Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-10-20
miscellaneous.
The DeacOn's New Years Gift.
~ MANY LowK pIckIN>o>.

The deacon stood IN hi shirt sleeves be
fore the iIny square mirror IA the front Of
the kitchen elock. He stopped and ~rithcd
and made astonishing faces at h,mseif iu the
hopeless struggle Ia nj the buiton-hoic in
his collar To the button al the back of hls
shirt He dld mot swear. hui the gra, cat.
blinking her ewes dru~ ,lly from her sleep
lng place under the stove suddenly ,u,AAcd
past him INTO the ,.t'in- room and took ref
uge on the .kir, Il Mrs. DcA,un's calico
gown. There we're thuuaeis and Lsh:uug>
parirutous IN the atmosphere and the good
woman looked up from the stocking she "a,
dArnlng barely IN time To escape the storm.
WHY. father What's the trouhle p
Here. let ~, button 1t 81 right dow n
here. and let me liz YOU uf - and the pale
worried Hooking u oman lald her hand eoaA-
lngiy upon IN, arm.
We'll. button 1t. then. # YOU re gong to =
should like to Know If I'm never to have a
button night long a. live. Two women
folks. and nobody 10 take stitch IN my
clothes Where's Mar, She. alWa,s out
VI sight Shrn shes wanted
There Was no fault ~ilh the button or the
hole. bat only with the stiff. ciums, finger,
unused 10 any service 30 small. Bat hi
vIfc did not tell him that the secret Of his
inahllit, TO manage his collar lay in the yer,
fact that all has life "ino women folks" had
done il for him. She only fastened the
neck tie. brushed his hair. aud helped him
on with his ONercoat, SAYING gently. Il pre-
sumo Mary's getting ready 10 20 with YOU.
You know YOU alwar, liked 10 have her 20
10 meeting with YOU on the las, night Of the
year"
Then If she's going, tell her to come
along can't wait for her 10 put on all her
furbelOWs. ! want to stop at Squire Mel
sons about that mortgage. OF course he
means to foreclose"
oh. no ! don't believe it. Gideon. lie
isn'l any such man. and the poor womans
face grew q shade more weary aud white
"bu! you go right along, and Mary will 20
when she Is ready IT. beautiful night,
and I'll walk down with her myself You'll
be there 10 come home with her ?"
..Of course shall. I'll be there if for
nothing else than to keep George Nelson
from coming. He needn't think I'm going
to let the farm aud the girl both 60 into hi.
fathers family"
Now. Gideon, don't talk So You've
been behind on the interest before this, and
believe he will touch the farm
And the Deacon didn't believe it either;
but he didn't get much comfort from thai.
since It did not alter the fact of his not hav-
ing the money due or save him from the
rasplng duty of saving 80 TO the bland old
Squire. And Deacon Frost was the last
man in the world to let his wife be com
forted, if he was uncomfortable himself He
ALWAYS told her the darkest side, and with
an air that made the meek soul feel in some
mysterious way responsible for all his woes.
He looked and acted as if they were her
fault and she had grown used 10 il that
she often acted herself if 1t must be so.
So when he added suikily that If his son
had behaved himself and stayed at home
and helped him, the mortgage would have
been paid of long ago. she only sighed,
but did not venture TO speak good word
for her boy.
As the Deacon, smoOthed and brushed
and grumbling still, passed out, Mary came
into the room just in time To hear the Wig
orous bang her father gave the door; in
time, also. to hear the great futtering sigh.
almost sob, that broke from her mothers
lips.
Father gone ?" asked the girl.
"Yes, dear, and I'll walk down little
way with you," said her mother. STOPPING
to pick up the stocking she was darning,
thus hiding her face from her daughters
questioning ewes.
mo. mother, don't want to 90. | can't
let you go out on such cold night. was
going more because ! thought father would
expect il than for anything else"
perhaps he will not mind" said the
mother, hesitating, Though, as usual, he
was not pleased that | did not GO, and
thought perhaps | ought TO, if it would make
him any happier"
"But il wouldn't, mother dear" said the
young girl hastily, and, throwing aside her
cloak, she drew a low chair to her mothers
side and gently pulled the darning from her
hands, as she went on: al really think the
more we try to please him in every little
thing, the more finding and exaeting he
becomes"
Hush. child.' and the mothers thin
hand passed softly down the girls cheek to
her lips.
Mary captured it in both her own, kissed
it, and answered laughingly:-
'tDon't hush me, mother. I'm not a child
any longer, and see my father as | would
see any other man. The fact is, we have
spoiled him, until his habit Of finding fault
with trihes and holding somebody response
bic for all his discomforts, is almost unen-
durable He isn't conscious of it, and if
tonight at the meeting somebody should
tell him of it, he would be as much sur
prised as anybody"
"And he would pray as earnestly as any
body to be delivered from it," said his wife.
~