Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-07-05
DARK DAYS.

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On nnsi that i.i
DARK Days.
.1Atr tnr H'rp rs''.
There was a time when, in our trade, there
came regular storm not q rainy day or
two buta regular down-pour and from half
dozens being discharged on Saturdays, it
came To- tens and twenties and every time
went mp TO the office it was all in a shiyer
Ike, lest should be- one of those who were
to be- struck OFF.
You SEQ. 1t was a particular time just
then, for, after twelve months Of anxiety, !
had won o race that | had been running
with one Dick Green, an old fellow-work-
man Of mine. lou see we had been both
struck at the same time and same place, and,
to speak plainly, trying to win the same
heart somehow don't know how it was
unless She could read how true felt toward
her-lilzie gave her hand TO 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 were married,
and for fortnight he wouldn't speak. But
that wasn't my fault, for was that happy
could have made friends with the worst
tNtNiN ! u fNti lhit lu UN ne
But being, as | said, so happy, didn't
like to see Dick 50 down in the mouth. |
was sorry for him, too for, poor fellow, it
was very hard for him to lose such prize
as Ia won
" Lizzie" | says, one morning when we
were at breakfast, " Dick 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 up2"
Lizzie turns very red, and looked bit
confused, as She says, " How can we make
it mp ?"
"Wel, | was thinking. suppose we ask
him up TO dinner ON Sunday, and then we
could sit and smoke our pipes after, and talk
OF old times but | don't like being bad
friends with an old mate
e" don't think I'd do that, Harry" She
says and her face seemed TO be troubled
like
Nonsense | says, in my stupid, thicle-
headed way. "lts all right, little onei and
let bygones be bygoues. | shant think any
thing about the past"
And laughed and ioked her, and asked
il she thought should be jealous; when
her face grew more troubled, and she said il
was a subject that should not be ioked about.
Next day speaks to Dick, aud though he
was bit rough, | wouldn't take any notice
of it and when at last asked him to come
and have bit Of dinner with us, and said
that Lizzie would bc glad if he'd come, and
held ont my hand, he turned sharp round
looked me full in the face for few mo-
ments, and then said he would come.
Sunday came and so did Dick Green but
somehow that dinner did not come off as
nicely as should have liked. ! almost felt
cross, for Lizzie was not rs ! 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 60 q lit
tie more smoothly.
That did what | wanted, though Dick
grew quite friendly. though not in the open
way that | should have liked hut | set
that down to my own disagreeabe way of
1 looking at things and last of all, got TO
I be sorry that had ever tried to he friends
again, for he took to coming much more
| often than wished aud can't say as /
| liked finding him there twice when | went
home.
The last time, couldn't help it, spoke
/ 10 Lizzie about it when he had gone, and she
I laid her little hand ON my shoulder. and
said she'd much rather I'd ask him not to
come when | kissed her, and called myself
u
might have put stop to Dicks coming,
or might not cant 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 discharged, and that
ended t-for the time.
said that was all in trouble about the
changes going on aud trembling lest should
be one Of the next; io-, you see, instead OF
being well forward, was little behind
Not that you must think | was careless, foi
that wasn't the case II was the getting
married had made me short for we had been
buying furniture and pots and pans every
Saturday night, till used to wonder how big
a van it would take il ever we had 10 move
| never told Lizzie a word of what wa,
going on, for | says to myself what's the us,
Of making her miserable z But at last nj
that had expected came--l was put of, on,
of the very last, too and on the Monda,
morning, when, like from regular custom,
walked around TO the works, | saw the gate
closed, and the whole place one great black
dreary desert. There was no kissing o
steam, no whiring OF wheels, nothing bu
silence, without so much as puff OF smoke
from the great furnace shafts. The fire
were out-the works were closed
hadn't told Lizlie-l never felt the hear
all Saturday night aud Sunday, and | lef
her that morning singing as blitle as a lark
So | hung about till breakfast time, an,
then went back 10 break it to her, and breal
it did.
"Lord bless you, there's nothing like 4
good wife TO give man strength says
" double him directly" And then we lai,
our heads together TO fight the world ant
after bit Of talk we settled that it woulG
be pity to break up our little home ano
though we were half heartbroken at having
TO separate, there seemed to be nothing els
for il. You see, we had bit Of credi
where we were, and Miss Chadds, our land
lady was easy, and it seemed like takinl
Lizzie away from home aud friends; so W.
settled it that she should stay, aud was I,
go on tramp down to the big towns north
ward, and try and get work.
II never rains but it pours, men say, an'
now it was as if the big, black cloud Ina,
come with a vengeance, and ! shivered AS
stepped ont into our court on as black an,
drcary a morning as ever made man mis-
cradle. We'd got il oyer-that parting; 70
, wouldn't let her come out upon the stair
where the other dodgers could see her, an,
my head seemed filled with the picture o
her sitting of a heap-like upon the floor an,
was obliged, whenSl tore myself away, T.
take her poor arms from around my neol
aud run away.
II there's any Que thing that will take th'
respect out OF a man who is willing, il i
tramping from town 10 town in search o
work. Aud after all, perhaps no wonder
for one gets into queer, low way, especially
If mans situated as | was, trembling fol
every penny spent, as thought OF hel
sitting aud waiting at home for the gooc
news that as weeks passed on could mol
send.
Home There that word aud the thoughts
of what was there kept me ug at many d
despairing time, when, after thirty, forty, OF
fifty miles tramp ! came almost pennies
10 town. 10 get the same old answer.
II was the old iale-no work and at last
half mad with disappointment, turned my
steps homeward.
I had not had the heart to write foI
weeks, and at times hadn't even the penny
to pay for the stamp, because | wanted II