The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1881-08-11


he said mildly. Likely thez stopped 70 lb
halfway house for all night
! But no one else stirred. and the old na
Sat down, 10 wait momelt longer IA
spell Of "a eoIoing calamity seemed - b
: over them all. N aa
Suddenly they started and iurnod pale
There WAS hand outside fumbling at th
latch. Then hoarse voice said, weakly
} Let me IN.
A Dozen spnang To open tlse door. whcl
one OF their neighbors, who had riddel
down that morning with Seth Plnnhou
stumbled in, more dead than alive from
the severity Of the storm. They hrough
hot drinks for him and rubbed his nearl'
frozen limbs. aud soon he was able 10 say
brokenly:
Seths comm, but Pelts stage is al
broke up. down below the bend IN th'
straight cut Los, the road an run "a
Somebody go fetch two they had to ieay'
aud the horses
Several. men started up 10 80. and
hastily gathering together such things at
they needed, they pushed of to find tht
wreck, leaving team to follow.
They had hardly gono when the dool
swung violently open, and Seth Plunketi
entered bearing in his arms, as ifit had
been baby the apparently lifeless form oi
Pelt Cnessy. The village folk had learned
the news in an incredable short time and
came aocking in, in spite of the storm
which ragged outside, till the store was
full. Seth could not speak at once; but
he managed to call for the things that he
wanted, while some one took his exhausted
horses to their stable. Three male passen-
gers had alighted from the coach. Be
tween them they bore the body OF a woman.
She was one Of their neighbors, and was
taken to her home, near by.
Pelt Cressy was stretched upon a settee
by the fire, with coat for pillow. They
brought snow and rubbed his frozen feet
and hands. There was anugly cash on
his forehead and the doctor announced
that one Of his ribs was broken.
Under the genial influence of heat and
stimulents, however, the poor fellow be-
gan TO revive, and the white face, which no
one would ever have recognized as the
handsome young face of Pelt Cressy, show
ed little color once more The watch
ing crowd heaved sigh of relief
He's oil right, said the slow old doctor,
counting his pulse. Better get him home
at once. Then he stopped and looked
around him in perplexity. Pelt Cressy's
home was back ON the hills, five miles
away. He had boarded sometimes at the
tavern. Should they take him there?
Seth Plunkett, who had been sitting in
semi-stupor by the fire, got at this point
with sort OF wrench, and shook his shag.
gy coat like colossal dog.
= Take him to my house, he said, in a
firm voice. Hct'il take care of him
Tho men looked at each other in amaze
mcnt; but silently fixed the young man ac.
cording to the doctors directions, and
bore him through the storm to the warm
cottage of the Plunketts. There he was
laid in Seth's own white bod, and for many
days thereafter, till he was strong and well
once more, Het joyfully took care Of him.
The week after the storm the meetings
which had suffered temporary relapse
under the oyerpowering sensation Of the
hour, took on new vigor. One of Pelts
horses had been killed, and he had declar-
ed that he would never carry the mail
again. So it was finally arranged that
Seth Plunkett should take his old place
and pay, and harmony prevailed once
more among the distracted inhabitants OF
Clearpond. They could even joke about
the furious passions which had divided
them only few weeks before They
could not, however, clearly understand
the mental processes in Seth and Pelt,
through which these extraordinary changes
had been brought about Nobody but
themselves, of course, knew anything
about it, and they had been mysterionsly |
silent as to the particulars Of their recon
ciliation. Even then adroit OF the vii
lage gossips interviewed them, only to be
baiiled; bnt at last il all came out.
Seth Plunket grew more and more inter.
a-ted in the revival as the spring wore on
but ho was a man of deep feeling and the
in him was not rapid. lie rose
Tor prayers one night at the meetings. The
Dretheren all labored with him, but he
,aid he couldn't seem to see no light
One night after the elder had made an
moving appeal, the last part
II which Seth Plunkett had come in in
lime to hear, the latter rose, with yehe-
nence which nearly upset the seat In front
II him, and began to speak earnestly.
The Judge was there, and even the Dea-
on had stepped in, to see the fun, as he
it and all hung anSiously upon
3eth's words.
Friends and neighbors, said the poor
ellow, while the sweat oozed from his tenn
oles and ,trickled down his rugged face
I've been a-tryin' and a.tryin', but you
snow can't seem to see no light; an it's
.nrna IN rne friends md naiybbor that
ncbby I've got suthin' orier confess.
Before men, You know. I've confessed il
o my Maker, and the rough man looked
Up reverently; but ! hadn't confessed TO
'ou, an mebby, ifIdo. I'll find that peace
hey've been a-tellin' about.
You see, my friends and neighbors his
oice grew deeper aud the silence became
see, al'ao3 committed