The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-10-03

terr, uiA oae-hAM Of his BODY deaol ana
wondered bow be eoald bear - much /
uaisary.
Why doesn', be make them tbrow him
Ia the bog and make an end Of Il ask
ed. don't see bow = man can endure 70
tv = dead weight on others for 50 many
years.
Wsil and you will see, said my AuBi.
After supper went 10 The kitchen,
from whence came loud shouts OF laugh
ter. kits coffin was placed near the hre,
and q square box which be carried under
bis head was open before him. lie was
distributing, aud al once, bis jokes and
cares for burns, tooghAehe, corns, more
serious diseases patterns for ehildren's
clothes, receipts for puddings, every kind
Of useful scraps Of Information, Ia
word, which could be carried In bis head
or his boz.
] stood there listening 10 hin, aud, boy
! as was, noticed the remarkable tsct and
homely kindness which be showed under
, all bis fun. lie turned bis bright ,shrewd
eyes on me presently.
You see, young gentleman, cant fol-
low profession or trade, 50 hAve TO
take up the odds aud ends, which nobody
else attends to, to make myself nseiul.
, Ny uncle told me that Kit bad acquired
much skill in the cure Of simple ailments,
and that with bis odds aud ends he WAS
in fact one Of The most useful men IN the
country.
The storm increased, aud Kit remained
!. all night. lie was carried In front OF the
0 kitchen fire, the straw Of his bed renew
ed, aud warm coyerels spread over the
{ coffin.
NY own chamber was over the kitchen.
. There were cracks 10 the log flooring
/ through which could look down, and
: through which, too, ruddy flashes OF FIRE
a light came up chcerfully.
/ After the house was all quiet, Patsy,
the innocent, came iuto the Kitchen, and
!, throwing down a blanket on the warm
!. hearth near to Kit, curled upon it like a
d dog.
b The neighborhood OF the queer pair
5 made me restless, suppose, for ! could
b not sleep. | heard the clock 10 the hall
strike midnight, and then O'Clock. Then
u a mu flied sound struck my ear, very DIFF.
o ferent from the noises Of the storm. II
!. was the drawing back Of u heavy bar
0 FROM the onler door.
@ Probably Dennis, the shepherd, Is going
out to look after the lambs, thought aud
!, turned over to sleep. But the next mo-
J. ment rose uneasily, and crept to the
window. Through the gray storm with
Z. out could see that The road aud yard
y were filed with dark figures, stealthiiy
e surrounding the house. l understood al
u at a glance.
10 The wear had been one OF great suffer
iug-amost OF famine --the bands OF des
9, perate men bad attacked several OF che
Ir farmhonses 10 that part of the country
which they had plundered, and then 90
AZ on fire. These desperate men were stii
at large II was asserted that they wer'
Or peasants, heretofore decent and homes
I men. Whoever they might be, 1t wa
certain that, as soon as caught, the.
a would swing for II.
| shook with terror. knew that IN!
uncle had large sum Of money in hi
ID chamber just received for cattle, ant
doubtless these men knew II, too. ssv
,is that there were enough Of them 10 over
nj power the men in the house, even II the
or were awake and armed.
ed My room was separated by a long COZ
Ter ridor from my uncle's. ] CROPPED for th
is door, my teeth chAttering with cold,whe
the freight flashing up below showed m
se a sight that held me motionless.
IN. They were already 10 the house. Th
a kitchen was full of sturdy fellows, d
"a. armed, their friezc coats covered wit
u. snow aud their faces swathed With blac
o. cloth.
), The kitchen was separated from lf
house by long passage. They made
:. effort TO keep quiet, therefore, bat bega
y to drag out The provisions, talking loud
!, aud in their natural voices. As yet The
u. had not seen Kit or Patsy, The idiot Ia
4 sound asleep on Tue warm hearth, o'
u. Kit had raised his head, aud his kee
- pale fee turned quickly from one TO a
other as they spoke.
They'll murder himl thonght, but II
=, lips were glued together with terror. IL
"a helpless as dead man, was cool al
calm.
Be jabers, said Que, we'lI hev somethi
!" TO ate, before we 60 fur the ould man
money! didn't know how near stary'
'Oe / was sfore, but the sight Of this ma
makes me sick
one Ye're fool, Pat Grady. Their
enough silver 10 his chest to kape as ioi
year. IIowly Motherl what's this'
ln- another fash OF freligh showed
ar eofflu.
md I'm here, Michael Crawford, said X
est quietly. Irs you is 1t that carries on Il
work.
.oln How dare ye call me name3 buster
J. the rnfiian, changing bis voice. I'm
.rty Crawford, he added with q terrible oai
know you. And you, Pat Grat
zen Aud you, Robert Flynn. There's not G
o. you couldn't name, aud bring TO
on gallows tomorrow.
O'Grady sprang st him With > smo
Irry cred yell, brandishing knife.
go. kits face turned gbastiy pale! II
aud / suppose, was a. dear TO this poor fr
the men, OF man az II is to you or me.