Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-08-12
JENISON'S BET.

When the widow Coe married Jason
Carter she brought him no money at all;
ONLY small, stony farm in NoPpit, that
had been her fathers and two wild boys
of ten and twelve wears growth. Jack
and Dan were hard subjects for a step
father TO rule. and Jason Garter found his
hands fun. Naturally he was d quiet.
gentle. persistent man; in his youth he
ran away 20 sea. and Tor fifteen years he
had been a common sailor, which had
pretty we'll knocked the quiet ont of and
the persistence into him In this time
he had learned 20 swear, Is "a matter OF
course. though he had been strictly
brought up, and went to church and Sun
dav school always His father would
have used the rod, but he also was spared
the trouble. for both father and mother
had died before Jason came back, and
when he had found they were gone he
never went back 70 Tol!and, but after he
got tired of Sca-going took-to peddlng
notions about the country and at last
married the widow Coe and settled down
in Noppit.
He had stopped swearing long ago for
under dear old Father Taylor teaching
he had been converted between his last
two VOYAGES and though profanity had
become a habit with him, he had con-
quered it at last, after years Of patient
endeayor. and now was 50 gentle, and
pleasant, and pious, that Phebe Coe
thought her last days would be her best
DAYS.
He had come 20 know the widow COe
from being an old shipmate of her brother,
John Wires: who had also left seafaring
because he had injured a knee, and be-
cause too lame to climb rigging; 50 he
set UP q small shop in Boston, where he
sold tobacco, twine, and other odds and
ends. but he had been married and had
one son, called Jenison. This boy was
about the age of widow Goes youngest
son, for her brother had married soon
after she did. and when Jason Carter be-
gan the peddling business, John Wires
had told him 10 stop when he went
through Scranton and see his sister. The
children were small and their father living
when Jason first saw them, and they
| learned 10 look for Uncle JaSe' every
spring and fall with delight, for he al
WAYS brought them marbles, tops, candy,
| strings. and made them bows and kites,
sure passports to boys heart. So when
their poor drunken father died and the
widow found herself without a penny,
she moved over to Noppit to live with
her father, and when he died, too, leaving
all he had, the farm from which he
scratched d scanty living, and she found
herself alone and helpless, she listened
fayorably to Jason Carters proposal, for
he was as tired of his wandering life as
she was Of her loneliness, and married
him. The boys were glad, for they loved
him, as they had never loved their own
father, and Jason was Is good 70 them as
if they were his own, though certain
thrill of emotion shook him when his
baby daughter came, that never had
troubled that worn old heart in any emer-
geucy OF Jack and Dan. But then Celia
was a girl; OF course that made II
\ different,
Jason, when compared with his prede-
/ ,.s>ar. wa, as As mild AID pleasant round
f the a3a,e a spglng day alter stormy
winter. He became useful and promi-
nent member in the NOppit church, and