Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-04-22

speak to him in her quiet, gentle way, and
he minded her voice like a little child. 1t
was wonderful how many things she made
him do for her that nobody else would "a
thought of irving to make him under
stand. l used to wonder sometimes if
he'd had somebody like her when he was
a little fellow and first lost his mind, if he
mightn't partly have got it back again,
after ALL
'One afternoon | started to 90 down by
the fish-house where Tom Porter d left fish
dryin'. and I'd promised him to see to
'em. went toward where Mr.. Devereux
was standin' bv him. There We're three
or four sprucc-lookin young men talkin'
with them, that had come over that day in
Il yacht from Portland, and Il little ways
off. by the side of the rock, half-sittin' and
half-lyin' in the sun, was Jock. couldn't
hear what the young men were sayin', but
saw they looked ut Jock, and laughed,
and in minute one of them stepped up
to him and give his chin pull, sayin'
somethn' that set them all off again.
was close by them, and a sharp word was
on the end of my tongne, when. some
thing seemed to stop me, and looked at
Mabele. O, ma'am, I'd never seen her
like that SO tall and so terrible! Her
whole body tremblel, her eyes flashed.
and a red spot burned in her cheek. and
then went out in an instant and left her
face like ashes She didn't seem to walk
toward Jock--she went as the wind goes.
She put heI hand on his shoulder and he
gazed up into her face. I'll never forget
that siglt. The same pitiful. daZed look
that knew so well, come over my poor
boys face once more-his hand went slow
ly up to his forehead. It's comin'.' he
said. Comm. she answered., in Il low
voice that rung like Il bell Yes. my
poor brother, Yes, 4 thousand times,
Comm in Gods time Mabelle, Why,
Mabelle, said Mr.. Deyereux, bat she did
not seem to hear. Turnin' half about, she
saw me. Go now with Mrs. Dawson,
Jock she said in her old voice and he
came to me in moment. We walked on
a few steps, and looked around, and SAW
the young men standing still with their
eyes on the ground, and Mr.. DevereuX
leanin' on Mabele's arm, and walkin'
up the hill. Tom Porter and Ben Britton
were masterly disappointed that the
Portland chaps went home next mOrnIn'
instead o stoppin' for a weeks tishin' rs
they'd given out they would. The boys
had allowed to make Il good bit out of
them for odd Jobs, but Mabellc and | kept
our own counsel
Mabelle and her father went home in
November, and little while after Mrs.
Deacon Price told me they had gone TO
France
= The fall of 1910 was hard one for
folks as got their livin' by the sea. One
gale beat close upon another, and more
than one boat from the Island went to
pieces Winter came. at last, and it was
Il comfort to have the mackerel schooners
all in and settle down Il little. Comfort.
leastwise to some. more than to me, for
Zebcdce was away somewhere in the north
seas. and many Il gusty night | used to
lay and never shut my eyes till daybreak.
"Christmus eve came. All the day the
Island had been choked in a cold mist.
Away to the northeast the gray bank OF
fom broke a little rs the sun went down,
and showeda a pile of cloud rs black rs mid
night.
I" Jock'd been ,tayin' with me ever since
summer. He didn't seem like himself
that night so restless and unea>y-lika, and
to see if / co..!,i MT pacify him. | got my
Bible and begun to read Just where il
opened, which happened to he at the eigll-
teenth Psalm. He threw himself down
and listened, but lie had such Il queer, wild
look. that | Shut the Bible after 1 little,
and told him to 20 up stairs to bed. lie
started docile enough but at the chamber
door he stopped 50 long that spoke to
him again:
:" Go on now. Jock-thats my good
boy" He gave such Il start that | was
scared for Il minute. then he put up his
hand and Soid uuitp louI
Its comm. To-nightM
Then lie went up stairs.
Somehow | couldn't go to bed. felt
rs if something was goin to happen. The
very air wasn't natural. Before knew it,
I'd be saying over to myself, Its comm
tonight" T was no use trying to scold
myself out Of my fcein's, and so. at last,
Just Topped down on the lounge with my
clothes on. As laid there, | could bear
the wind risin and the surf pounding OH
the rocks outside of the bar. | heard the
clock strike ten. and eleven. and then
must Il gone into Il heavy sleep. for when
| woke up Ill of a sudden. the last spark
of fire WAS out and the room cold as 4
grave. The candle was burnt down into
the stick, till there was hardly n CLEAN oi
light left. | got up, for was shiverin
L
the floor, felt the old house tremble in
the gale, and the roar of the sea was like
one long roll of thunder. Then. AL tc
once-its dreadful sound, ma am, i'll q
night like that heard gun, and in 4
minute more another, and fell down on
my knees and prayed for the poor wretche>
perishin out there in the storm. ! couldn
bear 10 stay alone, So | put something
around me and ran over through the dark
to Biiah Porter's. They We're all up, and
'Biiah and Tom had just come up from the
shore They couldn't make out anything
they said, and the sea run so that there
was nothin' to do but wait for light.
Toward mornin the wind went down
and with the first streak of dawn we al
went down to the beach. There was
great crowd there already, and after :
good while we could just make out a bic
black thing, lynn partly out of the wate
to the leew;rd..of Pirates Rock. not more
than a quarter of Il mile away.
Poor creeturs. said Bile; they must a
been all dead hours ago
o. So nigh the land, and Christmas day
said Martha lrice. who was standin' clos,
to me. Then she caught my arm, an,
says she, under her breath:
"Ma'am Dawson, dare to say that it
Il cruel thing"
Il couldn't answer her felt like
blasphemer, for twas my own thought sh
had voiced.
"AH of Il sudden | heard II noise benin,
me, like someone runnin', and the GROVE
parted every way | turned around, ant
for an instant, ma'am, | thought the se
had give up the dead it swallowed two am
twenty years agone! Wasn't it Capt.
Williston that stood there, with black eye
frshin' and the salt spray frozen into hi
hair? A dozen women screamed, and oil
Mrs Price fell down like dead.
- Jock" | called out then, for didn'
know what was sayin'-'O Jock. is
Gomez
He didn't answer. l doubt if he hear
or saw me at all. He stood starin' out t
sea with such n face as | never saw o.
mortal man. All to once his voice, tina
used to be so weak like child S, rung ou
strong and clear us IL trumpet, quotin,
some of the texts of Scripture he'd hear
I