Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-09-10

doors with her father, Tor Mr.. Devereux,
when he did nj choose TO 60 out on the water,
would have great chair carried down 10
the shore, and sit there In the sun. Ma
belle would ramble up and down the beach,
or climb about among the rocks, coming
round every little while 10 see IL her father
wanted anything. Jock got by degrees to
followin' her for all the world as he used
TO his mother, before she died. Some girls
wouldn't have wanted the great foolish fell
low around, or would even have been
afraid of him, maybe, but II wasn't so with
Mabele. She used TO speak to him in her
quiet, gentle way, and he minded her voice
| like little child. II was wonderful how
many things she made him do for her that
nobody else would "a thought of trying to
make him understand. l used TO wonder
sometimes If he'd had somebody like her
when he was little fellow and first lost
his mind, If he mighten't partly have got it
back again, after all.
zone afternoon l started TO go down by
| the fish house that Tom Porter'd left there
dryin', and I'd promised him TO see 10.
went toward where Mr.. Devereux was sit
tin in his chair, aud Mabelle standin' by
him, There were three or four spruce
| lookin young men talkin' with them, that
| had come over that day in the yacht from
Portland, and little ways off, by the side
of rock half. sitlin' and half lynn in the
sun, was Jock. 1 couldn't hear what the
young men were sayin' but saw they
looked at Jock, and laughed, and in min
ute one of them stepped up TO him and
gave his chin pull, sayin' somethin' that
set them all Off again. was close by them,
and sharp word was on the end OF my
tongue, when something seemed TO stop
me, and looked at Mabelle. o, maam,
I'd never seen her like that So tall and so
| terrible! Her whole body trembled, her
eyes flashed, and 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 towards Jock-she went as the wind
goes. She put her hand over his shoulder,
and he gazed up into her face. I'll never
! forget that sight. The same pitifui, dazed
look that knew so well, come over my
poor boys face once more-his hand went
slowly up to his forehead. It's comm! !!
he said. Comm? she answered, in low
voice that rung like bell, Yes, my poor
brother! Yes, "a thousand times Comm
in Gods time 'Mabelle! Why Mabeller =
said Mr.. Devereux, but she did not seem 10
hear. Turnin' half about, she saw me.
go now with Mis-. Dawson, Jock = she
said in her old voice, and he came 10 me in
a moment. We walked on a few steps,
and l looked around, and saw the young
men standin' still with their eyes on the
| ground, and Mr.. Devereux leanin' on Ma
bellies arm, and walkin' slowly up The hill.
To m Porter and Ben Britton were MASTER
ly disappointed that the Portland chaps
went home next mornin' instead o. stayin'
for a weeks fishn' as they'd given out
they would. The boys had allowed TO make
good bit out of them for odd jobs, but
Mabelle and / kept our own council.
''Mabelle and her father went home in
November, aud little while alter, Mis-.
Deacon Price told me they had gone to
France.
"The fall OF 1870 was hard one for folks
as got their livin' by the sea. One gale beat
close upon another, aud more than ono
boat from the island went TO pieces. Win
ter came, at last, and it was a comfort 10
have the maekerel schooners all in, and
settle down little. Comfort, leastwise TO
some, more than 10 me, for Zebedee was
away somewhere in the north seas, and
many gusty night used to lay aud new
er shut my eyes till day break.
"Christmas Eve came. All day the is
land had been choked in cold mist. Away
10 the northeast the gray bank of fog broke
n lfttla ba Il,
pile of clouds black as midnight.
"Jock'd been stayin' with me ever since
summer. He didn't seem like himself that
night, SO restless and uneasy-like, and TO
see if couldn't pacify him, got my BIZ
BILE and begun to read just where it opened,
which happened TO be at the eighteenth
Psalm. He threw him self down and lis
tened, but he had such queer, wild look,
that shut the Ri BILE after little, and told
him 10 go upstairs TO bed. He started do
cile enough, but at the chamber door he
stopped so long that spoke 10 him again
"'Go on, now, Jock, that's my good boy
He gave such start that was scared for
a minute, then he put up his hand, and said,
quite loud,
ats comm Tonight
"Then he went up stairs"
"Somehow l couldn't go TO bed. felt as
If somethin was goin' TO happen. The very
air wasn't natural. Before i knew it, I'd
be saying over 10 myself, IT'S comin'-to-
nightp Twas no use tryin' to scold my
self out of my ieelin's, and so, at last, just
Topped down on the lounge with my clothes
on. AS 1 laid there, could hear the wind
risin' and the surf pound on The rocks, out
side oI the bar. 1 heard the clock strike
ten, aud eleven, and then must "a gone
into heavy sleep, for when 1 woke up all
of a sudden, the last spark of fire was out
aud the room cold as grave. The candle
was burnt down into the stick, till there
was hardly geam of light lett. got up,
for was shiyerin' like an ague-chill, and
as l walked across the floor, / felt the old
house tremble in the gale, and the roar of
the sea was like one long roll of thunder.
Then all TO onee-it's a dreadful sound,
ma'am, in night like that-I heard gun,
and in a minute mere, another, aud 1 fell
down on my knees and prayed for the poor
wretches perishin' out there in the storm.
couldn't bear to stay alone, so 1 put some
thing around me and ran over through the
dark 10 'Bijah Porter's. They were all up,
aud 'Bijah and Tom had just come up from
the shore. They couldn't make out any
thing they said, and the sea run so that
there was nothin' to do but wait for light.
Towards morpin' the wind went down,