The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1878-07-10

yoke and never found, egg-shells strewed
the NOW, while she family never could
have any eggs for their own use, the
nests being always empty; the great
gray cats tail was singed to baroness,
and her ears shipped, but Uncle Jase
never swore or lost his temper; his
seythe-snath disappeared, but he bor-
rowed another the grindstone was
soaped, the haycutter broken, hoes and
rakes disappeared when wanted, and re-
appeared when useless; his razor was
mislaid and horelessly dulled when he
found it, and a thousand petty annoy
ances heaped on him in vain; he only
said to his wife, "It does beat all,
Phoebe, what's got inter things this
week; seems as if never was so pes
tered. 1t amt in human natur for
things to happar so; somebody's doin'
ont, I feel to bf,Gieye; but declare fort
can't see into Ia mite.
Jack and Dali began to triumph; only
one day more of the week was available,
and Jenison was put on his mettle, and
laid plans accordingly. They had pray
ers always before breakfast, and the
weather was 80 warm and the kitchen so
hot that Jenison set the outer door open
wide this morning, and stepping out,
just as his uncle laid down the Bible,
under pretext of soaring an old hen
away, the boy opened little side gate
into the lot where he had previously
driven the old ram, and laying train of
salt to big lump on the doorstep, re-
treated speedily to the kitchen and knelt
down next to Mr.. Garter, where he had
left his chair. Billy had seen the tin
pan in tensions hand, and knew it
meant salt; he followed the train surely
to the door, and having begun to nibble
the lump heard an earnest and accus-
toned voice near by and looked up into
the kitchen door. Jason was praying
earnestly, and the rest had their eyes
closed and heads bent-all but Jenison,
who was watching Billy from under his
arm. AS he saw the ram look in, he
picked up a short switch from under his
chair, and held it threateningly over his
uncle's back. Billy gave one great leap
across the floor, charged Uncle Jase in
the rear, and sent him sprawling.
"Damn that ram |" he roared, in a
voice of thunder.
Jack and Dan sprang up at once,
drove Billy out and shut the door, but
before they could speak their father was
on his knees again, pouring out such
earnest, humble confession of the sin he
had been betrayed into, such fearful pc
tition for pardon, such heartfelt contri-
tion for a lapse that seemed to him
dreadful, after long years of prayer and
struggle, that hard and bad as Jenison
Wires was, he could not bear it; it was the
turning point of the boys life; he got
up from his knees and confessed the
whole thing to his uncle, and asked his
forgiveness; and the other boys cried
heartily.
Jason Garter never forgot that day:
it was remembered with humility and
thankfulness both; for years after Jeni-
son told him, with deep feeling, that he
had learned then and there to respect
religion, and that is the first step toward
desiring and obtaining it.
Jenison never claimed his bet, but
when he went home gave Dan his knife
for remembrance; and years after Dea-
con Jason Corter was dead and gone, his
step-son recalled with affection, reyer-
ence and amusement mingled, the only
oath they ever heard him speak, and
how it was brought about by tensions
bet Rose Terry Cooke, in Sunday
afternoon.