couldn write to her."
There was Eben Jackson's romance 1t
piqued my curiosity. The poor fellow was
wakeful and restless,--I knew he wouldn't
Sleep if left him,--and encouraged him to
60 on talking
81 will, jackson, promise you. But
wouldn't IL be better for you to tell me some=
thing about where you have been all these long
wears? Your friends will like to know"
His eye frightened; he was like all the rest
of us, pleased with any interest taken in him
and his he turned over on his pillow, and
lifted him into half sitting position.