Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-04-08

Ifeeu lTOu tne wagon huu uhflehh, Dechlne as
quiet as lamb then followed the deacon
over toward the WELL where he was sponged
out, scraped and rubbed most artistically.
BY this time the wife reappeared from the
house. She had regained her composure.
She walked over toward The Colt and gave
him some sugar, which he most eagerly re-
ceived, The deacon watched her, then said
inquiringly:
"Well 2"
She told him the occurrence in very few
words. He listened like one thunderstruck.
"Could he trot as fast as The Coltf"
'No"
"When he ran his horse alongside of you,
was The Colt going as fast as he could Z"
'No. 1t was then Uncle Ike hollered TO me
to slap him with the reins and did it on the
impulse of the moment"
"Did The Colt offer 10 make break p
"No; the only break he made was when
Uncle Ike first called me to come on, and ]
spoke too sharply to him. He merely jump
ed twice and then settled down into an easy
trot"
"You shouldn't have slapped him with the
reins, said the deacon reproyiDgly. did he
pnll your"
mo, for let him go. / tried twice or
three times to stop him, but it only made him
furious"
ne uluu I bbtul W It ulhNTthbtlt ulh ne
ooh no, be didn't seem to mind it at all. "
The deacon moved over toward his spouse,
lovingly put his arm about her, and kissed
her hesitated a moment, and then said to
her
Il would rather every building on this
farm would burn TO the ground than 10 have
had The Colt beaten. II is a wicked thought,
1 know, but can't help il. You did well,
Jerusha. You shall have that gown we were
talking about the next time go to town"
The natron's face was aglow with the light
OF love, and the deacon noticed it,
"You look now, Jerusha, as you used to
look when I came TO your fathers house TO
see you"
but what will the neighbors say about
me ?" replied the wife.
what care 1 what they say? l try TO do
my duty in the community as a man, and am
not to be held accountable by every ne'er do
well. But / see Uncle Ike coming up the
road; you had better get supper ready, Je-
rusha."
The three sat at the tea-table. After a
while Uncle Ike entered into explanations
"Jerusha isn't to blame at all in this matter
deacon. Had l not told her to go on, the
horse would have simply logged by her, and
there would have been no race"
"Well, if The Colt would have let him go
Dy II NOliu nave Deeu tue uThI lllue IN MS
life that he ever let anything pass him. He
will race with dogs, birds, anything in tact
that comes auywheres near him. Ho, no. ho
he, he, he :" laughed the deacon, until his
broad face was crimson. When he regained
his composure he turned to Squire Ribbons,
asking very earnestly, as he slapped the table
with his hand
"What do you say about The Colt now?7
"They say he is ghost, and they'll have
no more of him and you'll no longer be
bothered about his speed, for they have all
seen enough"
~ say, Isaac, do you want that heifer that
you were talking to me about some time
ago Z"
Eyes, III take her at 800"
"Well, I'll send her over to you to. morrow,
and you can pay for her when 1 send the
bill" Which all understood to mean that the
heifer that the deacon had refused to sell was
to be a present to Uncle Ike. "You and
Jerusha did we'll" And the deacon had an
other laughing spell almost to the verge of
sufocation. Then his manner changed, and
a severe, aye, almost fierce look of determi-
nation came over his features.
do you know what I'd do, Isaac, if they
had beaten The Colt by any such shabby
work ? I'd let you take him and you could
do what you please with him."
DeacOu oprlBBluh, eACihlueu Aunt de-
rusha, half rising from her chair
Il would fight the devil with his own fire !"
said the deacon, bringing his clenched fist
down upon the table until the dishes danced
cotillion. Il am a man, and can act no 9TH
er part than that OF man. II they smite me
on one cheek hall not turn the other to
them to receive blow. l forgive my enc
mics when they right the wrong they have
done me, and not before"
Squire Ribbons was on his feet in an in
slant, stretched his arm across the table and
grasped the deacon by the hand
Let me have him, deacon, and Jack Spratt
and will win you S25, 200, and break every
mothers son of a gun of them that lays dol
lar against him He can beat any horse, any
way rigged, and any distance. I'll give you
Pearl aud SIC, 900 merely for the use of him,
and you may give the $4,000 to the church
il you like. Let me teach them a lesson"
II was a striking tableau. The three were
on their feet. Aunt Jerusha leaning forward,
with whitened face, eager eyes and trembling
lips, with hands uplifted imploringly Squire
Ribbons and the deacon were hand in hand
and almost shoulder to shoulder across the
table. The squire's face was abaze with in
dignation and worldly fire. Every feature
was declarative of fight The worthy deacon
was sight to behold. He was struggling for
IuhbloTJ ONtT luObt very Qualities
which made him so valuable a man in that
ommunity-honesty perseverance, deter
mination to advance, hard worker, literally
earning his money by the sweat of his brow,
with hearty detestation of every thing that was
low and tricky-now rose in rebellion against
the great injustice that had SO nearly been
put upon him. He was a great worker in
both state and church, and his perception of
right and wrong was sensitive and fine. He
really loved the horse, and that he should not
be allowed quiet enjoyment Of that which
seemed to him a necessity of his life appeared
to him monstrous wrong And when he
was pushed to the verge of distraction, as
now, his great nature asserted itself.
The tempest had passed. He shook his
head mournfully.
"You must not talk that way to me, Isaac;
have too frequently to wrestle with myself
in my great love for The Colt, and you must
not tempt me out of the line of duty"
And Jerusha rejoned; you've always
done your duty, deacon, in this community
and if people are not satisfied, why, let them
be dissatisfied. If they had beaten The Colt
to day, church or no church, if he were mine,
Uncle Ike should have him. And l can tell
you, Deacon Spriggins, that Uncle Ike is our
best friend, even if he is heather. And l
say il they now don't stop bothering us let
good p
And Uncle Ike, in telling Jack Spratt about
it said THE deacon aches in his heart to
do it, but he dRren't."
And Spratt replied with sigh. "oh, dear
what game we could then play"
A few days afterward a mysterious package
was brought home from town by the deacon.
He had obtained it at the express Office. 1t
was addressed to Mrs. Spriggins. On being
unpacked there was exposed to view an ele-
giant silver service. The inclosed note ex-
planned all;
New YORK, May 20.
DEAR Mrs. SPRIGoMs-I have heard of
your last great exploit The first one was
when you let Uncle Ike have Pearl, and then
brought (2) the deacon TO see the race.
You did just right in this last affair. My
philosophy is, when a man is determined to
beat me, had better strike the irst blow.
Beat all those who try to beat you. Our set
douy,, hara ora iYct Wild ovar vour viefnrV I