Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-12-25

cdH ntt VI IL ioT the laueu cOlOre-tne queer
est thing is, that you dc look something like
the figure of Christ as old Tomeny has paint.
ed it."
And Elkanah again laughed softly, rub
bing his hands, with his ewes on the silent.
smiling carpenter, who had listened, as the
old man vaguely thought, with an air of one
to whom the story was not entirely new.
Its sort of pretty notion, too, that Of
old Peters," presently resumed Elkanah.
- And little chattering blue-jay there, gave it
quite fairy turn in my mind by asking. Just
before you came, sir. if jesus Christ, old and
gray, was coming here tonight Dear me
it made me laugh till | felt juicy all through
but it grew in me afterwards what a pretty
thing it was, and for so young a child to say.
Such pretty thing And how would you
think of Christ, sir, as coming here tonight,
if such thing could be ~
- | think of bim always" said the carpen-
ter, slowly, in solemn, sweet vibrations, - as
| the all-lOving man. Yes, he might come,
| perhaps as you fancy him in this house, gray
and od-come as cheer r-bringer, dispeller of
evil, uniter of the estranged, assuager of sor-
rows, reconciler, consoler. Always the wise
| friend, the lover true. Something so. -
The old man silently cogitated the reply,
with eyes poring on the fire.
- Pardon the liberty" he said, suddenly
- but what might your profession be?''
" walk the hospitals, returned the stran-
ger, quietly
Nursing the Union soldiers ?''
- Union and rebel was the answer.
." hope" said the old man, after mo-
ments pause, kindling and flushing little
with faint misgiying, - hope that You
stand by the country, sir. Sir, this is 10y
al house. One son only, my boy that once
was, Rupert-butwe never mention his name
here, sir, never, for he's in the ranks of the
| rebels-he only brings dishonor on the breed
of old Elkanah Dyer But we strive to atone
for it. My boy John served in the Union
army, and he's going again. Ny boy Tom
wants to 20, and shall. Wait. laddie.
said year ago, till your bones harden a
little more you'll fight the better for it
and the times come for him. NV boy
| George his voice faltered-. was lost at
Fredercksburg-and blown to bloody atoms
on the field of battle, or alive rotting in some
rebel prison, I'm content and proud. for Its
in the service Of his country. And myself,
old as | am, I'm going too. The young eyes
that saw the bright fag dance so long when
everything laughed with promise, shall see
as all zoos down in war Tbere,s tn, ono
g,,, one country in the world f,- mo I
sta1d bv tbem both forever :,
- What Won sav is Well l., answered the
STRANGER : ike what Won say
:. Weu %, retorteJ the fery 3I5 ma, .. i
there anv thing better9'
.. Tbere il netbing better than what vop
saw = renlied the other firmly.
Flkanab cooled down instantly q little
,e-,Ieved with the air the STRANGER had or
cberisbinc some equal rerbars more COM
,,,ebe,di1,, truth
81 5or'f Lro,r ,rb,+i+ Is l-,,rs NM, g., u,
ro, and mates me :, frss-sroler an n sbort
5conaintance he said rreientIy in a lind
or5,aryeIliny ,rav :. IfyIt yr,s tbe Cod Man
himself | couldn't feel more onen- hearted
and lite tellinr yop ali NV troIbles I've
told you some Slreadv Y5r n st,y with ,,s
tbis evening" prav do, he said hastily
:. Snen5 the nirbr Stav some davs We'U
msto Won ,reIeone want p, tro,, r5,1
bctrer sir "
- tbant Won SO said the stron,sr 81 br+ J
can o,lv sycnd a IittIe t,me vifI vor and
,nrst ~ nav, ,r,,. tbis eyenir,,, 81,
e.WeU '' he said tr;gbtenino 81. rop II
srend the evening ANYWAY T6ererI he a
H. ~ ,,o,Io ir, b,7,r5-f,. f-,r, rl,,rl ,l.-,,t
We're IN have a rand i,lli6cati5p in the old
- A. me TLo1as. ,L. la.+r,.
The STRANGER looked at him inoniringlv
- will I'll vou = .ai5 FItarab bnr7ie5lv
bitcbinp mn lis chair closer .. See here
he boomed in his undertone . e. haven't told
,n-o,,. vet but T'lI f-s. ,,, mind T.. ,.,,, inv
fssI to-do II Uieb : In :, rD;red ,1s, A
-recnIe+ion-no rotter vbot H. f,ile5 =
The strangers lir,s rarte5 and his sorsne
face Looked almost rop.e3
- shall have a li-rle lsf Not
much. -" said the old man mournfuIIv. 8. Rut
we'll have To sell this rlaee where I've lived
50 many wears. and begin The world a,aIn.
In NV I'D seventy ve,rs ia .ir-sevsn-
tv years H. hard =
fbe STRANGER laid his GENTLE hand pror ,be
old mans arm Flka6ab ouiTered his lin
tremblei. and his ewes rev aim.
Is there M otber rssonrce - said tho ear
renter
=. None 9, rorl;e3 rho ,l5 ,,,, with s,-
5oric bit,e-rosf ..T-,,Iess - >, sou old
,,i.er Dvzsr'- ,.;ctr-c Irfs-r,l olJ dod5;
,oI;,1t Leodi nl5 c-,.l-- - ,.-,.,,, -
5v,neakt psed IN Joncb oyer II Lnt f1r
the last week ~. been I'i7s4 wormw,,d and
-ol toms
:. What do yop mean o.. said tho cor,ec-
ter.
"IIl tell Won ,notber.t,- retrrred
Flkanab b5lf s,vos,elv r,c,tiored that
old peter D,1er l.f, ,no This ,loco ,ros .,
voune, elm rotlc- ~, =, ,i,.o.,,r. ond;r
y,os nncle'. - H. -, ,,,,,'l5
make n m.n or me WeU il dif oyyn
That came DOWN bera fr,n p,nnsvirori,
nv STATE sir--oy ST.. y,ortcJ barl
and cot well off bv NV own eyertions Ar
FORTY. married. well exeen, a scant five
hundred dollars the r,Ioce vs. an old perer
left ne. Now. farminp's like any other bus
iness the more capital You put in. the more
profit You'll get out. And. save the five
hundred IA No conital had IN nu+ in
vol 5id r.,
=. What di5 voururcl 4, with his money 9-,
III 20 ,-'- o'.- -''' an
19AeI ~ ''ig car 'rlchter' rr
ne na1h any 1eIileu LlAan"n III
SIoMeTlnS, ihuineu rodI' VIl inl-er 'yAer'
as they called hlm' WASH { as rich as people
rumoFed nm. lie lett all to me-thIs place
and all thatl contains, the will said. Veil.
the place itself was all. All. If with his
shrewdness and close bargaining. he'd made
any money. suppose be gave it to loefer
Tomenv for pictures. and the miserable old
billiveezee drank If mn in annle-brandv
&" And What abort the nic.tnre - asked the
cor,,or,+a.
= n III. 100. ,., tl,,-4,l t-;r.,,,,b ,,-i+L
49, i-.N''''''-, ~ -
~. ~. 0ol.eni p'. 50 ~ IIIS ieIu
Tn"' nc "Iole anu 4eit me III 'lis uahA \, -ooOA-
l was readlhg II TINS afternoon head II
aloud sir, II you Il be so kind.
The stranger slowly took the little bank
book, bound in dingy red, which the old man
had produced from his skirt pocket, and read
aloud what was written there in a stiff. bold
hand
NJ. rr,...t, n,-.,.
-''' Ii in'-,i1n paINr...l u
Nv eO.'u S.. AZ Nv -, a.. s.-.;.l. T..
VI ie9'e you .AI W. n'P ',ie otiuien' '5 L'Lg-
,r aIu ~. %ya.. Nh l I no. wr,I ToltH