Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-30
" The Dominie's Colleague"

N -Nssss' ONshNet'Ns
CHAPTER I.
Well, old Duke was dead. None of us
could doubt that, for we had all lust
returned from the funeral. There was
father and mother and the children, six of
us, besides Barney, who had been down
through the garden and along the meadow
to the great elm where he was laid. Il was
beautiful June day, and we brushed
through the daisies and the lilies hardly as
solemn as we should have been in such sad
business. Hal, that was our eldest brother,
who was a university student read memo
rial poem, which had good deal of Latin
and not little Greek interspersed, and
served to mystify the younger ones. Hui.
dab, the wit of our party, said, " If Duke
could have heard it, he would have lived a
few years longer, just to spite u.s."
Duke, you must know, was the dominie's
horse; he had grown up with the family.
Hal and he were just of an age, and the
manse would certainly be lonesome without
his old yellow figure sleepily browsing in
the paddock. He seemed to have special
affection for each child as it came; and
when Ethel died, Duke mourned for days,
and refused to eat, save as coaxed by the
young people. Poor old Duke he has
trundled us about in the shabby basket phae.
ton, Squire Prices cast-off fnery, until
every nook and dell of the old town was ia.
miliar He was perfectly safe, and il
amused us. Beside, father was relieved, in
preparing his sermon, if half dozen chill.
dren were not screaming about the house OF
tramping through the halls. Sometimes
poor father would come to the study door,
when he was writing review article, his
hotr ltohA Had 30 ..,,1
we persisted in sliding down the hall banis.
ters, leaving our clothes in shocking condi
tion and making such a racket that writing
was out of the question; when papa's lips had
that peculiar curl, we knew it was time to
stop, and we would stink away shame-faced
Mother, good soul, would sit up half the
night to repair the rents, and say nothing
only she looked unusually worn the next
morning.
But what playfellow Duke had been for
years We could have few luxuries, for
the income was limited, and these rides
were thoroughly enjoyed. What rollick-
ing, careless set we were as we filled the
roomy vehicle at all hours of the day.
Duke was blonde in color, a hue that is
quite desirable in young lady's hair, but
not quite the thing in horse. He had a
hollow back, and very large feet, with
which he kicked up good deal of dust.
Pete Day, one of the town boys, said "he
looked like an animated horse-hair trunk
with a wooden understanding that was
the time Hal gave him black eye in reply.
1t wasn't smart joke at all, but we were
all angry and Huldah told Pete his red
head was only fit for kindling wood, and,
If freckles were salable, he would be rich
man.
But Duke was not only plaything for
the children. On certain days the DOM
inie, in solemn state, made pastoral calls,
and many housewife, looking out of the
window, saw old Duke coming, and whisked
her work out of sight, and got on her
"meeting. clothes" before the familiar rap
was heard. In fact, Duke was an import
ant member Of the household, homely, to be
sure, and not ambitious as to speed, but
honest and faithful and "pious," Huldah
said, "as any of the deacons." What should
we do Old age had come at last. He was
twenty-one, and we found him dead one
morning where he had lain down for the
night. We could not afford to buy new
horse. With Halls expenses at the univer-
sity, and five other children coming on, there
was little left of limited income. Father
looked grave, and mother drew another long
breath-the only intimation she ever gave of
an anxious and laborious life.
"Why not get bicycle ?" said Hal, one
day. Mother looked startled, and father
frowned ominously at such levity. EYES,,
said Huldah, mischievously, "and thus full
fill Ezekiers vision, 'One wheel by one
cherub and another wheel by another
cherub.' What black cherub papa would
make in his store clothes calling on Deacon
Higgins"
Huldah," said mother, reprovingly.
"a regular Centaur," Hal suggested.
Sister Perkins would certainly cite him
before the Synod as being bewitched."
Fathers face twitched during this discus
sion, and he finally sat back and actually
roared with mirth until the tears came; and
mother, which was very unusual for her,
said, "Dominie John Morehouse, are you
crazy 7" But we were a wild set, and
Huldah could make Deacon Higgins laugh
in spite of himself, as she did when he at
tempted TO reprove her for levity in prayer
meeting. But it was serious matter, and
the good man had long conference with
mother that night as to what could be done.
He must call the parish was scattered, and,
if he neglected the people, they would " send
in his resignation" as the darkey said.
CHAPTER IL.
What made this discussion of the bicycle
more suggestive, father was preaching a Sc
ries of evening lectures on Ezekiel, and his
text for the next Sabbath was, " For the
spirit Of the living creature was in them"
Hal, who was a good Hebrew scholar, told
father that the old prophet certainly had a
bicycle in mind, and it was his next duty,
as he was giving an exegesis on Ezekiel, to
illustrate it by riding bicycle through the
streets. In giving his advice. Hal got the
Hebrew Bible from the study, and gave a
learned exposition of Ezekiel II, showing
conclusively that living creature in the
original meant bicycle. Father drily re-
marked, when he was through, "that he
hoped he would keep up his Hebrew, for it
was the best athletic exercise for the brain
he could have"
But the queerest thing happened that
same week. Uncle James, who resides in
New York, had heard of Dukes death, and
there came by express to the Rev. John
Morehouse bicycle. The people in
Ridgeville had never seen one before, and il
soon became noised about, long before
father heard of it, that some sort of an in.
fernal machine was at the expressoffice di-
rected TO the dominic. Hal went down and
blOukub uOutb VI ulONo ~
home. lie was an accomplished rider.
When he undid the wrapping and called
for some oil, the crowd stood back as if
they expected the thing to explode, and
Sam Ward asked if the "critter wasn't
loaded ?" But when Hal secured his seat
and flew away, the people opened their eyes
in wonder. lie passed Sister Perkins on
the sidewalk. She did not hear il until he
sped by, and then she screamed and climbed
Judge Bent's fence, holding up her skirts
as if she feared "rats." There she stayed
until the judge courteously assisted her
down, explaining to her what the appari-
tion was. But she always had spite
against it after that, no doubt because she
made such ninny of herself on the fash
ionsble thoroughfare. The word bicycle
wasn't mentioned that night often, but the
children had suppressed air, as if the
slightest alusion would cause an explosion.
Fathers mouth twitched occasionally, and
once he blew his nose so vigorously IL
seemed as if he would have fit, and the
tears stood in his eyes when he withdrew
his handkerchief.