St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-02-07

the boy, or ill-u>ed him in any way
exclaimed Mrs. Ducklow, excitedly.
"No, Idon't say it. But this I'll say,
! for l have had it in my mind ever since
Sophrony was left alone, Il couldh't hell
scein' and feelin', and now you've set mt
a talkin'. | may as we'll speak out. Reu
ben was always Il good boy, and a willin
boy, as you yourselves must allow; and
he paid his way from the first"
| don't know about that ~ interpos,
ed Mr. Ducklow, taking up his knife and
fork, and dropping them again, in no lit
tie agitation. "He was good and will
lin boy, as you say but the expense O!
clothin' him and keepin' him to school,
''IIe paid his way from the first :" re
peated Miss Beswick, sternly. "You
kept him to school winters, when he did
more work fore and after school than
any other boy in town. He worked all
the time summers; and soon he was as
good as 4 hired man to you. He never
went to school a day after he was fifteen.
and tiom that time he was better than a
hired man. for lie was faithful and took
an interest, and looked after and took
case of things as no hired man ever
would or could do, as I've heard you
yourself say, Mr. Ducklow"
Reuben was Il good, faithful boy l
never denied that"
"Weh, he stayed with you till he was
twenty one,-did We a mans service for
The last five Or six years; then you give
him what you called 4 se!tin' ut,-a
new suit O clothes, yoke of oxen, some
tarmin' tools, and hundred dollars i'll
Money. You, with your thousands, Mr..
DucAlow, Civ him Il hundred dollars in
money
"Ihat was only beginnin', only a
beginnin', I've always said ~ declared
the red-tiu,hed farmer.
Il know it; and | s'pose you'll con-
tinne. to say 80 till the day of yer death.
Then maybe you'll remember Reuben in
yer will That's the way. Keep put
lin him off rs long as you can possibly
hold on 10 your property younrselt,-
then. when you see you've got to 20 and
leave it. give him what you ought to've
9l'n him years before. There amt no
merit in that kind . justice, did We know
II, Mr. Ducklow' | tell yc, what be-
longs 10 Reuben belongs 10 him noW,-
not ten or twenty years hence, when
vuu'vc done with it, and he most likely
won't need it. \ lew hundred dollars
now'll be more useful to him than all
your thousands Will be ~ -and-hy. After
lie lett you, he took the Mr>cly farm ;
r>rrybudy respected him, everybody
trusted lum; lac was don' well. every
body said then he married Sophrony,
ard 9ood and faithful wife she's been
10 him: and lin ,lIv hc concluded 10 buy
the farm, wh,cA You yourself said was l
good litc, ami encouraged him in l."
80 it was ; Reuben u>eI judgment in
that, and he'd got along we'll enough III
hadn't teen for the war" said NJ. Duck
low; whi.c Li> lie sat dumb, not daI-
iug TO measure tongues with their vi.or-
ou>-mimd,d and plain speaking neishbor
jest 50" said Miss Be>wick. III il
hadn't becu tor tie war, lie had made
hi- first payments, and would have met
the rest a> they came due, no doubt OF it.
But the war broke out, and he left all tC
save his country. SAYS he. I'm N
ah.c-budcd man, and | ought to 90,
SAWS ne. Hi, business was lis important
ANA hi VIE and children were as dear tC
him as anvbody'S, but lie felt it his duty
10 -, ami he went. They didu't give
TO such liz bcunties to volunteers lher
a, they DO now. aud it was Il sacrifice tC
him every way when lie enlisted. But
SAYS ne, Ill Jest do my duty" SAYS he
and lrust to Providence for the rest.
You didn't discourage his goin',-anC
You di!m't Encourage him, neither, th'
way you'd ought to-
My, what on earth, Mss Beswick
Seems To- me yoa're takin' 1t upon your
>elt to say things that are uncalled for
10 say the least can't understand wh3,
should lave sent you here, to tell m
what's my business, and what amt, thi
,:lshioA A. if didn't know my ow
duty and Intentions" And Mr. Duck
low poured hls tea into his plate, an,
GuIlrrel his tread with teaspoon.
Il -'po-e shes been talking with 81
. Ihr0ny. and She has sent her TO inter
t,rc."
Mrs. Ducklow, you don't s'poSc n
such thing, You know Sophrony woulC
III end amy body on such an arrant ; an
: YOU know | aunt a person to do such III
I raniS, or be made a cats paw OF by any
/ uody. | amt handsome, not particular
4 "; and amt wuth my thousands, liE
[ some folks | know; and | never =,
=, married. for the bes: reason i'll the wur
: them that offered themeclvcs | woul,
u ut have, and them | would have ha
didn't ollcr themselves; and | amt
good Christian as | might bc, l.
aware. know my lacks As well
any body ; but bein' spy and L cat
paw amt one OF EN-. j don't do an
thing sy and underhand. Ii I've an
- thing 10 say TO anybody, | 90 right
=, 'em and say il 10 tnclr face, somctim
=, perry blunt | allow. Bat | don't w;
: 20 he >cd by o.h1r folks. I've mind
=, my own, and my own way o dol
Il ,uIng>-ttiat you know as well rs an
bouy. 81, when you say you s'pose >
pnror.y OF anybody else sent me here
:. interfere, l say YOU s'pose what All
-, lrue, M.>. Ddcklow ~
Mrs. Ducklnw WAS annihilatcd 4
:. the visitor went on:
AS Tor you, Mr.. Dacklow, have
said you don't know your own duty Il
ie nrenlions. I've no doubt you Mu4A y
l. do AT any rate
VERY we'll then why can't V