Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-04-18

Sech as she has to have q lot of discipline
to fetch 'em into the kingdom"
Don't seem to be no use to Freedom,
'hictions don't. Hammer. Sometimes. l de-
clare for 7, have my doubts ef he ever
got religion. anyhow"
Why, Huldy Wheeler" Aunt Ham
hans eyes glowed with mild wrath; nd
he's been professor nigh on to thirty
year. How can ye talk so? I'm clean over.
come"
"Well. l can't help it. There's some
things stand TO reason, II they be sperltooal
things, nd one on 'em Is that ef man s
born again he's a new cretur. You're pow.
erful on Bible texts. so won't sling no
catechism at you this time, but there Is
suthin somewhere, long In some O. the
'Pistles. about love. joy, peace, gentleness.
goodness. meekness.' nd so on, for quite .
spell; and If that cap fits Freedom, why.
I'm free TO say don't see IT,
"Weil, IIuldy. We must make allow
anccs; We see he's dreadful disappointed"
That's so! you'd better believe he don't
say the Lords prayer 90 more n Marah !;
or ef he does, 1t goes My will be done;' he
har't learnt how 10 spell 1t t'other way"
! Aunt Hannah sighed she was getting old
now. aud Freedom was as dear to her as
an only child-wayward and wilfu though
IL be-tO loving mother; but she rested
| her heart on its lifelong comfort, merci-
| fal presence that was her daily strength,
| and hoped FOR the best, TOR some future
time, even II she did not live to see it, when
this stubborn heart Of her boys should be-
| come flesh and his soul accept divine
| Master, with strong and submissive faith.
Poor Aunt Hannah she had shed count
I less tears and uttered countless prayers to
this end but as yet In vain. Next year
| only brought fresh evaporation To Free
| dom Ia the birth OF a daughter as cross
noisy and dsagreeahle as she was unwel-
come. He flung out OF the house and went
20 plonghing the ten-acre lot, though the
! frost was only out of the surface he broke
his share. goaded his oxen till even those
patient beasts rebellcd, and AZ last lefs the
plough In the furrow and took a last years
colt, out 10 train. Melinda escaped q great
deal through that poor colt. for what he
dared not pour on her offending in the way
OF reviling, he safely hurled at the wild
creature he found so restive In harness;
! and many Kick and blow taught the brute
no. superior being man Is, particularly
when he Is out OF temper.
Keep that brat out OF my sight, Aunt
Hauuah." was his first greeting to the
child. Don't fetch 1t around here; its
nothiu' but noosance.
Auat Hannah reirsated in dismay. but
sue ubFtI not ht1l "iIO-t IasNibu
tor hne sounding names was nightly graf
ilied at the opportunity TO select girls
appcllation before she issued from her
sick room she made up her mind to call
thi, child Chimera Una Vida.
Dear reader. give me no credit tor imag-
ination here These are actual names,
registered on church records and tomb
stones; with sundry others OF the Ike
sort. such a. Secreils, Lucille. Iorlla. AL
lorilia, Lue, Plumy, Antha, Loruhama, Lo-
I phelia, Bethursda, aud host more. But
| IL mattercd little To Freedom; the child
might have any name or no name, "A: far As
he cared; it was A naughty baby, and
| rent the air with cries OF temper IN
manner that was truly hereditary.
II never see such piece In all my day,
| asbEavitsyD Became an active principle under
! this dIspensation. Il declare for II. HUI
/ dy, You can hear her scream way over
/ here
well. b'lieve 1t. Hanuer; the winders
| Is wide open, and we aln't but just actost
. the road; | guess you could hear her
good mile. an she keeps It up the whole
enduriu' time. Makes me think OF them
cheubms the Revelations tells about. that
continuously do cry; only she amt cryin'
Tor praise"
Il expect she'd cry for suthln besides
crossness ef she knew how her pa feels
about her; it's awful, Iluldy 1t is awful 10
see him look at the child once in a while.
''She knows II In her bones, tell ye.-
Talk about 'risinal sin, | guess she won't
want no sin more 'riglnal than whats come
pooty straight from him. She's jest an.
other OF 'em, now tell ye."
| But Melinda was equal to the situation
whether she picked up the last maple twig
[ hrnnnhf in - fh..c
or pulled the stif wooden busk from her
maternal bosom, or "ketched of her
shoe" or even descended upon that chub-
BY form with her own hard hand and pun
gently reversed the magnetic currents,
as they say in Boston, those currents were
reversed so often that il might have been u
matter of doubt hicL way they originally
ran AFTER year or two, But the old
Adam was strong, and when Chmera-no
chimera la them, but dreadful reality
was sent over TO stay awhile at the red
house. the aunts were at their wits ends.
aud I.ovey both tired and tormented.
This time--for ChiTera's visit TO the
aunts was occasioned by the immediate
prospect Of another 5aby-Aunt Hannah
was not able 10 take care OF Meiindy: the
dear old woman was getting old; a"shock.
anum palsy" as Aunt Hudah called 4
slight paralytic stroke, had given her warn
ing; her head shook perpetually, and her
hands trembled; she could still do IA litrle
work about the house. but her falling body
was weary with the perpetual motion. and
she knew life was near its end tor her. SO
she sent to Dorset Centre for the village
nurse. a fat, gocd-nstured creature, and
one morning. early, boy-a rosy, sturdy.
big boy-appeared on the stage.
Now Freedom eXulted; he strobe over
the rcd hnn,p IN Tell the '.EAci
Aunt Hammer. I've got him now; a real
sumner, too. You won't ste no tricks
played now, tell yer, By jing-. Im
goin' of for Parson Pitcher quichern
lghrnin. III bet We Melindy won't git
ahead o me this time; that le-tle ieiler II
be Freedom Wheeler in two hours time,
sure's ye live
"Providence permitting" put in Aunt
Hannah softly. as II to avert the omen of
this loud and presumptuous rejoicing; but
soft as the prayer was. Freedom heard it,
and ss he opened the door turned on his
heel and answered, whether or no. this
time"
Aunt Hannah lay back IN her chair, ut-
teriy shocked; this was rank blasphemy
In her ears; she did not remember the H.
Illustrative story Aunt HuIdah told Freedom
on time long past gone about certain
old woman's intention to 90 to Hartford or
she might perhaps have been less hsrrihed.
Still. il was bad enough, for II the words
were tightly spoken the spirit within the
man accorded fully with his tone, and new
er was keener triumph rampant in any
coLqueror's heart than in this rough. self
wiIled farmers as he drove his horse, full
| tilt, down the long hills and up the sharp
sscents that lay between him and the par
sonage. But Parson Pitcher had been
called up higher than Freedom Wheeler's
/ That very morning he had fallen asleep In
his bed, weak and wasted with a long in
| huenza. and being almost ninety years old
the sleep Of weakness had slipped quietly
into the deeper calm Of death. sa.
| He had for year past been obliged to
have q colleague. so Freedom hunted the
yoang man up at his boarding place. and
took him Instead; little aggrieved, in
deed, for long custom made Parson Pitch
er seem the only valid authority for reig-
iOus observances Of this kind, and years
afier he ceased to preach the little children
were always brought TO him for baptism