St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-07-14

to a full stop in the cOw-pasture, 'if
mother didn't go off to Cousin Ann
M'ria's, and forget all about them pep
mints an she said there warn't none
this mornin'. Now, I'll get 'em; she
would a-tOld me, know, and she'll be
so glad | remembered emf
Mrs. Highly never had told Johnny
to go on this important errand, al
though he had always teased dreadful
ly to be allowed to, for the good reason
that she was afraid he would eat half
of the "pep'mints" up on his way
home. However, this did not effect
Johnny's belief in the slightest, that he
lUOuld have been the special messenger
chosen to procure the delicacy. SO he
scampered out of the cOwpasture, to
the main road, and then to the store as
fast as his dusty little shoes could fly.
Il guess better git three ounces"
he said to himself, as he was hanging
around near the door, waiting for his
turn to come to be served.
1t was late Saturday afternoon, and
the store was full of customers. The
grocery boy was out, taking home
parcel to the doctors house. In ii few
minutes, Mr.. Bruce's son stepped up to
the deacon's boy with, "Well, now,
johnny, what do you want Hurry
up, we haint got much time to spare"
"Three ounces pep'mints," said
johnny, briskly; ''red and white Ones"
he added, with the air of a business
man with an immense order.
"All right ~ Mr.. Bruce measured ont
the peppermints, tossed them into a
paper, and turned with a sigh of relief
to the next customer.
johnny grasped his package, and
with a shining face, left the store. AS
he went out on the main road again,
he first glanced up and down to see if
he was likely to be interrupted, and
then unrolled the hastily twisted paper
and peeped in.
81 orter see if | got cheated" he
said, his mouth watering at the sight
within. "Maybe they amt fresh"
There was no other way to solve this
dreadful query but to taste one. So
Johnny popped between his teeth the
biggest one he could find. 1t not only
proved to be fresh, but very nice, and
another and another followed, in rapid
succession, until the paper presented a
sunken, detected appearance, that
=
many lingering looks at the remainder
of the contents, he at last squashed the
paper determinedly over them, and
went into the house.
"'Taint best to worry Sarah by tel
lin her ma forgot 'em," he said to him
self, going softly into the front entry.
"Fl put 'em in pas pocket myself an
he'll git 'em, so that's enough"
Accordingly, he took hold of the
lower right side pocket-the only one
he could reach-and for reasons best
known to himself, dumped the pepper
mints in from their paper, and raced
out into the kitchen to bother Sarah by
asking every two minutes if supper
''aint most ready ?"
The supper was eaten and cleared
away, and the table jammed up against
the wall. The two girls took out their
sewing and while the children amused
themselves in teasing the cat, i'll crack
ing walnuts and in various ways as
best they might, the deacon put on his
thick coat and took down his hat from
its accustomed peg.
"Goin' out, pa ?" asked Sarah, stop
ping to bite off thread and looking
up.
"Yis," said the deacon, with his hand
on the latch, 81 must see Mr.. Bisbet
about that ere head o. CATTLE, or
shell be thinkin' of the pesBy critters
all Sunday. You send the children to
bed, an go yourselves pretty soon
You needn't set up an burn out the
lights for me; :" and he opened the door
and went out into the frosty night.
~ declare to graciOus!" he exclaimed
suddenly, pausing in mixed calcula-
ton as to the chances of pleasant
weather for the approaching Sabbath
and the highest price Mr.. Bisbee could
probably he made to pay for the cattle
"ef ma haint forgot and gone off with
ont Citing my pep'mints, | do believe
She haint said nOthin' about it this
week, an ct the last one last Sunday
Lucky | thought in time-Tll git some
an then when | git to home, eff sh,
haint thought on it, why, I'll be al
right"
SO the deacon changed his course
from the direction of Mr.. Bisbee',
house, and heading for the village
store, trOtted along briskly, moralizina
on the lonely condition of man withou
Il wOman's providing care, and feeling
upset generally and terribly forlorI
without ina"
Mr.. Bruce had gone home with ;
hopping toOthache, and his eldest sol
was ut his supper; so Mrs. Bruce haC
gone over to take his place meanwhile
Between little gossip over Cousil
Ann M'ria's accident, and the suddel
/ summons for his wife, the deacon CAV,
his order for the peppermints and the,
were slowly done up, that the sympa
thizing hearer might not lose "a bit o
the news.
II s'pose you don't expect her hom
tonight, do you ?" said Mrs. Bruce, "a
at last she handed him the parcel.
NO. said the deacon, glOomily
: and going out, he shut the store doc
with a desponding bang, wishing yer.
much that all the 'Cousin Ann M'rias
were at the ends of the earth.
, The storekeeper's wife went to pu
the charge in the big book. With
sort of listless curiosity she locke
back over the other charges of the day
4 and then exclaimed
"Whdtr Then she pushed up he
spectacles higher on her long, thil
nose, and stared harder than ever. ~
), certainly is-'Three OF. peppermints
5 That must IA been long towards night
: cause it's only little ways back ,-aI
here tits again-'TwO OF. peppermints
e NV goodness. An'-an'"- -
She whirled over the grimy leaf, pre-
pared to see every peppermint in til
store accounted for as going into til
deacon's pocket. And she was not di.
Il appointed in her search. "TisO o.
u peppermiRtsn stood out before her al
J tOnished eyes.
e "The land sakes alive ~ she exclaiu
e ed, pushing the book from her.
y 'Reuben ~ she cried, seeing her so
ii aptar IN raIiava har from, har stor.