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

comfitted 81 can't hender yer talkin', |
s'pose; though it seems man ought to
have right TO peace and quiet in his
own house"
Yes, and in his own conscience, too,"
said miss Beswick. And if you'll bark
en- to me now, | promise you'll have
peace and quiet in your consciences, and
IN your house, too, such as yCu never
have had yet. s'pose you know your
great fault, don't ye? Graspin'-that's
your fault, that's your besettin' sin, Mr..
Ducklow. You used to give it as an ex-
cuse fer not helpin' REUBEN more, that
you had your daughter to provide for.
Well, your daughter has got married
she married Il rich man-you looked out
for that-and she's provided for, fur as
property can provide for any one. Now,
without child in the world to feel anx-
lous for, you continner TO keep layin' up,
lyin up, and will conntinner to lay up,
pose, till ye die, and leave great
foetin' TO your daughter, that already
has enough, and jest a pit.ance to Reuben
and Thaddeus"
No, no, Miss Reswick l mean to
do the handsome thing by both on en-
"Mean to, We mean to, That's the
way ye tidtter yer consnence, and cheat
yer own soul. Why don't We do what
We mean to do at once, and make sure
ont? That's the way to git the good OF
your property. | tell ye, the times COM
in when the recollection of having done
good action will he a greater comfort
10 We than all the property in the world.
Then you'll look back, and say, why
didn't do this and do that with my
money, when twas in my power, instead
Of hoardin' up, and hoardin' up for 9TH
ers to spend after meg Now, as | was
goin' to say, We didn't discourage Reu-
ben's enli=tin', and We didn't mcourage
him the way We might. You ought to've
said to him, Go, Reuben, if we see it to
he yer duty. and, as fur as money goes,
We shan't suffer fort. I've got enough
for all Oh Us; and I'll pay yer debts, if
need be, and sect yer family's kept COM
Portable while you're away But that's
Jest what We didn't say, and it's Jest what
We didn't do. All the time Reuben has
been sarving his country, he's had his
debts and his family expenses to worry
him. and you know it has been all So
phrony could do, by putting forth all her
energies, and straining every nerve. to
keep herself and children from gong hun
gry and ragged. You helped 'em a lit
tie, now and then, in driblets, it i true
but, dear me" exclaimed Miss Beswick,
ami she smote her palm downwaris. up
on her lap, with Look ami gesture
which >isnitied that words utterly failed
10 "xpres. her feelings on the subject.
Ms Duck!ow, who, since her annihi-
lation, had hardly ventured to look up.
sat lifting her lips, drawing quick breahs
Of suppressed anger and impatience, and
sewing the patch to the trousers and to
her own apron under them. There was
an awful silence, broken only by the
clock ticking, and Mr.. Ducklow liftin.
his knife and fork, and letting them fall
again. At last he forced himself to
speak:
oval. you've read us a pretty smart
lecture, Miss Beswick, ! must say. l
can't conceive what should make We take
such an interest in our affairs; but its
very kind in yc, very kind, to be sure"
Take an interest. Haven't seen 81
phruny's struggles with them children?
And haven't | seen Reuben come home
this very MIG t, u sick man, with n bro
ken constitution, and no prospect before
him but to give up his farm, lcse all he
has paii and he thrown upon the chari
iiies OF the world with his wife and chill
drcu? And if the charities of friends are
50 cold. what can be expected OF the
world? Take an interest , | wish you
took half rs much. Here I've sot halt
an hour, and YOU haven't thought to ask
how Reuben appeared, or anything about
him.
Maybe there's good reason for
that, Miss Beswick. Twas ON my lips
to ask half dozen times, but YOU talk
ed So fast, you woulln't give ME 4
chance"
"Well, I'm glad you've got some ex,
cuse, though poor one" said Miss Bts'
wick.
"IIow is Reuben" Mrs. Ducklow
| meekly inquired
: "-All broken to pieces-a mere shad
= der of what he was. Hes had his ole
= wound troublin him agin, then he's hac
{ the fever that came within one o takln
/ him out of the world. He was in tn
i hospitals, We know, for two months o
: more; but finally the doctors see tha
Il his only chance was to be sent home
0 weak as lie was. A sergeant that wa
II coming on brought him all the way, an,
Is took him straight home; and that's ii.
: reason lie got along 50 sudden and unex
: pected, even to Sophrony. ., if yo
= could have seen their meetin. as did
o then you wouldn't sneer at my takin' 4
= interest" And MIS- Beswick, stror
it minded as she was, found it necessary t
D make use of her handk erchief. II didn'
a stop only to help put him TO bel and ii
: Things little, then | left them a'onC
J. and run over 10 tell ye. It's pity yo
10 didu'I know he wds in town when yo
i was there to-day, 50 rs to bring hil
home with We. But s'pose you had II
ID vc>tmcnts to look after. Come, now, NJ
Ducklow, how many thousanl dollar
IT have you invested, since Reuben's bee
nd off to war, and his folks have been su
ou ttring at home? You may have be-
Laying up hundreds, or even thousand
ou that way This very day, for aught l kno'
+? But let me tell you, you won't get l
i good Of such property-itll only be
cuss to ye-lili you do the right thin
by Ruben. Mlrk my word"