Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-10-18
From the Portland Transcl
Wandering Jock.

There were just thousand steps
The teacher had counted them mechan-
ically one night as she walked home
from school. Precisely thousand steps
from the door of the school-house to the
door of her boarding-hou
She had thought it dull walk enough,
at times, but now that her labors here
were ended. and she was to walk it no
more, she stopped under the latticed
porch where the woodbine was crimson
ing, and looked back over it half regret
fully. The little stretch of dusty road,
the covered bridge and the evergreen
bill beyond, with heavy folds of clouds
lit by red sunset light above it, ap-
pealed to her heart and claimed a place
there forever. She had been happy
here, after all, and the homes of the
children she had learned to love lay all
| about her, and were as dear to them as
her own far away home was to her The
red light fiickered through the woodbine
and danced on the little path before her;
lonely musical cow-bell was tinkling
somewhere a flock of late blaekbirds
were holding a consultation in the hazel
bushes below the bridge, and now and
then the wind rose and sighed and died
away again but every thing else was
as still as the red light on her path
She stood so long in contemplation of
the scene that she forgot that it must be
nearly "tea time" in the little house. and
a tuft of scarlet blackberry leaves swing
ing from their briery vine on the stone
work of the bridge, tempted her back
over the way she had just come
There never came ripple or whis-
per from the water under the bridge
1t was always still and smooth and shad-
owy. Tonight, however. the rich sky
tint had crept into its depths, and the
bright boughs bending down to it lent
it sunny color.
She went along in meditative mood,
pluckiLg the purple starwort and fresh
green fringes of yarrow on her way, un-
til the sight of an odd figure standing
at the end of the bridge arrested her at
tention; the figure of a time-worn,
weather-beaten, smiling old man, whom
the children called wandering Jock, gaz-
ing up at printed notice in the gable
''See here :" he cried. when he saw
her. Hear this: All persons travel
ing to South Saltwater will take the
left hand road. below this bridge, and
go round by BlOOmdale, as the lower
bridge is, at present, impossible Do
yon hear that? AH persons; why, that
means me as much as anybody. Yes,
will take the left hand road, and, bless
you, know where that is as well as
know my old hat. I've travelled it, of
and on, for forty years. 1t was kind Of
EN- to put that up, wasn't it p and he
went on, looking at her smilingly, and
never stopping for answer. "Just as !
got along here, before / saw that ere, OF
before l fairly saw it, was thinkin'
Now, PH 90 to South Saltwater to.
night There's an old lady lives there
you see, don't know her name-folks
don't talk to me much, you know, tho
way, TO tell me their names, and So
though I'm talker myself. but she al
rus talks kind O. mother-like. and-wel
Il don't know, great many folks OF
E this river is kind to me-but she and
her whole family have a way with 'em
that when it first begins to grow cold IL
the fall and so, or I'm a little discour
aged, l kind o want to 90 that road
and so this ere was put up to save me
trouble as we'll as the best of EN-" H'
looked at her brightly, but she could
F think of nothing to say. and he went on
"You wouldn't believe, now, that likt
to read, would you? It's very seldom
git hold of anything to read, or git an!
time to read it, if do,-am almost al
rus on the 90, you see, but this is fire.
: readin', anyway" and he went over i
again slowly. aloud.
"You would like to ask me somethin',
he said suddenly, turning upon her witt
a questioning look.
"Yes. l was thinking would like t
ask you if you have any friends nea
you? that is, relatives or"
mo-" be interrupted, his face chang
ing quickly like ehild's, mo, neve
since | was a baby. l wasn't alway
like-well, as | am now-for | was pu
y to school till | was ten. and worke
some; used to be called a smart littl
shaver at a job. But | had a dreadful
sickness about then, and it didn't leav
|" me right. | think grow better thong
. as | grow older" he added hopefully
j 81 used to have some dreadful FOOLS
notions. Once got to thinkin' hO
K poor alrus was, and how much theI
'e was in the world for some. and | plaI
> ned to take little here and lit
" there and so. till got great deal Il
'e gether, and then ] would 60 and be nc
, and enjoy it. you see but after | ha
u gone on so a spell folks began to be sh
- of me. and didn't seem to treat me