The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-04-13
The COn'cay Boys.
A Story for the Young.
BY EINICE &. WILDER

81 ri NICE {. WILDER
FIFTY years ago there stood in = little
New England village a new ami STYLISH
dwelling, which rather lor'lcd it over the
palmer and les substantial houses which
were scattered up and down the one street.
tor the TACT is, South StandiSh had only
Just begun to be anything of a place. The
people had finally succeeded in getting Il
post office, and with their one machine
shop and grocery store We're feeling quite
independent of old StandiSh, which lay
about four miles to the north
Well, this new and stylish house was
owned by one Elijah Conway, deacon in
the Methodist church tor South Standsh
is Methodist ground, and in late years has
become somewhat noted for its camp-meet-
lngS held two or three miles back from the
vllla@c) Besides being deacon, which
was high office in those days, he was al
50 a well-to-'lo farmer, and entirely inlc-
pendent OF the machine shop, and that
meant Il good deal for, although the old
settlers were clad to have one located
among them. aS it raised the value of prop
ertv, those WHO had anything to do with
1t were looked upon rather is the rui
ho"me>. | suppose all you boys under
stand that.
But besides being deacon in the Metho-
dist church, 4 wel-to-do farmer and own
CT OF the substantial house. he was also the
husband OF 4 smart. energetic wife. and
father OF seven promising children. two
sons and five daughters, of whom Phelps.
the principal hero Of my story. was the
youngest. >marte>t and prettieSt. the ia
vorite of his mother and plague of the
whole family for Phcl ps-and this is the
point OF my story-was cursed with Il
dreadful temper, and he took no pains 10
conceal II. His mother. a good. faithful
Christian woman. did her duty toward
HIM no pains We're spared either by her
or the deacon to make him I. good boy :
AMI sometimes, when seated at hi- moth
er'> feet. after She had been talking with
linn 50 earnestly. he would resolve to do
better, control that evil temper and make
his mother happy but then perhaps the
next minute Sarah Jane, in tlving around
the room, would step upon his loy~ OF Seth
perhaps. iii piling up the wood, would
break his sled, and then. ;i> Drll>ila would
say. ''there was no living in the house
with him.. and his mothers heart was
heavy again.
But about this Seth. From the mo-
ment Phelps was brought into the world.
5 where, a> he thought, he had such a vcrv
Very hard time there seemed to be some
thing ;na4onI>tlc IN his nature 10 tins
brother OF hi. Although neither father
neither nor sisters could ALWAYS prevent
rou>lli,. his temper, Seth was constantly in
fault. This Troublesome brother was a
laundering fellow. and very obstinate with
al. SO that many times when he had blum
,iered INTO up~rtting phcl p>' temper. his
ob>!lnacy would not allow him To say he
was >orrv and ask pardon. as he ought to
have done. I}ui aside trom his blundrr-
inc and oI>tinacy. he WAS a GOOD hearted
fellow. as the world goes, as un>eltI>h a-
the generality Of boy>. perhaps, and
though homcly and baShu!. he was a>
good farm hand ~ there was anywhere
around Phelps, on the contrary, al
though a rood scholar, was entirely un-
suited to farm work. which he dislike,
very much, and this was cause for Il dca
of trouble: a> seth used to say. hc"Sllirk-
ed" Phelps would fly into passion anc
call him a ''bIockhcal." anl LAUGH III E;
F. very provoking way.
A. time wore away, neither Scth's OH
ID >tin,cy nor PhcIp, temper were improv
cd, and Phelps said many hard. mkin'
-- words in his fits Of passion. which, al
though they seemed to be instantly forgot
5, ten. cycn il heard at ali. yet ranklcd dce]
in Scth'S breast, neither forgotten nor for
given. lie had Il terrible revenge at last
Meanwhile everything had seemed to pros
per ON the Conway farm crops alway
were abundant even il they failed every
where III the village, and men began t
IS loo!, upon Deacon Conway us Il rich mal,
...AIl S.lh's work" he would say. vine
- congratulated by his nci ohbors. The
Z said that if Seth earned the money he Wa
a bound to keep it, and guess it w;l> 50. to
l. when Phelps. whose hi "h ambition VA, t
i,e Il lawyer. wanted to ." away to prepal
er for college (hi> ani his mothers p,
b. -chcmcl he found 4 violent oppo>cr i'll til
tt shape OF Seth. vino Oh 10 account Woui
he oive his consent. and so influenced his +;
II ther that Phelps was Obliged to give it a
ut up. 1t was too bad every one pite
III him, or they would if he Ilul not acted 5
Oh much like mailman for his temper, bC
It. mo ALWAYS of reasonable size, and ha'
'et ing grown with his growth and strength
Ill rned with his strength, was now perfect
n' terrific. Seth. having GAINED lis poin
he was calm and -toical under the torre'-.
he abuse hcaped upon lam by his infurlat'
X brother. even when he lost his finest vol
so OF oxen by ln unaccountabie disease.
'p- was whispered around among the neig
"a bors that it was Phelps doing>, but l
he sir was made about it by the tamil
up The neiehhors also BEGAN to notice til
=. Mrs. Conway was being worn out. part
he by hare, work, and no doubt partly, to
by family troubles. ''Phelps, You know
they would say, nodding at the same til
or mv>teriou~ly to each other, and they we
about right in their conectureS,
Phelps. in his passion, spared not even
molhcr Every one long ago had ceas
~ ., ,,,.,,., .,n,. ;nAuonca over him II W