Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-05-05
The Stained Window

CHAPTER XIX

=
Mr.. Amcs' voluntary surrender Of himself
and confession nf hls crime, startled most
/ persons iu Fairville ~ much as the news of
his disgrace and flight had surprised them
| the day before. The bank did not prosecute
/ him, since he restored the money; but he
was conscious Of great change in the bear
! ing VI his friends and acquantances toward
| him. With the exception Of Simon Byttes
| there was coldness orevident constraint IN the
I conduct of them all Whenever they net him
/ IL Is u hard case" he said TO himself
! bitterly, that | should get less respect now,
while trying to do right, than year ago
| when ! was wast.deep IN villalny," And
/ during the long, long years that followed,
/ there Wa burnt into his soul the truth that
the greatest injury done by the commission
OF crime is the blow thereby given to the
confidence in supposed integrity, The great
I majority # hia aaquaintances had only seen
the surface of his character; but they had
| gained from his kind manners and general
/ fidelity to business high opinion Of him.
/ But now all Of them, from the old crone who
had troubled him 10 select for her at the
citya calico gown, No ways like what these
! giddy gals wear" TO Judge barley, who had
voted for him to be treasurer Of the orphan
asylum, viewed him with evident distrust.
lie had only the oauntenance uf his God ;
and although that was his present salvation
aud hope, yet he had not learned how it
might save him from constant struggle.
The old habit of hesitation remained with
hun, aud although grace did a genuine work
in bis heart and life, yet the scars of past
wrong-doing marred his Christian character.
How different the ease with Simon Byttes :
lie had entered completely bath into the joy
and work Of his Lord twenty-five years ago,
aud his subsequent course was but a
triumphal journey toward the New Jerusa-
lem. From being the outcast boy of the
village lac rose 10 be the leader Of the young
people in every improving and Christian EN-
terprise, and the efficient ally Of the "pillars
OF the church." lie was now, at forty years
of age, decidedly the first man in the county,
not even excepting Judge barley, who was
more learned and equally respected, but who
lacked aggressive power to make his IN
tiuence felt, II any measure of puhllo I'm
pOrtanoe, which needed the cooperation OF
the foremost citizens, was to be undertaken,
while the Judge was asked for advice, aud
stephen barley was engaged to " start the
| thing" with his profuse enthusiasm, Mr.
| Byttes was always relied upon TO do the
] steady, hard work Mr.. Ames had hitherto
been consulted on such occasions, not be
cause he actually gave ihuch direct assist
ance, but because his prominent position
secured for him degree of deferepce whlcl
| personal cIninence did not command. Bu
| he had now lost botl, position and character
/ in the eyes OF his neighbors, aud it was not
strange that he groaned in spirit as he sat by
the grave of dead opportunities.
Fairville was at this time passing through
a very critical period of its history. 1t had
been quiet New England village, with an
intelligent, Homogeneous population but the
introduction of manufactures had given rise
TO a new element. The operatives, who came
from abroad, were for the most part ignorant
of everything except the routine of their
work, aud in moral standing were far below
the native residents. They were joined in
their labors by quite a number Of the podrer
young people OF the town, who had more
education OF the common school sort, but no
greater strength of character than their inn
migrant co-laborers. This class Of opera
tives increased with the growth of the town,
and bads fair, at the time We now write of,
to outnumbcr the original inhabitants. The
character of the tawn had changed. The
Streets formerly deserted at night, were often
noisy. Men who had been carousing in bar
rooms, and wapen wha, without home,
were glad TO spend their evenings anywhere
but IN the small rooms Of the factory houses,
7 filled the halls where cheap entertainment
was offered, aud on their way TO and fro in
dulged in loud laughter and coarse talk, to
the disgust of the more orderly citizens.
Strange to say, although IT is in strict CON
fonnity with perverse human nature, the
older and better uo,t of the Fairyille ponnla-
tion did nothing 10 raise This new class fnn
iis sociol dacradation but simnlv rrumbled
! aTbev are n miserable set u i a low.lived
comnsn," :, vnlgar and beatbenish"
were tho ver1icts constantly passed mon
/ tLono l,' the ,yeII'tn-Io farmers and necl,an.
/ ics ~ he olJ Nav ENGLAND nattern Mothers
,bo,,eLt ,Le, bad dome their ybola Jutv
vhen tbev lad CHARGED their children IL
! .I,a,, 80, frnu, factory folLs ubo .ra
s,aroaal,, A, - t;,," Eurlcvsrs ILL., Cts,han
l',.ol ,l,.,,,'la ,is os .t,i -,
! roSro,s;l ,iI;t. ,,b.n ,h.v h.,5 najJ ,.,a,,a.
r,,I,nntl,, 1hs thras cl,rgvrnan of tha to9.n
pa,',ai,tsSi p,a,as,i,o. Nh ds,o,no;,r, g.
tLai. Iii o,aJ a,J .al i,st,,ctoJ oo,,,,ra,,o
,;, ~ ~ ,ii, aoa',,,,,',,,,, ,,a,.,,
;l'',rano ;aaa s" , anI IN ."md.scp"d,a ~ dso,h''
- ~
s'o'' ,i ~ Wv ~ "
.'s "'G - ~ "',e L',.' '''''u
,et H. 49, -, al,,r.i, had inst ,a,,,od a,,
,i,; ns 0'e n1 ha ,'a" "a T., ast xtso
l'n'n,svrr ii ",u "' w. n"I ,;1 nGm ~ "os i'i. .it,"
olu'la'y y ss'''s a.. e oe'uI'a tI :" 'r"n'"s s
ths sosPpl !" unI Poo'' ~ ,,,'' NJ ~ ~ i''o, "
uo,hS soon Wi'no1s Ia..lai,sy' te auNo
en'eu aggressiEs ,;i.,, InIis',an,'y Ahn m ~,
lle"cn'lig a"u nis Nisi',hs I"',ng uia nrs
sA months, no" ooiipieee"' nau s~A''Ve' ~
lnucn opiIsi'ipIa pi "ha sIinea ,or h,.'i Ion''
support lie haa brought na'tes 10 hea'
1y proposing wneh olhefs were moving .
build a new ana costly churc'i edihce, U
spend tle money N eniarging the presel
structure ana Ia proVldihg ior asysteih o.
iree seats lie ~ouid ais9 nave MS wealthy
congregation pu. up puliulhg 70 oe ussu a
a general resort ior an Glasses place wher'
fielI ana poor snouiu meet 'ogelher' anu hhc
books social en'erta'nlnsnl, in9ocen, alnuse @