St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-09-28
The Cramm Well.

1t is doubtful if Mr.. Ben Bates would
defend strikes, or if he were interested
in the pros and cons of such questions ;
but, all the same, he blesSes his stars
that strike occurred on the Grand
Right and Left Railway on Il certain
day that the employees felt imperative
need of an increase of wages that the
managers didn't see it !; and so, whether
or no the end justified the means, it
none the less cOnspired to promote his
happiness. 1t was the afternoon train
out of Hamburg, advertised to reach
Nova Zembla at Gas. Mr.. Bates, being
somewhat of Il stranger in the state,
drawn to Nova Zembla by rumors of oil
wells and fortunes bubbling out of the
earth, was naturally ignorant that the
strikers had publicly given warning
that they should leave their trains at
four o'clock P. NJ, until he overheard Il
gentlemen, leaving at way-station,
say to his friend,
''You had better not attempt to go
tonight, but put up with us; the en-
gineers strike at four P. NJ, you know
''Stlike ~ echoed the typical old lady
with the traditional bandboxes and
bundles to look after. ''I'd like to know
who they're going to strike. Two can
play at that game, reckon. What are
they going to strike for ?"
''For higher wages, marin. If you
calculated to go hey Little Bassett,
you'll have to walk the balance,n vol
unteered Il passenger
me walk Haven't l paid my fare
through? ? Walk, indeed I'll have the
law of 'em first
''But this train won't go through to-
night"
None of your quizzing, young sauce
box Haven't | been over this 'ere
road every year since my hair took tC
falling off, to buy new wig, dating
from the time Eben put the Gabrielle
front to the old house ? And Fve never
knowed them not to git to Nova Fem
bla when they'd oughter-"
But just then the train stopped, anC
so did the old lady. 1t was four O'Clock
exactly.
81 suppose there's an inn at hand p
| asked Mr.. Bates of a native by-stander
whom he found loafing upon the plat
form.
Devil IL bit! Little Bassett's run f,
oil, stranger"
"We're not expected to put up in III
oil well ?"
"YOu might fare worse. There's the
Travellers Haven, but the landlord ht
had it carted off for to bore for oil il
the old cellar; it's on wheels yet, ;
piece up the lane there. Maybe they'd
take you in; dunno"
Mr.. Bates strOlled up the pretty lane
and into the Travellers Haven-whicl
had, perhaps, caught the spirit of CAD
ding from its guests interrupted {
slovenly woman in the act of scolding.
''Didn't tell you, miss, I'd cuff the
ears off your head if you cracked an
other dish Eli How are you going
to pay for it? Who do you supposed
put up with your goings on if | was to
turn you adrift? Nobody in Littl,
Bassett'd give you house-room for ;
; week.
81 am SO sorry," was the soft answer
''I'll he more careful again"
"And high time, too-you that
snatched ont of the almshOuse, so tt
speak, and did for ever since you wa
four. What would you have been bu
for me? And a pretty return yoI
make. a-breaking all the crockery
helter-skelter! Oh! Good-day, sii
! VIII al uCSiuCu NhihSO "
tone. ''Rosy dear, slat yourself, anC
get the gentleman Il roam ready ant
T YOU might wiring the neck of the crop
ple-crown hen while you are about it
/ dare say he's hungry"
eyes," said Rosy. lifting a pair of ap
pealing eyes to the strangers.
''No, no." cried Ben, heroically
''don't kill any thing for me. Tea ano
| i, , For a l. inn ~ If n1inaf
him to add another straw to the bur
dens this detected girl was alread!
carlying-this girl in the garments ant
position of a menial, vet who bore her
self like one of gentle blood.
the landlord, when he came in, ''w'
lie well. Tavern keeping don't pay il
you was thinking of buying, ell ?"
Ben was thinking of it, he explained
;; but Little Bassett had not been his des
tinatiOn.
''Maybe you was guided here b!
Providence"
"Perhaps so," said Ben.
''Pify you hadn't been round montl
ago, afore Deacon Davis parted will
z Ills DldiCt. liz Sou uO"h wv 's'>
n sold out for good figger; but it tuIne'
t out the article handsomely afterwards
e and the deacon's that mad he cOul'
Jump into brambleb bush. But some
times, you see, it's all poor fellow cal
do. to sell out when he amt got capita
to work it. The destruction of tn
n n poor is their poverty so the Scriptu
$ tells u.s."
eyes gn said Ben, his eyes following
;, Rosy on her way from the milking she'
$ with two foaming pals.
> Ben could hardly have told why b
staid on in Little Bassett from day t
- day; whether the neighborhood OF sue
oil as must have burned in Aladdin
d wonderful lamp or the subtle persua
is sions of Landlord Cramm kept hlr
spell bound in the rustic village, wit
it's pretty river trickling to the sea, an
its. back ground of spicy woods, wher
the tinkle of cOw-bells seemed lik
J, music blown from fairy-land. AT leas
he did not put the question to himsel
'r He had been making 4 tour of the Oil