St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-02-10
The DeacOn's Gift.

The deacon stood in his shirt sleeves
before the tiny mirror i'll the front of
the kitchen clock. He stopped and
writhed and made astonishing faces at
himself in the hopeless struggle to fit
the buttOnhOle in his collar to the but
ton at the back of his shirt. He did
not swear, but Judging from his looks
he evidently thought swear.
"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 go
ing to | should like to know if Pm
never to have a button right as long
as | live. Two folks, and no
body to take a stitch i'll 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 man
age his collar lay in the very 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 overcoat saying, gent
ly, ~ presume Mary's getting ready to
go with you. You know you always
liked to have her go to meeting with
you on the last night 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! don't believe it, Gideon.
He isn't any such man." and the poor
woman's face grew a shade more wea-
ry and white; ''but you go right along
and Mary will go when she is ready.
It's Il beautiful night, and I'll walk
down with her myself. You'll be there
to come home with her ?"
"Of course | shall. I'll be there il
for no other reason than to keen
George Nelson from coming. He
needn't think Pm going to let the farE
and the girl both go 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
don't believe he will touch the farm
And the deacon didn't believe it.
either; but he didn't get much comfort
from that, since it did not alter the
fact of his not having the money due
OF save him from the rasping duty Ot
saving so to the bland old Squire
And Deacon Frost was the last man in
| the world to let his wife be cOmforted
| if he was uncomfortable himself. He
always told her the darkest side, anC
with an air that made the meek sou
feel in some mysterious way response
BILE for all his woes. He looked anC
acted as if they were her fault; anC
she had grown so used to it that sh,
often acted herself as if it must be so
SO when he added sulkily that if hi'
son had behaved himself and stayeC
at home and helped him, the mortgage
would have been paid off long ago,
she only sighed, but did not venture t.
speak good word for her boy.
AS the deacon, smOothed and brush
ed and grumbling still, passed out
Mary came into the room Just in time
to hear the vigorous bang her fathe
gave the door; in time, also, to hea
the great tiuttering sigh, almost sob
that broke from her mothers lips.
Father gone ?" asked the girl.
eyes, dear, and I'll walk down a lit
tie way with you," said her mother
STOPPING to pick up the stocking sh
was darning, thus hiding her face iron
her daughters questioning eyes.
"NO, mother, don't want to go.
can't let you go out on such a coli
night. | was going more because
thought father would expect it thai
for anything else"
perhaps he will not mind, said tn
mother, hesitating, Though, as usual
he was not pleased that / did not &C
and thought that perhaps | ought tC
if it would make him any happier"
"But it wouldn't, mother DEAR" sal
the young girl, hastily, and THROWN
aside her cloak, she drew a low chai
r to her mothers side and gently pulle
the darning from her hands, as sh
went on: 81 really think the more W
! try to please him i'll every little thing
the more fault-inding and exacting h
becomes"
"Hush, child" and the mothers thi
hand passed softly down the girl
cheek to her lips.
Mary captured it in both her owl
7 kissed it, and answered laughingly =
Don't hush me, mother. I'm not
! child any longer, and | see my fathC
! I as | would see any other man. I'll
D fact is, We have spoiled him, until h
habit of finding fault with trifies an
! holding somebody responsible for a