The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-01-12

from that time nc was better n uny hired man,
for he was faithful, and took an interest. and
looked after and took care Of things, ns no hired
man ever would or could do, as Two heured you
yourself say, Mr.. Ducklow!' :. oil. -.'.ag
Reuben was good, faithful boy; never
denied that never denied that =
well, he stayed with you till he was twen'
ty.one,-he did u man 8 service for the last i've
or six years then you Civ him what yon call
ed settin' out new suit o. clothes, yoke
Of oxen, some farmin' tools, and a hundred dol
lars In money! You, with yer thousands, Mr.:
Ducklow, Civ him a hundred dollars in money! y
That was only beginnin', only begin.
min, I've always said = declared the red.aushod
farmer.
Il know It; and s'posc you'll continner to
say so till the day of yer death Then maybe
you II remember Reuben in yer will. That's
the way Keep putin him of as long Us
you can possibly hold on to your property
yourself-then, when you sec you've got to 20
and leave it, give him what you ought to We
gin him years before. There ant no merit in
that kind O. justice, did ye know it. Mr.. Duck.
low? tell ye, what belongs to Reuben be.
longs to him nop,-not ten or twenty years
hence, when you've done with it, and he most
likely won't need it. few hundred dollars
now will be more useful to him than oil your
thousands will be by.and by. After he left
you, he took the Mosely farm; everybody re.
spectcd him, everybody trusted him; he was
doin' well, everybody said; then he married
Sophrony, and good and faithful wife she Is
been to him and finally he concluded to buy
the farm, which you yourself said was good
idea, and encouraged him int '.
so It was; Reuben used Judgment in that.
and he'd have got along well enough. ift had
mt been for the war; said Mr.. Ducklow
while his wife sat dumb, not daring to meas.
ure tongues with their yigOrOus-minded and
plain speaking neighbor.
'Jcst 50! said Miss Beswick. III II had nj
been for tho war! lie had made his first pay.
ments. and would have met the rest as they
out, and he left all to sarve his country. Says
he. I'm an able bodied man, and ought to
90, says he.' His business was as important,
and his wife and children was rs dear to him
us anybOdy's; hut he felt 1t his duty to go,
and he went They did mt give no such big
bountics to volunteers then Us they do now,
and it was sacrifice TO him every way when
he enlisted. But says be, IN jest do my du-
ty,' says he, 'and trust to Providence for the
rest You did mt discourage his goin' and
you did Mt Encourage him, neither, the way
you'd ought to-
My what on 'arth, Mics Beswick !-Seems
to me you're takin' 1t upon yourself to say
| can understand what should have sent you
here, to tell me what's my business, and what
amt, this fashion! As il didn't know my
own duty and intentions = And Mr.. Ducklow
poured his tea into his plate, and buttcred his
bread with u teaspoon.
Il s'pose she's been talking with Sophrony,
and she has sent her here to interfere
Mrs. Ducklow, you don't s'pose no such
thing! You know Sophrony wouldn't send
anybody on such an arrunt; and you know
amt person to do such arrants, or be made u
cats paw of by anybody. la'n't handsome,
not particularly and ant wuth my thou.
sands, like some folks know: and never got
married. for the best reason in the world,-
them that offered themselves wouldn't have,
and them would have had didn't offer them
selves and ant 20 good q Christian ms
might DO, I'm aware. know my lacks as well
as anybody; but bein' q spy and u cats. paw
ant one of EN-. don't do things sly and
underhand. II I've anything to say to any
body, 60 right to 'em, and say 1t to their face,
sometimes perty blunt, ] allow. But don't
wait to be sent by other folks, I've q mind %
my own, and my own way o. doin' things
that you know as well as anybody. So, when
you say you s'posc Sophrony or anybody else
sent me here to interfere, say you s'pose what
ant true, and what you know ant true, Mrs
Duckluw!'
Mrs. Ducklow was annihlated; and tho Wis
itOr went on.
AS for you. Mr.. Ducklow, I have Mt said
YOU don't know your own duty and intentions
i've no doubt you think you do, at any rate
Very well then why can't you leave me to
do what thinks my duty? Everybody ought
to have that privilege
you think sol?
'Sartin, Miss Beswick; don't your
'Why. then. ought tn have the same.'
'Of course nobody in this housell prevent
your doin' what you're satsfieds your duty
'Thank ye' much obleeged = said Miss Bes.
wick, with cleaning, gristly features. That's
all ! ask. Now I'm satisfied it's my duty to
tell ye what I've been telin' ye, and what I'm
gon' to tell yc: that's my duty. And then
it'll be your duty to do what you thinks right
That's plain. ant itT
'wuli, wall!' said Mr.. Ducklow. dircom.
fitted: i can't hender yer talkin', s'pose {;
though it seems u man ought to have u right
to peace and quiet in his own house.
'Yes, and in his own conscience, too" said
Miss Beswick. And IL you'll hearken to me
now, promise you'll have peace and quiet in
your conscience, and in your house, too, such
as you never have had yit | s'pose you know
your great fault, don't yo? Graspin' that's
your fault, that's your besettin' sin, MIR. Duck.
low. You used to give It ns IN excuse for not
helpin' Reuben more, that you had your dangh'
ter to provide for. Well, your doughter has
got married she married rich man.-you
looked out for that, and she's provided tor,
fur us property can provide for any one. Now,
without u child in the world to feel anxious
about. you keep layin' up and layin' up. and'li
continue to lay up, ! s'pote. till ye die, ana
and leave o great iortin' to yer daughter, that
already has enough, and jest pittnce to Reu'
ben and Thaddcus.' -.
mo, no, Miss Beswck! you're wrong, Miss
Bcswick, mean to do the handsome thing by
both on EN-
MEAN to We mean to That's the way 20
-astter yer conscience, and cheat yer own soul.
why don't yc do what yc mean to do at once,
and make surc ont? That's tho way to git
thc good Of your property. tell 20, the times
comm when the recollection Of havin' done q
good action will boa greater comfort to 70 than
all tho property in tho world. Then you
look back, and say, why didn't do this and
do that with my money, when't was in my
power, stead OF hoardin' up and hoardin' up
Tor others to spend after mc3' Now, rs ! was
roin' TO say, 70 didn't discourage Reubens en-
listin', and ye didn't incourage him the way ye
might. You ought to've said to him, Go,
Renben, if yc SEQ 1t to be yer duty and, rs
fur as money goes, 20 shsnt suffer fort. I've
got enough for all on us; and Ill pay yer
debts, if need be, and sect yer fam'ly's KEEP
conf table while ye're away But that's jest
what ye didn't ~y. and t's jest what 20 didn't