Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-09-14
How Jerry Saved the Mills.

the heavy rain and the strong south wind
which had swept the town since early
dawn still continued with undminished
fury. The gale shrieked as it tore about
the corners and lashed the faces of the few
hurrying foot passengers; while the driv-
ing rain penetrated everywhere, drench-
ing the streets, flooding the cutters, and
collecting in deep treacherous pools at the
corner crossing. The bare trees moaned
and writhed and wept; the swinging sign
boards in front of small taverns creaked
and groaned dismally; the tall chimney
of the Dumbleton Knife Works rocked
threateningly; and in the midst of all the
tumult, the great river was swelling and
straining at its wintry bonds, while II sharp
cracking sounded ever and anon from the
broad field of ice that stretched from shore
to shore and little streams of water began
to appear here and there, running swiftly
along the frozen plain.
March had come in like a lamb; it was
departing like lion; and, shrouded by
wind and rain and heavy mist, the last
night of the month came thickly down.
1t was past supper time, past closing
time for the mills and factories, past trad
ing time for stores, and, except for an
occasional light here and there in some
saloon or corner grocery, the windows
along the business streets of the town were
dark and the rain beat unheeded against
their black panes. Few people were
abroad, and even those few seemed to
have been forced upon unwelcome Jour
neys, for they FASTENED through the sloppy
streets with bent heads, shvering as the
sharp winds tore at their warppings or the
gusts of rain beat upon them.
One such man, clad in heavy oil-cloth
coat. was walking rapidly up State street,
when, just at a particularly windy corner,
he came in sudden contatct with Il lad who
was crouching in front of bakers win
dow, where a single lamp still burned,
eyeing with hungry gaze the dainties
within.
Hullow cried the man, starting back.
81 almost ran over you, my boy" Then,
looking more sharply at the dripping fig
ure before him, he continued: "Why,
Jerry. is that youP"
Yes, sir" replied the other, half pull
ing his tattered cap from his head. {" If
you please, sir, it's me-"
"What's wrong?" asked Mr.. Waiter
son, the proprietor of the great mills that
skrted the river, for ii was he. What's
wrongP Why are you not at homer The
mills closed two hours ago"
IL know it, sir; but | haven't worked
this week, sir, for sister Nellie's sick, an
| in house. You See, sir, since mother
died, an our house was sold, Nellie an
me has stopped at Mis- Crawlords board
in house; but my moneys give out, an
Mis- Crawford. she told me this mornin'
the boy stopped abruptly.
WhatP Come, Jerry, speak out.
| You're not afraid OF me. Tell me wha
she said.'
"Well, sir, she did say as how | mus
pay our board in advance every week
now; for, if Nellie was agoin' to be sick
an | was agoin' to quit work to nuss her,
she didn't see how she'd get her money
An our week ran out to-day, sir, an my
money too; all but twenty cents an that
spent for oranges for Nellie. An Mis-
Crawford, she said as how | couldn't ca
at her table, 'thout paid first. So jes
slips out into the street at meal-times, fol
fear Nellie'd know | wasn't eatin', an
'twould worry her, she bein' sick. An
that s how came here, sir"
The boy finished, half frightened at his
own long speech to "the MASTER" ant
again pulled at his ragged cap, while thu
! Wild March wind tossed his yellow hai
about his wet face and the cold rain bea
upon bis scantily y-clad shoulders.
Mr.. Watterson stood an instant IN deeI
; thought. 1t was hard for him to realiz'
such poverty as this, and among his owl
hands too. Jerry was " bobbn' boy IL
the mills, whom he had known for yea
or more by sight, the only support OF 1
widowed mother and sister-now th'
sister only, it seemed; but the lad had al
ways been bright faced and CHEEKY ant
the great proprietor remembered him a
: one of the happest among his boys. Tha
I this child could actually suffer for foot
/ while striving to care for his little charg
(the orphan Nellie) seemed to the gentle
man too terrible to be true.
And vet there Just before him his homes
blue eyes telling the same story which hi
lips had repeated, stood Jerry-dlnnerless
: supperless, and almost homeless, upon thi
the widest night of all the year.
Mr.. Watterson forgot the rising flood
, which even now was threatening hi
mills; he forgot the urgent errand whc
: had driven him out into the storm; b
forgot the wide social gulf between hi
> servant and himself; and, remembering
only that he was Christian man. answer
able to his Father in Heaven for the wei
= fare of this child before him, he seized tn
! boy by the arm, pushed open the d or q
, the little bakery before which they stood
, and fairly dragged him within. .
"Herer he cried to the bakers wife
, who came, bowing and smiling, to exeout
, the great mans commands. " See! Civ
= this lad the best supper you can cook an
, all the provisions he can carry, and sen
, The bin to me-" Then, hurriedly draw
: ing some money from his pocket book b
, thrust it into Jerry's hand. and said
"When you have eaten, 60 back to Mr.