Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-11-26
The Story Teller.
[FRoM LIppINcoTT's MAGAZINE.
THE RECORD
DORCAS BENTLY

| Gus utclucu 10 Cdrry Oh DOll, Suc mibuI uC
as she pleased about it. For his part, he
(Hosea) had decided on what should be
done. He stood, young man not yet thir.
ty years Of age, in his shop door--it was d
backsmi,hs shop in the shade of old apple
tress, by the d-side-waiting till the stage
should pass that would take him down td
Charlotte-Charlotte, not woman, but 0
steamboat landing. When 1t came in sight
the old red wagon, with its oil cloth curtains
tapping in the wind, he beckoned to the
driver, who stopped. What had Hosea Bent,
ly to say! He said
+" Room there for passenger
Il reckon, was the answer. The stage
was empty; the blacksmith took his scat,
and the driver drove on.
The act was momentous, for Manchester,
this man had decided, should not see his
face again. He was going to blot out the
last dozen years of his life, and begin again.
He had come to the conclusion that a person
of his years and abilities could do vastly
better than plod on as he had been plod-
ding in that slow old farming town. lie
was mortally tired of those level fields, and
| the sight of the old farm-houses and the
barns was enough to make Rip Van Win
kle of man. He had been long time
thinking that If he could swing out into the
world perfectly free Of all membranes, Lie
should get rid of this lethargy and make his
mark. Dorcas would thrive as well without
him, and he was as tired OF her as he was OF
the fields. Children were always a nuisance:
| like millstones around a mans neck, they
kept him down.
SO Mr.. Hosea had gone off in his best
| clothes and left the shop door wide open,
while the song-sparrow sang and little Joe
played around the heap of old iron. II IL
customer came by and by, Joe would run
and tell his mother when he saw that his
later she would understand that he had gone
off because he wished 10 go, and, like the
sensible woman she was--for Dorcas had
sense enough-she would adjust herself 10
circumstances
1t was the very best way, to go and leave
her in doubt for awhile: Of this he felt sat
isfied as he reflected in the corner of the old
stage during the pauscs in the talk of the
driver (Dan afterward reported that he
never saw Hosea in better spirits or in more
talking mood than on that morning as he
went down to Charlotte.) 1t was the best
way, because in the uncertainty Dorcas
wuuiu pv eutu nuuP tiiu rui nj anu nc ,ti ~
going, and make money. She would take
pride in that he supposed, for more than
once she had offended him by saying that
she would make as much out of either as he
could. Now let her try it /! He almost laugh
ed aloud to think what capital opportunity
for making the trial she was going to have.
Dorcas did try it. For one month she
continued to look every moment for the re-
turn of Hosea and TO be startled by every
sound she heard. Her eyes acquired habit
OF watching painful TO see. They were al
ways wandering toward door, window, gate
down the turnpike, her heart beat as if it
would burst.
But only once she went out to ask the
driver about her husband. That was the
evening of the day on which Hosea depart
ed. She was standing at the gate when hs
came down the road with his tin horn at his
lips. He drew up in beautiful style when
he saw her, for he reckoned there was some
thing to be learned about Bently's going
"Dd you carry my man off with you,
Dan p said she.
81 did, he answered.
"That beats all! Whereabouts z"
"Well,it does beat all If you don't know
he said. 81 asked him where he was going
when put him down to the steamboat land
ing, and he said he was going on voyage
of discovery. asked him if he meant
a-whalins, and he said, Maybe
Dorcas grew red, then pale;
"Was that all he said, Dan Rogers =
every darned word, Miss Bently.
| Dorcas fingered moment or two, and
then turned away without another word.
And on no subsequent occasion did she ask
Dan any other question in regard to that
drive. Whether Hosea would ever come
back again remained to be seen. His wife
did not believe that he would He had an un-
settled, dissatisfied disposition. He had mar
ried her because 1t was difficult thing to do
and so long seemed impossible. 1t was pc
culiar to him to coyet thing until he pos
sessed it; then it lost charm and value, She
recalled now-in the light of her failure re-
called with indignation-he vain efforts to
soothe his unrest and lessen his dissatisfac-
tions; and she thought Of his conduct toward
the children; he had never been TENDER
loving father. Then she remembered the
boast she had made that she could prove
that the old farm was not worn. out, exhaust.
ed, IL she once had it under her management
and she felt in honor bound to make good
her words. But as she recalled all this, the
courage of the woman seemed to forsake
her, and it was time before she rallied SO
far as to be able TO undertake the perfor-
nance OF any duties.
1t was in the fall that Hosea Bently rode
out Of Manchester by the morning light, in
the old stage, bound for Charlotte and the
steamboat Ontario.
The winter passed slowly away. Neigh
bors were kind to the deserted family, show
ing their sympathy in friendly acts rather
than in words. 1t was difficult to talk with
Mrs. Bently on subject about which she
had SO little to say, about which SO little was
to be said. There was nothing for her to
conceal. The suspicion that she knew whith-