Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-07-10
aAi9trllanu.
,JenisOn's Bet.

When the willow COe uldIIleu OdS'u
Carter she brought him no money at all: (:
onlya small. stony farm in Nuppit, that
had been her fathers, and two wind boys
Of ten and twelve years growth. Jack
and Dan were hard suhj"cts for step
father to rule, and Jason Carter found his
hands full. Naturally he was quiet
gentle, but yet persistent man; in his
youth he had run away to sea, and for
fifteen wears had been Il common sailor.
which had pretty well Knocked the qniel
ont of and Ihe patience INFO him. In this
time he had learned TO swear, as matter
If course, though he had been strictly
brought up, and went to church and Sun
av school ALWAYS. His mother would
have cried hei eyes out TO hear him talk In
this fashion, but she never did; his father
would have used the rod, but lie also was
spared the trouble, for both father and
mother died before Jason came back; anu
when he found they were gone he never
vpnt back to Tolland, but after he go
tired Of SEA going touk to pcddling notions
,hou, the country, and AT last married the
widow Coe and settled down in NOppit.
He had stopped swearing long ago;
for under dear old Father raylor preach
inr he lad been converted between hi
Two has, VOYAGES, and though profanity
hid become i habit with him, he had con
ourred il ut last, after years of patient
tndeavor, and now was 50 gen'le an"
pleasant, and pious, that PhGbe 20
thought her last days would be her bes
days.
lie h,d come TO know the widow Cot
from being ;tn old shlpmate OF her broth
er John Wires; who had also lett srn
farine because he had injured II knee, ana
because too lame 10 climb rigging; so h,
set up Il small shop in b sIon, where liz
,olI toblccu, twiue, ami other odds IN,
ends: but he had been married and hat
one son, called Jenison. THIS boy was
ab ut the age of widow Goes younges
son, for her brother had married soon after
she dld, while he was still II sailor; an,
when Jason Carer began the pedLin2
business, John " Tres had told him to stop
when he went through Scranton and see
his SISTER. The children were small and
their father living. when Jason fist SAW
them, and they learned 10 look for III Gle
Jlse' every spring and fall with delight,
for nc always brouSh them marbles, tops,
candy, strings, and made them bows and
ki es, sure passports to Il boys heart 30
wien their poor drunken father died anu
the widuw found herself without IL penny.
81 G moved over to Noppit to live with her
father; and when he died too, leaving hel
ali lie had, the farm from which he had
scratched scanty living, and she found
herself alone and helpless. she listened
iavo ably to Jason Carter's proposal, tol
he was as tired of his wandering Lille H.
l. Il ri..,t M
The boys wele glad, tor they loved him,
and they never had loved lhelr father
and Jason was as good to them as ii they
were his own, though certain thrill ol
emotion shook him when his baby daugh
ter came, that never had troubled thai
Worn old heart in any emergency OF Jarb
o. Dan. But then, Celia was girl; o
course III 1t made it d ff.rent! Jason
when cUupaIeu with his predecessor, wa,
AS mild and pleasant about the house us I
spring day alter Il stormy winter lie be-
came useful and prominent member il
the Noppi, church, and never was heart
to utter Il prof me OF impatient word. Jacl
and Dan loved INN as mucn us healthy
hoys ever love anything but mischief AM
meals, and Phoebe was entirely happy.
True. they were poor; Jason has II few
hundred doll rs lald by. but the Noppi
farm was too sterile to produce crop
enough TO support the family, 50 he lli'
out his little capital, or part OF it, in
good breed of sheep which found abund
ant living among mulens, hard-hack an'
hurklebrrry bushes, and proved IN du'
time II profitable investment. For IL
those days. dogs, the curse Of New Eng
land, were by no means common IN lh
country; there was no reason Tor keeping
them, aud farmers had money nnd nutoI
instead of hyurophubia and horrors. lh
wool sold we'll always and kept the tImll.
in stockings, ior Jason wife could spll
and Knit with wonderful rapldny; liz
lambs he had no room 10 raise were Sch
TO Hartford and sold to The butchers, AM
now and hen fat old wether went to til
meat-man's cart in lhe shape of julc..
quarters Bul the glory of The flock Wi.
a big black faced ram, who terrific Il MA
raudlng boys and int udinS vagabond=
ana asked no he ter fun than 10 SEN
S,luebudy heels over bead whenever b
hal chance. Jack and Dan had biouSl
hu up from lalnOhood, out lie WAS II
longer lamb, and Of his palnstakn
education only one trait stayed by mn
distinct and angry recollection OF III
rod that h;ld not been spared on his earl
and somewhat stupid Youth. 10 The dt
OF Bulys death little stick shaken befor
auNlmuv, would send hIm " hc;td on" !
the mckirss Object; and the boys olle
amused themselves by climbing the PIN
r,l lcnce and dangling IL small swltc
full in Billy S sight against IL big post; Ii
result was sudLen and severe tu Bully, III
lie might have seriously injured himself
DADDY. AS the BOYS called Jason, had NJ
tounu Aeul at this work and strictly 10
bldoep II. Cruelty to animals WAS one
TIE lew things that loused his choler III
made INN imperative.
One summer Mis-. Carter received "a lie
ter from her brother ,,,klng her to take h
boy ior few months; his wife was
feeble lhat >ne WAS guIng home to h
Ia hers with Iir baby ana young chiI
anu Jcul,un co4h not 90 with her Il
want ol room. Mir. Wires did not wa
him III the city with him. AZ II boardIn
house, ru. wa. wiling to pay his bo'rn
NoppN; 80 he came.
4 -hti