Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-05-23

hed owner remarked. and Jim's admiration
was so fervent. Mrs. Pyne could not do
less than reward him with pocket full Of
the glowing fruit. Jim was duly gratihed,
and logged on his way revolving scheme
10 his simple mind which fructified. liter
ally. a. he found himself at Miss Vance's
door. Miss Nancy came out for her pint
OF milk looking unusually benigni some
Of the small items that make up lonely
women's life had been gracious that morn
ing perhaps her bread had risen just right.
or her hens had done their duty in the
matter Of eggs; but however that might
be. she had kindly word for Jim; and he
poured her full pint with . beaming grin.
stop . minnit, won't ye;" he called amer
her. "won't ye jest set down that are
milk. an hold up your apsru: here's some
O. Miss Pyue's amaz!n' apples"
"Widder Pyne's xppl.s7" calculated the
amazed spinster. as she received the GRIM
son spheres into her check apron.
YES! them's the fellers; she sent 'em
along % me. Good day" With which
ambiguous statement, jim whipped up the
old horse aud went along before Miss
Nancy had time to think.
"Wel,! here's nigh onto q merracle"
she exclaimed to herself "widder Pyne's
apples! I've hecred she sot by EN- dread
fully and now she's been an sent 'em to
me. Well. well. well I'D oughter be
ashamed o. myself, that's fact; tis shame
full for church members to keep up . quer-
rel the way we've did; but she's got the
start Of me. that's a fact. l must kinder
show my feelins now, surely.
So the next day Jim was invited to stop
on the way back, and carry Widow Pyne n
basket Of fresh eggs. tor eggs were Miss
Sancy's specially. Imagine Jim's secret
JOY aud Mrs. Pyne's noisy surprise.
''Sent me them eggsg Land o Goshen
she ain't weak In her pibd. Is she. Jim
Must be q ieetlc touched; or else be;
guess she's good cretur, after all done
what on Airth hes allied US two to be alters
= fgh,in', and now she's begun It, guess
l Kin be as neighborly as other folks.
Don't ye 90 by here tomorrow without
getting . pocket-fnll o. spples tor Nancy
Vance. jim. Let's see. I'll put 'em in
the basket" But the second supply of
apples never reached Miss Nancy. jim
had . queer sense II justice. and squir-
rel's love for nuts aud fruits. He had
done a good work with the other apples,
ani lost them, as far as his own delecta.
ton WAS concerned; the others he would
keep for his own eating; and bis very siui.
pleness made up for wisdom, for second
supply OF fruit would certainly have led to
when the two ladies met on the church
steps next Sunday. smiling and beamiog
TO make their mutual Acknowledgements,
there were no questions TO ask or answer.
and they parted In the friendlest fasbion,
to remain firm allies thereafter.
Not far from the Eilery farm there lived
. bsd-tempered, cross-gralned old fellow.
John Dekin by name, who had driven his
boys away from home long ago by dint of
being everything father ought MOTTO be;
and whose wife stayed with him simply
because sue was his wife; fact which Is
OF some virtue TO good women. Now
this man was great stickler for his rights;
he had right TO do asl he liked iu his own
house. no doubt; and the neixLbors agreed
that they had an equal right to keep away
from IT, All but good Mrs. Ellery, whose
great Kind heart could not See q woman
suffer, as she knew Mrs. Dekin must, and
not try TO alleviate her sufferings. She
would 90 there persistently, though she
trembled before the big dog, and qulvered
as the sound Of his masters voice; for IL
was one Of John Dekin's rights" to keep
the iiercest dog aud the crossest bull any
where about Sawyer, Jerieo Jim volun-
teerrd 10 go with Mrs. Ellery when she
paid her visits to the Dekin farm. and as
there never was dog who could withstand
Tige soou became the best OF friends.
'Hullo!" said the farmer one day as he
came suddenly round the corner of the
house. and found jim, who had just es-
corted Mrs. Ellery to the door, sitting on
the step aud foodiing the great bull dog,
who, with watery eyes and soldering
jaws, rested his muxzle on Jim's knee, and
looked up into the thin. kind face above
him. ''Hulio you fellow! look out for
that crittnr; he'll be Into ye nd chew ye
up fore you can wink"
Il guess not" said jim, with one OF his
half. silly, gentle smiles. "He knows real
we'll don't want TO hurt him none; so he
don't keer to hurt me; no more he will,
will ye, Tiger
The dogs stump OF q tail wagged aflec-
tionate answers.
We'll. mebbe hn do with dogs; you
seen TO kinder get round that one; but It
ain't folkes ways" growied the farmer.
"Ain't ittr said jim, looking up iono-
Gently. why, thought folks knew mor-'n
dogsf'
There was no answer I" this; John De-
kin walked away; aud there ran through
his mind, oddly enough, q scrap Of text
he had heard somewhere; perhaps his
mother read 1t to him !; may be he had heard
IL at meeting, though he generally went 10
SiCcp 10 tuy SCIsoul . 0Ok Subt hC
should do this thing7" 1t chung to him
with that curious persistence peculiar to
texts, which defes philosophical explana-
tion; and more than once thereafter modi-
fed some currish act, or silenced some
Erowl, before he fully recognized the in-
visible restraint upon him. Not long AFTER
that violent bull Of Mr.. Dekin's broke into
Deacon Ellery's lot Of winter wheat, just
about two inches high. and made general
mess Of the whole Held, already soaked by
. wet autumn. Jim discovered the Great
ure in full tide OF devastation, browsing on
the tallest spires, and trsmpllng down the
rest into undistinguishsble mud. He sat
down q moment aud considered; then
filled his pockets with potatoes, left 10 the
next lot after diggin. as too small 70 save.
and carefully tossed one over the fence
just before the old bulls nose; the bait
WAS too tempting, the creature nipped 1t
up NJ once, another fell about . foot in
front Of him, then another still further OF,
aud following the fence, which tended to-
ward the barn.yard, Master Taurus, be-
fore he really understood the snare was
beguiied into his own quarters, and the
gate shut fast behind him. Then Jim
hunted up the farmer.
Say. Mr.. Dekin, he'd you just as lives
keep that are splendid ole bull O. your'n
in the barn . spell, till git our iolkses
fence sot up?'
why. what harms he been . doinf
Hain't 9 right to keep . bull in my own
lot, want 70 knoww
''Sartinly, sartinly: but you see the poor
cretur wanted fresh bite, an be kinder
pushed down the fence like. aud got Into
some wheat; SO I guessed Id GIT him out
ont fust-''
How in thunder did ye get him outG
that's the pint"
well, coaxed him 9 lestle; sorter
tOlled him along with . msss O raw pota-
toes rother side the stun wall. l see he
hxnkered after fresh victuals. 10 to speak
" dOnO's blame him."
John Dekin could not help laugh; but
jim went on quietly:
80 ef you'd jest - lives keep him in .
spell. LII hurry up an Ax the fence, and
then be can 70 ont to pastuT agin, least
ways while there b pastur; 'twont last no
great now, that's fact"
Now the fence between the lot was De.
kin'a A he verv well knew and he could