The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-07-11

!, sorrowful she looked when she saw m
take her shoes and start for the store t
), pawn them for rum, while she lay sick
And how she begged me, before she died
never to strike her mother again cal
see her now, her pale face, her waiste,
form but she can not come to me again
And o, my wife, how shamefully have
abused you 1t was not your Daniel tha
did it. No it was that cursed rum tha
Haskins sold me. No wonder you wer,
taken from me by those who loved 20,
and would not see you abused. They
won't have me in the house. They vii
not let me live with you. Not drol
more, Daniel, till this house is mine again
Not drop more, till these broad acre
are again in my possession, and that wifi,
and the children that are living, are it
yonder rooms, and we are a happy famil,
once more. Not drop more, Daniel, Sc
help me God, till all these things are ac
complished. | thank you, Haskins, fol
those words. | shall not forget them"
He had now become so much occupied
with his thoughts, and spoken in a tone
so loud, that he had not heard the wag.
on which, by time, had reached the road
In which was seated the kind-hearted
Quaker who had been mentioned. He
stopped his horse, and heard distinctly
the language Daniel, used. As he closed
his soliloquy, he turned and saw Thomas
Edgerton, who said, Daniel, does thee
mean to keep thy VOW ?"
He answered, 81 do"
"Thee has promised great many times
that thee would drink no more. What
makes thee think thee will keep thy
vow
81 know, Friend Edgerton, | have of.
ten vowed to drink no more but now
feel different from what | ever felt be
tore-my heart is broken, and | feel my
weakness, and believe Con will help me
this time"
"God grant that it may be so. Dam
iel, get in and take seat Thee must be
hungry come home with me-"
On the way the Quaker drew out of
him all that has been written and he
advised him to 60 to California. He told
him to go to New York, and work his
passage around Cape Horn. He deter
mined to do so. The Quaker furnished
him suitable apparel
"Ihee wants to see thy wife and chill
dren before thee goes"
YES Friend Edgerton, do, but they
have become estranged from me. fl
went perhaps they would not believe
what say. 1t is better that | should
not see them. Indeed it is better that
they should not know where | am. [
want to surprise them as hope to do by
coming back sober man, and with mon.
ey enough to make them comfortable. /
perfer that you and your wife should be
the only persons in the place who should
know where | am, and what | am do.
ing
Thus while riding toward the qaiet farm
house of the Quaker, the whole thing
place, the horse was put in the barn, and
they entered the house. He said as they
took seats before the fire. Amy, thee
may put on another plate; Daniel will stay
with us few days and then he will 60 to
California"
The benevolent Quaker was confident
that Daniel Akin would keep his re.
solve.
AT length when everything was in read
iness the old horse was harnessed, and
before daylight Daniel Akin was on his
way to the railway station He had not
been in the village since the night when
the words {: Not a drop more, Daniel"
were uttered. He was missed from his
customary haunts, but, it was supposed
he had gone off on a spree, and so moth
ing was thought ofhis absence. Ills wife's
father lived in the adjoining town and
some said he had gone there.
No inquiries were made, for all were
rejoiced that he was missing, and cared
not for his return.
lie had been gone somewhat more than
a year when the Quaker was in the store
Of Haskins and remarked that he wished
to hire pasture for the coming season.
Il have got one | will let you have free
OF rent if you will put up the fences on
the place." said Haskins.
"Where is it ?" said the Quaker.
"On the Akin farm"
"lf thee will let it at that rate, thee
must have let it get out of repair"
"lt is so indeed | can not leave the
store to see to it, The house is poor, and
the family that lived in it last were too
shiftless to buy wood, and burnt up all
the rails. had rather sell il than rent
it.
"What will you take for it7'
at cost me some sixteen hundred dol
lars"
"Yes, but thee paid it in goods and
charged thine own price on them
"To be sure | did, Akin could not get
trusted anywhere else, aud felt | was
running great risk in letting him have
goods, and | charged accordingly, Just as
everybody else would under such circum-
stances"
"'Thee has not told me what thee would
take for the place ; will give thee eight
hundred for it, il that is any object to
thee.
Haskins thought long enough to con-
clude that the interest of eight hundred
dollars was far better for him than the
farm, for the use of which he realized
scarcely anything, aud said, You can
have it,"
"Thee can make out the deed to-mor-
row, and thee shall have thy money, By
the way does thee know what has become
Of Daniel Akin"
"No he has not been in the village for
more than year. AT any rate have not
seen him."
We may tell the reader what Haskias
did not know. The Quaker had that day
received letter from Daniel Akin stating
| that ne was at the mines hard nj WORK