Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-07-25
The DeaCOn'S Gift.

kitchen clock. He stood and writhed
and made astonishing faces at himself in
the hopeless struggle to fit the button
hole in his shirt. He did not swear,
but the gray cat, blinking her eyes
drowsily from her sleeping place under
the stove, suddenly sneaked past him
and into the sitting-room and took refuge
upon the skirt of Mrs. Frost's calico
gown. There were thunders and light
nings portentious in the atmosphere, and
the good woman looked up from the
stocking she was darning barely in time
to escape the storm.
"Why father! what's the trouble
Here, let me button it. Sit right down
here and let me fix you off, and the
pale, worried-looking woman laid her
hand coaxingly upon his arm.
"Well, button it, then. if you're 60
ing to! I should like to know if I'm
ever going to have button right as long
as l live. Two women folks, and no
one to take stitch in my clothes.
Where's Mary? She's always out Of
sight when she's wanted"
There was no fault with the button or
the hole, but only with the stiff, clumsy
fingers unused to any service so small.
But his wife did not tell him that the
secret of his inability to manage his col
lar lay in the fact that all his life ''two
women folks" had done it for him. She
only fastened the necktie, brushed his
hair, and helped him on with his over
coat. saying gently. 81 presume Mary's
getting ready to 60 with you. You know
you always like to have her 60 to meet
ing with you on the last of the year"
Then if she's going, tell her to come
along! | can't wait for her to put on
all her furbelows. | want to stop at
Squire Nelson's about that mortgage.
Of course he means to foreclose."
"Oh, no! l don't believe it Gideon
He isn't any such man.; and the poor
woman's face grew shade more weary
and white "but you 60 right along,
and Mary will 60 when she is ready.
It's beautiful night, and I'll walk
down with her myself. You will be
there to come home with her ?''
"Of course l shall. I'll be there, il
for nothing else than to keep George
Nelson from coming. He needn't think
I'm going to let the farm and the girl
both 60 into his fathers family"
"Now, Gideon, don't talk so You've
been behind on the interest before this,
and Squire Nelson was willing to wait
l don't believe be will touch the farm. u
The Deacon didn't believe it either
but be didn't get much comfort from
that, since it did not alter the fact that
he did not have the money due, or save
him from the duty of saying so to the
bland old Squire. And Deacon Frost
was the last man in the world to let his
wife be comforted, even if he was un'
comfortable himself. He always told
her the darkest side, and that made the
meek soul think that in some mysterious
way she was responsible for all his woes
He looked and acted as if they were hel
fault; and she had grown so used to il
that she often acted herself as if it mus
be so. So when he added, sulkily, tha
if his son had "behaved himself anG
stayed at home and helped him, tht
mortgage would have been paid off Ions
ago." she only sighed, but did not ven
ture 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 heal
the vigorous bang her father gave tn,
door; in time also, to hear the grea
fluttering sigh, almost sob, that brok
from her mothers lips.
"Father gone ?" asked the girl.
"Yes, dear, and I'll walk down lit
tie way with you," said her mother
STOPPING to pick up the stocking she wa
darning, thus hiding her face from he
daughters eyes.
"No mother, don't want to 60.
can't let you go out on such cold night
I was going more because thought ia
ther would expect it than for anythin
else"
perhaps he will not mind" said tn
mother, hesitating; "though as usual b
was not pleased that I did not go, and
thought perhaps I ought to if it woul
make him any happier"
"But it wouldn't, mother DEAR" sal
the young girl, hastily, and throwing Of
her cloak, drew chair up to her moth
er's side and gently pulled the darnin
from her hands as she went on 81 re
ally think the more we try to please hir
in every little thing, the more faultfnd
ing and exacting he becomes.
"Hush, child !" and the mothers thi
hand passed softly down the girls chez
to her lips.
Mary captured it in both her own
kissed it, and answered, laughingly-
Don't hush me, mother, I'm not
child any longer, and see my father a
/ T would see anv other man The fac