Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-07-14
Dark Days.

| urday, II came TO tens and twenties and
every time went up TO the office 1t was all
in shiver like, lest should be one OF
those who were TO be struck off.
You see, II was a particular time just
then, for, after twelve months of anxiety, /
had won race that had been running
with one Dick Green, an old fellow work.
man of mine. You see, we had been both
struck at the same time and same place,
and to speak plainly, trying to win the
same heart. Somehow-I don't know how
1t was, unless she could read how true 1
felt toward her-Lizzie gave her hand 10
me and at the time am talking about
she'd been my busy little wife for six
months.
Dick Green looked rather queer at me
when he came 10 know that we we're mar
ried, and for fortnight he wouldn't speak.
But that wasn't my fault, for was that
happy 1 could have made friends with the
worst enemy I'd ever had in my life.
But being, as 1 said, so happy, didn't
like to see Dick so down in tho mouth. l
was sorry for him, too; for, poor fellow, it
was very hard for him TO lose such prize
as I'd won.
"Lizzie," says, one morning when we
were at breakfast, "Diek Green seems aw-
fully cut up about-you know what; he
don't speak now. What do you say to our
trying TO make it up?"
Lizzie turns very red, and looked bit
confused, as she says, "IIow can we make
itup?"
swell, was thinking, suppose we ask
him up TO dinner Sunday, and then we
could sit and smoke our pipes after, and
talk of old times; but l don't like being
bad friends with an old mate."
81 don't think I'd do that, Harry" she
| says; and her face seemed to he troubled
like.
Nonsense" l says, in my stupid, thick
headed way. "It's all right, little one ; and
let bygones be bygones. 1 shan't think
anything about the past"
And laughed and joked her, and asked
if she thought should be jeaous when
her face grew more troubled, and she said
it was a subject that should not he joked
about.
Next day speaks to Dick, and though
he was bit rough, l wouldn't take any
notice of ii and when at last 1 asked him
to come and have bit of dinner with us,
and said that Lizzie would be glad if he'd
come, and held out my hand, he turned
sharp round, looked me full in the face for
a few moments, and then he said lie would
| come.
Sunday came, and so did Dick Green
but somehow that dinner did not come off
rs nicely as 1 should have liked. almost
| felt cross, for Lizzie was not as I should
have liked her to be; but when we sat
smoking our pipes at the window, gazing
out at the glorious prospect, things seemed
to go little more smoothly.
That did what / wanted, though. Dick
| grew quite friendly, though not in the open
way that l should have liked-but set
that down TO my own disagreeable way of
| looking nj things aud last of all l got to
be sorry that had ever tried TO be friends
| again, for he took to coming much more
often than wished; and I can't say as
| liked finding him there twice when went
| home
The last time, couldn't help it, spoke
| TO Lizzie about 1t when he had gone, and
she laid her little hand on my shoulder,
and said she'd much rather I'd ask him not
to come when l kissed her, aud called
| myself a disagreeable brute for feeling as
I'd done.
might have put a stop to Dicks COM
ing, or might not-I can't say but it was
all put aside by the changes going on in the
works, for the very next week Dick Green
was amongst the batch that was discharged,
and that ended it-for the time.
said that was all in trouble about the
changes going on and trembling lest
should be one of the next; for, you see,
instead Of being well forward, was little
behind. Not that you must think that
was careless, for that wasn't the case. II
was the getting married had made mo
short, for We had been buying furniture,
| and pots, and pans every Saturday night,
| till 1 used 10 wonder how big a van it
would take if we ever had to move.
never told Lizzie word of what was
going on, for says 10 myself what's the
use of max ing her miserable? But at last
all that had expected camel was put
oil, one of the very last, too and on the
Monday morning, when, like from regu-
lar custom, walked around to the works,
1 saw the gates closed, and the whole place
one great black, dreary desert. There was
no kissing OF steam, no whirling of wheels,
nothing but silence, without so much as a
puff OF smoke from the great furnace
shafts. The fires were out-the works were
closed
| l hadn't told Lizzie-I never felt the
heart-all Saturday night and Sunday, and
1 left her that morning singing as blthe as
lark. So 1 hung about till break fast
time, and then went back TO break II 10 her,
and break II did.
Lord bless you, tn ere's nothing like a
good wife TO give man strength" says
"double him directly" And then we laid
our heads together TO fight the world and
amer bit of talk we settled that it would
be pity to break up our little home, and
though we were half art-broken at hav-
ing TO separate, there seemed to be nothin g
else for II. You see, we had a bit of credit
where we were, aud Miss Chadds, our
landlady, was easy, and ii seemed like tax
ing Lizzie away from home and friends /;
so we settled II that she should stay, and
was to go on tramp down to the big towns
northward, and try and get work.
1t never rains but it pours, men say, and
now it was as if the big, black cloud had
come with vengeance, and shivered as
stepped out into our court on as black and
dreary morning as ever made a man mis-
cradle. We'd got 1t oYer-that parting
stairs where the other dodgers could sec
|