Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-06-01
From the Watchman and Reflector.
PIG WILSON.
AN OLD cLERGYMAR'S STORY.

AASN SOHAOibooiJ OONu III my easy -CutiI,
dressing-gown and slippers, when the
pleasurable home sensations to which
abandoned myself were disturbed by a
sound as of small and undecided knuckles
at my study door.
Come in 2
A white-headed urchin, with streak
ed and saturated countenance, entered.
Well, Tommy
Tommy grinned, pulled off his ragged
brimmed straw hat, and passed a sleeve
across his face, before he could gather
breath to answer.
Wants ye.
Wants me? Who?'
Pig Wilson,
You might at least say Mr.. Wilson,
Tommy
Is 'fraid ye wouldn't know who /
meant grinned Tommy. He's real
dumpy, lately he went on, twirling at
the same time his saw-rimmed hat
Guess he's got notion mebby he's
goin' to die.
1 hesitated; for when you have re-
Gently emerged from dismal storm, and
enjoyed sweet relapse into the luxury
of home comforts, on a rainy March
night, it is not so agreeable to be hur-
ried away again before the chills have
been fairly drawn out of you by the
genial fre-warmth.
Tommy, at the conclusion of his
speech, stood bashfully vacillating be-
tween the door and the fire, still twirline
his ragged hat. | bade him warm him.
self, while l pulled on my boots, and
lighted lantern. This l gave to Tom.
my to carry, and spreading an umbrella
at the door, held it over his diminutivt
head as we tramped along the dark anc
muddy road.
TJmmy was communicative, and mix
ed up boyish exclamations about tn,
gusts and mud, with interesting remin
iscences of Pig Wilson. And here
may as well explain how the latter cam
to be called Pig
Twenty years before, Mr.. Wilson, thel
young man, with a small farm and
small family, promised fairly enough t
reach, at no distant day, the averag
level of prosperous respectability whic
his more advanced neighbors had alread
attained but single incident, of an aE
parently trivial nature, had warped hi
whole future life.
One day he mounted his horse an
rode to neighbor's to purchase som
young pigs. Having selected a pair frol
fine litter of nine, and bargained fc
them, he prepared to take them home
He had bag to put them in, and the
were soon caught and tied up, with I
little squealing on the part of the soy
mother.
How will you carry them?' said goc
Deacon Brown.
'Pll show you! And the purchase
slipping pig into each end of the ba
laid it across the horse. They'll SOC
stop that kicking and squealing.'
That's sartin; for they'll smother b
fore you get home, said the deacon.
'I'll risk 'em,' laughed Wilson, as
rode off.
The pigs were soon quite still, and aft
riding some distance towards his hon
remembering the deacon's warning, W
son thought he would stop and see HI
they were getting on. He stopped dow
and tickled the little fellow in the ii
end of the bag. He grunted and kick
Then he tickled his little travelling co
panion in the other end of the bag.
Piggy gave no sign. Wilson grew al
ious. He rode up to the fence, dismou
ed, unsaddled the bag, opened it, a
took out the flexible form of pig numl
two.
1t was inanimate and breathless.
held it in his hand, and looked at it,
on the ground, turned it over, but
without avail pig number two was P
resuscitation. There it lay, handso
and perfect as ever, only the miracul
life was gone out of it. And now trout
some thoughts were agitating WilsC
brain. He thought of his loss in
value of the pig. He was inclined
murmur at his misfortune. 1t appea
to him really too bad that the pig sho
die on his hands. 1t ought not TO be
loss. He had bought and paid for il
Something must have been the ma
with the creature, or it would not b
died so easily. Deacon Brown was r
He could afford TO lose the pig. III
Wilson-was poor, and the loss OF