The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-04-10

That Country Family Again, an
their NeighbOr Thomas.

their NeighbOr Thomas.
Everything gets pretty thoroughly talked
up, these stormy March days. Neighbor
Thomas was Jubilant over your printing
my com munication about the postage bill,
although he..was evidently surprised TO find
his admiration for auntie, which he sup
posed 10 be concealed like "worm in the
bud" apparently TO the whole family But
he treated the matter as a joke and offered
awkwardly to shaIpen the shears with
which she was laughing away at a patch
for grandpa's frock After he got them
and three cornered file, and seated him
self on the lounge by the south window
he said: 81 say, why don'tIyou write some
thing about the bill for the equalization of
bountcs? The Republican hasn't done it.
self justice on that subject"
"No," said Charlie, chad the space
they have used in denouncing the bill been
given to the impartial examination of its
have been better pleased"
81 am sure" said the school ma am, who
is guided by that paper in all her opinions.
they printed Senator Wilson's letter of
explanation. y
Eyes" continued Charlie, but as | have
explained to you over and over--( l am
growing of the opinion that she is getting
very fond of Charles explanations that
is good as far as it goes, but 1t don't cover
the whole subject. He says not one word
about the men who enlisted out of pure
patriotism, when Mr.. Seward said the war
would not last three months. A very diff
ferent class of men from those who were
drawn in afterwards from lack of business,
for the big bounties or through fear of the
draft, who had no bounties when they en-
listed and those who did not enlist second
time have had nothing since"
That's me-" cried Mr.. Thomas, CLAN
cling up from his work to the kind face
near him for look of sympathy. 81 en-
listed, God knows, from pure sense of
duty"
''What panic there was for time 3"
said auntie, ret1ectively; people almost
expected the privations of our ancestors
during the Revolution to be repeated in the
scarcity of mems labor. How the women
worked out-of-doors
Yes" went on Mr.. Thomas, "my poor
wife had to work so hard all the time | was
away that it broke her down and she died
in consequence; everything went behind
hand with me; it was during her long ILL
ness that / was obliged to mortgage my
farm, and it hasn't been paid to this day.
date all my troubles either directly or in
directly to the war, or to my going into it
at the time | did"
" You are not the only one,' said Char
lie, " to whom this bounty would have
been blessing, although the number this
bill would reach is very much smaller than
has been represented, as any one can see
who stops to consider for moment"
=" | am sure" put in the school-ma'am,
Warrington says the soldiers themselves
don't want the money"
Nonsense !" retorted Charlie, "Warring-
ton only cared to dig his elbow into Will
sons rib; he don't intend to be ill-natured,
but he loves to see people squirm."
Nonsense !! repeated neighbor Thorn
as in his turn, wetting piece of paper in
his mouth and trying the scissors to see if
they would cut. |" If he was a poor man,
who had given up everything for his coun-
try, and had never received any compen-
sation except his paltry thirteen dollars a
month, the subject would present itself to
him in an entirely different light"
There's one thing-you have the salts
faction of feeling that you did your duty,
and have merited your country's graft
tude," said grandma, and few other old
fashioned people who were wrought up by
the war to such pitch that it will last
them through, have forgotten to conect the
sentiment with them.
That's So" said Mr.. Thomas, emphati-
cally, wiping the shears on his coat sleeve
and handing them to auntie with grin
that was almost too much for Hates and
my gravity. "Thats so " and nobody
knows or cares whether we've been paid or
not. Now, I'm the only one in this town
whom that bill would benefit"
''And I'm the only one in this town who
could make out your claim" said Charlie,
land had | been ever so avaricions | could
not have collected lmore than ten dollars
tor it. Congress fixed that long ago, so
the cry about claim agents being greatly
benefited is all myth"
We have great joke on Charlie and
Mr.. Thomas. They had watched the bill
with much interest, because the mortgage
on Mr.. T. s farm becomes due, this spring;
He can't raise the money to pay A, and he
dlslikes to have it renewed, rnd times are
pretty hard with him generally. When the
bill passed both houses, and the news came
In Thursdays paper, he told of it with
tears in his eyes; it seemed to the poor,
perpleXed man, like a gift straight from
Heaven. Friday, you remember, there
was binding snow storm and the mail
didn't get through. Mr.. Thomas came in
in fever about it, but Charlie treasured
him, "Grant will sign the bill" he said
there's not the shadow Of doubt about it,
Why, man, he was soldier himself III
make out your claim,if you'll go home anC
get your discharge paper, so as to have il
sent in among the first. 1t will be abou
three hundred dollars. won't AJAX yOl
anything for my services, and ii will help
you to see your way pretty clear once
more.
So the big officia-looklng document
was all ready for the signatures when The
Saturdays mail arrived with the news OF
the veto. We were all sorry for neighbol
Thomas he was pretty blue for time
and indeed is not quite like himself yet.
Auntie folded up the claim and put 1t W
in the secretary, saying hopefully, dom
be Respondent, you will use this paper yet
feel confident.
" Yes, said grandpa, who hears all side
and opens his mouth once on the subjec
but that is final; "Tbe bill is just one
and 1t must pass, and just as soon as PEG
pie have had time to look at 1t from differ
ent stand points and to understand tn
subject thoroughly, there will be no NOR
opposition. 1t Is never SAFE" looking a
Kate, whose pert speeches and unsoun
reasoning rather disturb the old gentlema
once in while, "to base judgment upol
single newspaper article, without ii is