The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-01-04

saplings by the roadside, while his wife
scrambled out as best she might over the
tloundering wheels But by the time the
man succeeded, Fylers horse had been SC
demonstrative that the wagon wheels were
twisted and locked together. the wagon
body tilted up to a dangerous degree, anC
the old man rolled down to the other side
and half out, where he hung helpless. tieC
by the knee, sick with the pain of his
wren ched leg and unable to stir: but still
he yelled for help,
Can you hold this plaguy horses head
Anne said the traveller. Il never car
right the wheels while he plunges anG
rears like that
IN try was the quiet response; anc
being a woman of courage and weight
she hung on to the bride, though Jerry
made frantic efforts to lift her Oft the
ground and stand on his hind-legs, till the
wagon was righted, the groaning old mar
replaced, his story told, and he ready once
more to shake the rens, which still were
grasped in his hard hands
But you amt going on alone in this
dark p asked the astonished traveller,
Yes | be, yes | be-sartin / shall git
on well enough ef don't meet nobody
md guess shan't'
But you met us
Well, it's a-groWin' later md later
there won be many more folks out to-
night; they ginerly knows enough to stay
to hum arter dark out our way With
which parthian remark he chirped to Jerry
and trottea away, withouta word OF thanks
OF Enowledgment, aching and groanlng
and muttering to himself, 'Darncd fool
what'd he want to be a-Eitn' round in a
narrer road this time O night? Fixed me
out, | guess; bat III get hum, anyhow.
Git up Jerry :
And Jerry got up to such a purpose
that about twelve O'Clock that night, 4
loud shouting ut the front door reused
Phebe and her mother, and they were
forced to call in a couple OF men from the
next neighbor's at least quarter OF a
mile away, to get the old man into the
house, undres&ed, and put to bed.
As might have been expected, fever set
in; but he fought that with 'Fyler grit
Aud though 4 fever is Il force Of itself,
there is a certain wiltul vitality in some
people and strength Of will that exert
wonderful influence over physical mala-
dies and after Il few days of pain and dis
comfort and anger with himself and every
body else the old man grew more COM
Portable, and proceeded to rule his family
as usual. BY dint Of questioning the daily
visitors who always flock about the victim
Of an accident in a country village, he
had kept himself posted as to Tom Pot
ter's absence; but its limit was drawing
to an end now. and he took alarm. He
had not imagined that Tom might be as
| o11 aA bis ~ tbat
than one note had passed through the post
office already between the young couple.
Nor did he know that the post-mistress
was a warm friend Of Toms; for he had
rescued her only child from the threaten
ing horns Of his fathers Ayrshire bull,
when little Fanny had venturcd to cross
the pasture lot after Strawberries, and her
red shawl attracted that ill-conditioned
| quadruped's notice and aroused his wrath.
But as soon as Reuben Fyler ceased to
need doses from the drug store and ice
from the tavern, Phebe was kept within
range of his eye and ear. Still, she knew
Tom was at home now, and evening after
evening his cherry whistle passed through
the window as he sauntered by--a signal
to Phebe to get outside if she could but
| she never could.
! However, Potter faculty was at worll
for her. When the county paper was sent
over from the post-olliee by u small boy.
he had directions from Aunty Leland to
give it at once into phebe's hand, and no.
| body else'S' So he waited about till Phebe
| opened the kitchen door TO sweep out the
dust, and gave it to her with a significant
Wink-not that he knew what his wink
signiicd at all, but, with the true qanlt21
instinct he gathered an idea from widow
| leland'S special instruction that some
thin wuz to pay, as he expressed it to
himself.
And Phebe, as she hastened in from the
door to carry the paper to her fathers bed
side, she perceived on the margin, in a
well-known handwriting, these words,
Look out for lambs AS she hung up
her broom, she tore off the inscription and
tossed it into the fire; and then, while she
patiently went through the gossip. poll
tics religion, and weekly story of the
Slabtown News, exercised herself mighti-
" as to what that mystic sentence might
darkness of the June evening set in did
She find n clew 20 the mystery.
Old Fyler had q lew pure, blood Merino
sheep on his farm that were the very APP
pie of his eye. Not that he had evel
bought such expensive commodities; but
wealthy farmer in the next town owned
| q small flock some years before. which the
New Engand nuisance of dogs ut last
succeeded in Staying OF scattering. In
some panic OF the sort, one had escaped tC
the woods, and, after long straying. been
found by Fyler, with a newborn par OF
lambs beside her. N a wood on the limit
of Pasco township, where he was cutting
his winter supply. OF course this windfal
was too valuable to be neglected. The hay
brought for .Icrry's dinner was made int
a soft bed, and, with the help Of an Irish
man, who was chopping also, the SHEEP
and her family lifted into the wagon and
taken home. Pasco was not infested with
dogs; only two or three could be num-
bered in the village. And after the old
sheep was wonted to her quarters little
cosseted, and made ut home, she was
turned into Il lot with the cows. And woe
betide any dog that mtruded among the
beautiful Ayrshires So the sheep increas
ed year after year, carefully sheltered in
cold weather, rs became their high breed
ing, till now between thirty and forty
ranged the sweet short pastures Of the
Fyer farm, and their fleeces were the
wonder and admiration of all the town.
Late that night-late, | mean, for Pas
co, for the oldtashioned nine o'clock bel
had but Just rung, though Mrs. Fyler had
gone to bed up stairs an hour ago, and
Phebe was Just spreading an extempore
bed on the lounge in the kitchen, to be
where her father might call her in case o.
need-a piteous bleat, Enthusiastically the
bleat of lamb in some kind of distress
was heard outside. The old man started
up from his pillow.
'What'n thunder's that, Phebe?'
Sounds some like lamb
Sounds like a lamb! Anybody'd think
you was durn fool. 'Tis lamb, tel
ye. One O them leetle creturs hez strayed
away out O. the paddock 'xpect boys
hez ben in there a-foolin' round cause I'm
laid up abed. Lordy! [ wish to the lane
| could smash that ere engine. Go long
out, gal, md see to it. It'll stray a mile