The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-02-20
Harry's Pint or, Threepencc u Day.
CHAPTER |.

Harry was hostler at the "Green Man
Inn.
1t was quiet, drinking place, where
two or three blear.cyod topers hiccough-
ed over their beer and their politics in the
morning, and from which somo half.dozen
tipplers ramblcd home each evening. In
the yard, the fowls strutted and pecked
at the straws; the old dog summed him
self and snapped at the flies; and two
days in the week the clothes were
stretched full sail, from the old beam OF
the cow-shed across to the iron ring by
the stable door. Once a week the "Green
Man." and all belonging to it, woke up.
1T was market-day that was the making
Of the place." all the landlords declared
in succession. The assertion was general.
Iy accepted, but there were two or three
who doubted it. Poor old Kitham shook
his pauper head, and his blue, pauper
pose, and wiped his eye with his grey
pauper sleeve, when he remembered what
he had been, for the beadle called him
Squire" still, and thought that he had
drunk enough there, to be the "making
of the place" But that on that day the
"Green Man" woke up was plain enough.
Carts and gigs crowded AL the yard.
Horses were tied up in closest relation
ship, and fastened under any bit Of cover.
Big farmers with great mufilers and red
faces, stout, husky pig-jobbers, tight leg.
ged "hosiery men--all went in to the bar
to take something 'for the good of the
house" as they called it, and sometimes
their self-denying charity was excessive.
Such was Harry's place. Through all
the seven days Of the week it was much
the same, only Sunday was rather a
sleopier species Of the same class. "Sun.
day School had been heard of, but no
one had attempted to explain the name
in Harry's place. Neither "Maister'
nor "Missus" could fnd time for service,
much less could those who were in their
service. How ever they got to church
to be married, or to have tho baby chris.
tened, had been a mystery to them ever
since.
Harry himself was good, steady man;
quiet, obliging, industrious nobody had
word to say against him. His wife and
children at home had all that he could
get for them by rising early aud working
late, except threepence every day that he
spent "for the good of the house" "a
.,int-neither more nor less day"-thii
vas Harry's allowance, all the yeal
round.
Things had gone on thus for som,
years, till one day Harry sat at home, fol
a few minutes after dinner. His chll
rested on his hands, his elbows were prop
ped up by his knees, and he looked hare
iuto the fire. His tidy wife was busy
clearing away the dinner things his boy
and girl were getting ready for school
and in corner pussy was crunchinl
bones. He was evidently thinking hard
The children's Goodbye, father" di'
not break up his reverie. The dinner
things were cleared. Pussy returned t.
snooze before the fire. The husk
clock whirred as if it were a pulmonar
clearance, and then struck two.
"Wcll I'll do it," cried Harry, jump
ing up, and taking down his hat from tn
peg.
What's that you're going to DO p
asked the wife, from tho back kitchen, q
she cattcred the dishes.
Sign the temperance pledge" sal
Harry.
Tho wife laughed good-humoredly
"Why, what's that for7 | wish nobod
took more than you do" and her curio,
ity led her into the kitchen to Goish tn
operation of wiping tho plates. "Be
sides, who ever heard of total abstaine
at public house, You can't be one i
your place"
Harry was a man of few words, an
when he spoke, spoke slowly, and in
way that did not much impress what h
said; so his wife did not notice that, @
he went out, no muttercd-
"Woll he is poor critter that can
keep his own promise to his own self.
Besides, in the middle Of the sentence, h
had opened the door, and had got fou
PAGES from IT before he had hoished th
last word
Yet Ii was sentence worth hearing
Tho drunkard, who has paused in ii
way of destruction, aud then is hnrrie
like slave, through his broken rctolr
tions, to serve more abjectly, moro az
cursedly, his tyrant, drink the wretch
ed mar or woman who turns again fror
. pure promises aud fair dreams. lure
back to tho foul ways Of life. nay ,
death-the pcnitont who turns hopeful,
earnestly determined for better thing
might have givon worlds for the resoul
way,the iron strength, with which Harry
soul ielt and said He IL a poor critic
that cannot keep his oten promise 10 h
Osrn self"