The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-04-17

able. But Uneie Liphalel couldn't talk ;
50 be picked his way down the ioy steps,
graped his way homo through the snow
storm and ratified bis back door SIS sig
ual to Aunt Dolly to let him iu.
Are sou frozen Liphaleit asked Auut
Dolly ia terror %, the eaujle-ligbt struck
The while face.
+ Uncle LiphaIc, staggered in. aud sink
Ing on the lounge covered his face with
bis wIiukIeJ hands,
/ q, Dolly,
i You needn't tell me, Liphalet. know
what Ills. I've felt twas coming, But
20, Iiphalet we've helped each other
/ through hard times ifty year. aud we've
got each other, yet
Uucle Liph only groaued.
Maybe the farm'll last rs through
we're almost worn out, and it won't be
! long that wen be waiting. With the
+ farm and each other
/ 0. Dolly, Dolly, You don't know the
worst, and can't tell YOU. never eau
/ tell you, Dolly, never Uncle Liph
staggard part way across the room, then
turned suddenly
They're going to take il all, Dolly
everything, strip Us clean, clean as We
were when we began fifty years ago, ,--
house and farm and cows, everything
! There's been great carelessness as well as
great wrong; wrong aud carelessuess and
wrong from the very beginning, aud
now they're coming. The law'll Jet EN-
aud it's got TO go-the back paslur and
/ the wood lot, and the Young orchard, and
everything even Rube's grave, Dolly
Q God havn't | served Thee these fifty
years; why shonldst Thou east me or
now?
The gray, sefaggy face, with the gray,
straggly hair around it, was turned to-
ward the ceiling. Amt Dolly went out
into the night.
1t was stormy, and cold, aud bitter
The sleet cut against her cheek, the wind
raved in her hair and the snow drifted at
her feet, but Aunt Dolly didn't mind IT,
She only wanted air aud TO think. She
leaned up against the weather-browncd
clapboards. Was il really going, going,
going, all going? She couldn't think the
wind alone whistled over and over in
her brain-going, going. She looked Off
through the storm TO the dimly-ontlined
maple beneath which lay Rube's grave. 49,
That, too, was going.
Heart and brain together grew numb ;
muscles, inyoluntarIy acting, carried
Aunt Dolly into the house. The voice of
an automaton said;
It's time we had prayers, father.
The hands of a second automaton OPP
ened the old book. A strained voice be-
gan;
The Lord is my shepherd; shall
not
The two automatons fell on their knees
with tears, broken sobs, and half articu-
lations, and were automatons no longer
Uncle 'Liphalet went to no more
meetings.
III fix the back door, Dolly, but don't
know anything whose hand'll swing it,,
said he.
As for the Native Village Manufactur-
ing Company, il was boat loaded with
stone to the waters edge, Poor, deceiv-
ed and disheartened though they were,
never did men strain muscle harder than
those who sought to tighten her; but over
the side the water came in. and she went
| down.
! Then up from the East and West and
North and South came creditors, seeking
! their Just dues, none doubted, but seem
/ ing oftentimes to the gnarled and hard
working debtors like the fat kline come up
anew 10 deyom' the lean. Aunt Dolly
and Uncle 'Liphalet waited patiently for
/ the one 10 whom they were apportioHcd.
! lie was not greedy; he allowed his prey
/ to lie iatteniug until the Leaf buds sweled
I Oh the iiacs. Meanwhile, what agonies
/ Aunt Dolly underwent can not be des
cribed w hat must the crab feel in see
ing the stork stradde along the shore aud
gobble mp bis fellows, and knowing not
whether his turn shall come now or
whcnS
! Aunt Doly's ideal creditor was an iron
nan, .tee-tipped aud brass-bonnd: when
( therefore, the real creditor one early
/ April morning swung back the little
! picket gate and stopped 10 ,niG at the H.
lac buds, she closed her eyes as she would
have done in the hands Of the execution
er. She went, though, aud let him ia as
IL lac had come unto his own aud his re-
/ ceived him.
/ Then she sat down with her sock-knit.
ing beside Uncle 'Liphalct Uncle 'Liph
shook worse, and bis hair and face were
whittier than when Swiuton called three
before.
The creditor talkcd pleasantly: so had
his predecessor. All businessmen
were 10 Aunt Dolly of the Artford SWIM.
ton type.
The creditor opened the subject gently
know the law gives it to y0n, sir; bat
lis bard hard bringing ms mind 20 r.
said lhe hoarse voice Of uHcIe Liph eom.
ing over iu6m ip- Here's where Dol
ly and me came when $50 was first mar
rlct. There Wa. "a heavy mortgage of
tbs farm; bat wc said ge'a work our
selves clear, aud we did sir. We'd say
ed up something for Kabe's cddgcati0n
but Rube died sud ihe money. gone fhs
farms going, aud we're going ! DOM
t.fa,a geEgg. u.etfn oufft.f