St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-03-01

THE STORY OF A "NATERAL BORN"
CHRISTIAN.
Rose Terry Cooke in Sunday Afternoon for March.
.'Say, now, marm! Lemme in. |
amt half so smart's look to be. | kin
do more'n four things to help We, and
I'm kinder onlucky jess now. Mothers
dead, We see, nd"
Here the simple creature blubbered
honestly, and drew his ragged sleeve
across his eyes. Mrs. Ellery relented.
"Well, who be ye, anyhow9 Where
dye come from ?'
"'Ho, Jimmyl Where dye come froml
Flat fish n founders \ where dye come from 2
Pm Jericho jim; come from Jericho
straight Tuesday mOrnin'. No place
for Jim there. Dad broke his neck last
winter, md slipped up, N the sled fixed
him out goin' over him mother she
cried some, but he was dead, anyhow y
and with sort of fnrtive grin on his
thin sallow face, and spark i'll the
hitherto vacant gray eye, Jericho Jim
sent his stick spinning i'll the air and
caught it again dextrously.
"Where be ye goin' TO ?" inquired the
old lady again, resting on her broom
handle, and looking over her spectacles
at the queer creature before her.
''I'm goin' here, marin. They said
suthin' bout the poor-heuse, down to
Jericho; so quit. Poor-houses aih't
clean :" and he gave sidelong glance
into the kitchen, neat as IA lady's par,
lOr, not passing over the clean calico
gown and stainless cap of good Mrs
Ellery.
"That's so; they're dirty holes. Well
you come in and set down. I'll give W
some vittles, and ye can stay till hus
band comes home he'll see to ye."
So Jericho jim was set down to al
abundant supper of beans and biscuit
pie and gingerbread, and plenty of no
tea, and proved beyond doubt that h'
was hungry.
When Dea Ellery came home b,
grOwled little at the new inmate O
his family, more because it was his way
to growl than because he meant it; fo
his keen eye for business discerned il
Jim an inexpensive helper whom hi
increasing years and rheumatism mad,
welcome if not needful. Somebody wa
once overheard by this worthy man tt
ask : 'Why does Dea Ellery alters @,
grumblin' round like an old gObbler p
and the deacon saw fit to answer fo
himself, to the great confusion of tn,
inquirer, who had not seen him coming
"Why, We see, | have ter; SOS to aver
age things. Wife's orful smoothly
cOmf'table as pumpkin in a corn lot
alters a smilin' and chirpin'; md i
stands to reason all m'lasses amt goot
for this world IS got to be some grind
| 7 i ~ ,tI I'll
position of his unconscious heathenism
the deacon gave Il grunt and walked
away. He was better than his words
however, for his heart was warm ant
his head clear, and poor Jericho jim
soon found that his new home was
haven of rest for his weary body, ant
did his very best to reward the shelter
ing goodness that fed and clothed him
and beamed on him like sunshine il
kind looks and words.
81 declare fort" grumbled Dea Ell
lery, "it beats all to see that are felle
work l dono whether he's fool O
not. See him pitchin' into the wood
pile, mothers Well, ye'd say that Their
warnt no better feller to pile wood be
twixt herein Danbury but yesterday
when he was sawin', all of suddel
he stopped short n jumped the fence 4
lay down in the sunshine md kicked hi
heels. 'Jim,' says 1, what be ye stop
PIN for 2 SOS to grow ses he, cooler
a cucumber. Grow p says l. Yes Sc
he. Its reel growin' day; the ain
a heap sech days; sun shinin', bird
singin', wind a blowin' reel soft
mostly we're friz to death in this world
kinder stunted, deacon; 1 want to gro,
whilst l can; there's more'n 40 days i
the wilderness to work We know Wei
if didn't let him 6e 'Tain't no use
talkin' to him when he gets curu
notion like that holt on him."
EThere's somethin' to most o. his nc
tions, that's fact" replied the oil
lady. 81 kinder wonder whether or n
he amt got the right ont, Mr.. EIler,
) Mebbe eff we'd took more sunshine int
us along back, you an me wouldn't hi
} been so dreadful rheumaticky."
''He's queer genius anyhow" mu
. tered the deacon, walking off; but
; was to be observed after this that I'll
old man sat in the south doorway MOI
:, than he ever had done; and that h
wife let in all the sunshine into b,
bedroom and kitchen that the sma
e green-paned windows allowed. If the
were too old to be cured of rheumatisI