Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-04-11

from the father came far kitterer words
! curses in all but the wording, for Freedom
was a professor" and profanity was sin
Mint and anise and cumln he tthed scru
pulously. but mercy and judgment fec
from him and hid their shamefaced heads
Aunt Huldah and Aunt Hannah made theii
tansy pudding that day after the custom ol
their forefathers, and ate 1t with unflnch.
ing countenauces, but Iowly tasted In her
secret soul and since her husband grimly
remarked. ""rain't nothing to me what We
call her, gals Amt worth namin' anyhow ~
the new baby was baptized Marah. and be.
haved herself neither with the uproarious
misconduct Of Shearjashub nor the gentle
sweetness OF Love. but, quite in defiance OF
her name, was the merriest, maddest little
erig that could be. afraid OF nothing and
nobody but as submissive to Lovey as a
lamb could be, and full Of fight when
Shcariashub intruded himself on her do
mains. For this baby was sturdy rosy
girl of three before the fourth appeared.
Lowly by this time had fallen into listess
carclessuess toward her husband that was
simply the want Of all spring in long
down-trodden heart. Lovey alone could
stir her to tears or smiles Marah tired and
tormented her with her restlessness and
overlooking vitality, though she loved her
dearly; and her boy was big enough now
to cling a little to mother" and reward
her for her faithful patience and care; but
Lovey was the darling of her secret heart.
and being now five years old the little
maid waited on mother like a cherub or a
saint. ran OF errands. wound yarn. and did
many slight task In the kitchen that saved
Lowly's bent and weary fingers.
IL was with an important rage beyond
hat hiffh Of
another daughter; frall, tiny creature
trembling and weak as a new born lamb In
a snow-drift, but for that very reason rous-
ing airesh In Lowley's breast the eternal
floods OF motherloye. the only love that
never fails among all earthly passions, the
only patience that Is never weary, the sole
true and abiding trust for the helpless
creatures who come into life as waits from
the great misty ocean, to hnd shelter or
n grave. Lowly was not only a mother ac-
cording to the fesh.-for there are those
whose maternity goes no further. and there
are childless women who have the mother
illness that could suffice for countless
brood. but she had too the real heart; she
clung 10 her weakling with a fervor and
assertion that dsgusted Freedom and as
founded Aunt ITuldah, who, like the old
Scoth woman smiled at the idea OF children
In heaven; No, no; hantle o weans
there an me that could never abide BARNS
onywhere, I'll no believe it
1t does beat all Hammer. to see her take
to that skinny, mIserble little crittur! The
Others was Kind o. likely, al, on EN-, but
this Is The dreldfullest weakly, preked
thing | ever sec. should think she'd be
sick on't.''
expect mothers-any way them that's
real motherlv, Huldy-thinks the most Of
them that needs il the most I've seen
women with children quite spell now,
bein' out nussin' round, an | alters notice
that the sicklv ones gets the most lovin'
an cuddlln'. | S'poSe its the same Kind o
feelln' the Lord hez for sinners; they want
him sight more'n the righteous do"
WHY. Hammer Wheeler, what he you a
thinkin' Of Where's your catechism' Amt
all men BY mater under the wrath an cuss
o God cause they be fallen sinners? and
berf y9a yab,1 3e ,S SqmakIn' out he likes EN- bet
Well Huldy, warn't a-thinking' OF cate
chi-m, was a-ihinkin' about what it scz in
the Bible "
Here the new baby cried, and Aunt Hull
dah, confouuded but uncOnvinced, gave a
loud .niir and carried off ~hearjashub and
Marah to the red house, where their fights
and roars and general insuborlination soon
restored her faith In the catcchisms.
Iowly got up very slowly from little
Phrbe's birth, and Freedom grumbled
loud and long over the expense of keeping
Hepsy month 10 the kitchen, but his wife
did not care now; dumb and sudden en-
durauce possessed her; she prayed night
aud morning with a certain monomaniac
persistence that she and Iovey aud the
baby might die, but she did her work Just
a Ia Silanflr
away at night TO lie down on the little cot
bed in the back chamber by Lovey and
Marah. her hot cheek against the cool soft
face Of her darling, and the little hand hid
deep in her bosom for an hour of rest and
sad peace
Freedom. ,neanwhile worked all day on
the farm. and carried Shearjashub, whose
oppressive name had lapsed into Bah into
wood aud field with him; taugh him to
drive the oxen, to hunt hens nests In the
barn on the highest NOW, to climb trees. in
short, to risk his neck however he could
TO make a man of him;" and the boy
learned among other manly ways sublime
contempt for gals" and a use of all the
forcible words permitted to masculine
tongues. But Sheariashub's spectre was
about to tremble; little Phpbe had fingered
in This world through a year of flutter'ng
but this time it was boy small even %
rhpbe's first size, pallid. lifele,- ,lnost
but still boy.
BY .Iink-, exclaimed Freedom. his
hard face glowing with pleasure; Il told
ye 50, Aun, Hubby, there's bound to be a
Freedom Wheeler IN this house whether or
no.
Him. said Aunt IIuldah, ''vou call to
mind old Hepsy Tinker. don't ye? she that
wa. a-goin' to Hartford a Tuesday. Provi-
dence pernittin'. an Wednesday whether
or no Mabbe ven live to wish We hadn't
ii with the Lords will the way ye hev"
1--we cot a boy, anyhow" was the grim
exuitant answer And he'll be Freedom
Wheeler afore night, for I'm agoin to fetch
the parson right off"
Strenuousy did Parson Pitcher object to
private baptism; but he WAS an old man
now and Freedom threatened that he would
go TO Hartford aud fetch the Episcopal
minister if Par-oa Pitcher refused. aud the
old doctor knew he was quite sure to keep
his word so, with a grOan at the stiff neck
ed brother. he got out his cloak and hat
and rode home with victorious Freedom TO
lhe farm house. Here the punch bowl was
made ready on a stand in the parlor, and a
fire kndled on the hearth. for it was a
cbillN apfll CAV, anu IFDm Tue bptu upOf
into Lewiy's bedroom the waiting day -old
baby was brought and given into its father 5
arms mere scrid and atom OF humanity
but a boy.
The rite was over. the long prayer said
and Freedom strobe into the chamber to
lay his namesake beside its mother; but as
he stopped, the child quivered suddenly all
over, gasped opened its half shut eyes
glazed with fatal film, AID then closed
the pallid violet-shadowed lids forever.
The next entry in the family Bible was,-
Freedom, born April llth; died same
day"
well he hain't got nobody but the Lord
to quearel with this boutl" snapped Aunt
Huldah. Hes had his way, nd now see
what come oD't,''
Lowly got up after the fashion of her
kind. without a murmur; she felt her baby s
death, she mourned her loss. she was sorry
for Freedom. She had loved him once.
dearly; and if she had known it. Freedom
loved her as much as he could anything
hut himself, but it was not his way TO show
affection even to his boy; as much of it a.
ever came to the surface was rough Ca
ress offered now and then to Lowiy. s
usage that had died out, and died with nc