The daily gazette., 1880-04-15
. piece o. yer nose, and reckon you
don't want to spare a slice o. that"
With these and such-like speeches Joe

don't want to spare a slice o. that"
With these and such-like speeches Joe
enlivened his patient, introducing par
enthetically such hearty bursts of laugh
that my uncle speedily recovered him
II; but bis increasing strength only in
tsnsified my uncle's desire to get clear
away before the miller and his wife re-
turned. As first step in this direction
he emerged from the blankets in which,
barring has head, he had been envel-
oped, and with thr assistance of Joe as
his valet, he dressed In the garments
which that worthy supplied. There was
nothing remarkable about these, with
the exception of smock-frock of snowy
whiteness which extended to my uncle's
feet. ii
But here arose difficulty. Joe being
left in charge Of the premis s, could not
leave until his masters return. Every
argument which his ingenuity supplied
TO detain his patient, and every protest
against my uncle's injustice in believing
the miller's wife capable Of aught but
sympathy, fell upon my uncle's ears
t'like water on ducks back" Finding
that he could place the pot in position
which enabled him to see his feet, and
consequently the path bit by bit along
which he had to travel, besides being
able TO raise the plaguy apparatus suffi-
ciently to enable him to breathe; and
seeing that Joe could not accompany
him as guide and protector, he deter
mined to make the attempt to reach the
village alone. Being naturally anxious
TO avoid, as far as possible, the public
gaze, all thought OF taking the turnpike
road was abandoned, though he need
not have been under such apprehension,
for who among the many returning from
the fair would be likely to recognize in
that strange figure Farmer Bloomfield
of Stanley Court! ....
Hon. Hester Clymer it to be married
this week to Mrs. Clemens, beautiful
widow of of st. Louis. Senator McDon-
aid also is soon TO marry widow, who
Is described as of remarkable beauty.
Barren Elcho, in the Peerage of the
United Kingdom, whose death at the
age of eighty four was announced yester-
day by cable but afterwards discredited,
held other rank In the Scotch Peerage
of a very ancient foundation. He was
Earl Of March, Earl of Wemyss, Wis
count Heebles, and Baron Douglas, and
was descended from Macduff, who was
first Earl of Fife in the eleventh CEN
tury.
Indeed his objection to this route
might have been overcome but for his
dread of meeting the miller and his wife.
whose he thought-might possibly
recognize the garb which enveloped
him, and would naturally feel un-
pleasantly ipquisitvie about the person
within 1t. Yet walk of three miles
through meadows and across q common
after seven o'clock on September even
ing, under such circumstances, appeared
well nigh as possible for q blind man.
Anything, however, appeared preferable
to the disclosure he so much dreaded;
and so, trusting to his circumscribed
vinon, he departed with slow and
steady steps along the old familiar path,
, determined, by q happy thought, to
make his way to the village blacksmith,
I whose ingenuity he had no doubt would
speedily remove the incumbrance.
For some time all went well, and the
| antlquary's progress, though slow, was
| sure. But what with the sultriness OF
the evening, the defective ventilation
inside the pot, and the weight of that At
other times useful article, my uncle was
compelled to sink to the ground in a
faint, just as he had reached q shallow
brook, over which he had to pass; and
there he lay until consciousness return
ed. How long he had been IN this posi-
ZION he did not know; but he soon be-
eape painfully aware OF the fact thai
the shades Of night had closed around
him. Nor was his anxiety diminished
as a thunderstorm burst over his head.
Heavy clouds overspread the sky, and
deepened the darkness; so that when my
uncle rose to his feet, he found the path
completely hidden from his view.
In SO helpless condition, what won
der that hs wandered from the fsmiliar
track To add TO his discomfort the
rain came down in torrents; while the
lightning, flashing around him, filled
him with new terror. Still he con-
tinued to trudge his weary way; and at
length he heard the faint butt welcome
sounds which came from the anvil of
the village blacksmith. Sweeter music
he had never heard. He listened io-
tently to the sound as 1t was drafted
across the gloomy common, ana with
his ears as q pilot, walked on, cheered
by the fact tha. every step brought him
nearer TO the man who would rem ove
the LOAD from his head-and heart.
The smithy was reached, and con-
sulration took place as the best means
of effecting release; and nothing ap
peared so practicable as to place the
from hammer. to shatter 1t into frag-
ments. A hazardous proceeding, but
desperate Ills require desperate reme-
dies. 1t was therefore not without fore
bodings of evil that my uncle placed
the pot as directed. Dow came the |
blow; and my uncle stood erect, hap |
pier and a wiserman. The kind hearted |
and faithful Joe lived long in my uncle's |
service as farm-bailiff, and never |
wanted friend as long as the old gen.
tleman lived; and in repeating these ex- |
traordInary proceedings to eager listen |
ers. he would assure them that che |
kernel"