Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-07-09

folks that was neighbors, and twas
easy; but when l come home at
noon, Philura says, says she, Squire
fuckers black bull is into the orchard
a tearin' round and he's knocked
two lengths O fence down fiat ?
Well, the old Adam riz up then, you
better b'lieve. That black bull has
been breakin' into my lot ever sence
we got IN tn aftermath, and its Squire
fuckers fence, and he won't make
it bull-strong as he'd oughter, and
that orchard was young one just
comm to bear, and all the new wood
crisp as cracklin's with frost. You'd
better b'lieve l didn't have much fell
ler-feelin' with Amos Tucker. just
put over to his house and spoke up
pretty free to him, when he looked
up an says, Fellowship meetin' to-
day, amt it, deacon?' I'd ruther
he'd ha' slapped my face. / felt as
though | should like to slip behind
the door. [ see pretty distinct what
sort of life I'd been liyin' all these
years I'd been a professor, when I
couldn't hold on to my tongue and
temper one day!''
''Breth-e-ren," interrupted slow,
harsh voice, somewhat broken with
emotion, "TU tell the rest ont. JOSH
ah Emmons come round like a man
an a Christian right there. He ask
ed me to forgive him, and not to
think twas the fault of his religion,
because twas his'n and nothin' else.
[ think more of him to-day than [
ever did before. [ was one that
wouldn't say I'd practice with the
rest of ye. l thought twas ever
lasting nonsense. I'd ruther 90 to
forty-nine prayer-meetin's than work
at bein' good a week. / b'lieve my
hope has been one of them that per-
ish; it ha'nt worked, and | leave it
behind to-day. mean to begin
honest, and it was seeing one honest,
Christian man, fetched me round to
it."
Amos Tucker sat down and buried
his grizzled head in his rough hands.
''Bless the Lord - said the quay
ering tones of still older man from
far corner of the house, and many
giistening eye gave silent response.
$50 on, Brother Emmons," said
the minister.
"Well, when next day come, l got
up to make the fire, and my boy Joe
hadfo rgot the kindlin's. I'd open
ed my mouth to give him Jesse, when
it came over me suddin that this was
the day of prayer for the family rela-
ton. 1 thought 1 wouldn't say moth
ing. 1 jest fetched in the kindlin's
myself, and when the fire burnt up
good called wife.
"'Dear me!' says she, I've got
sech a headache, 'Siah, but I'll come
in a mint 1 didn't mind that, for
women are always havin' aches, and
l was jest goin' to say so, when |
remembered the tex about not being
bitter against them, so l says, Phi
lura, you lay abed. l expect Emmy
and me can get the vittles to-day [
declare, she turned over and give me
sech look; why, it struck right in.
There was my wife, that had worked
for an waited on me twenty odd
year, most scarf because / spoke
kind of feelin' to her. | went out
and fetched in the pail O. water she'd
always drawed herself, and then /
MIXED the COW. When / came in,
Philura was up fryin' the potatoes,
and the tears shinin on her white
face. She didn't say nothin', she's
kinder still, but she hadn't no need
to. | felt lettle meaner than | did
the day before. But 'twan't nothing
to my condition when l was goin',
toward night, down the sullar stairs
for some apples, SOS the children
could have a roast, and | heered Joe
up in the kitchen say to Emmy, Il do
b'lieve, En-, pas goin' to die why,
Josier Emmons, how you talk y
We'll, do; he's so everlastin' pleas
ant an good natured l can't but
think he's struck with DEATH
Il tell you, brethren, | set right
down on them sellar stairs and cried.
I did, reely. Seemed as though the
Lord had turned and looked at me,
jest as he did at Peter. Why, there
was my own children never see me
act real fatherly and pretty in all
their lives. I'd growled and scolded
and prayed at 'em, and tried to fetch
'em up jest as the twig is bent the
trees inclined, ye know, but hadn't
never thought that they'd got right
an reason to expect I'd do my part
as well as their'n. Seemed as though
/ was findin' out more about Josiah
Emmons', shortcomings than was
real agreeable.
"Come around Friday, | got back
to the store. I'd kind of left it to
| the boys the early part of the week,
. and things was little cluttering but
/ did have sense not to tear round
and use sharp words so much as com.
mon. ! began to think twas getting
easy to practice, after five days
: when in come Judge Herrick's wife
| after some curt in calico. [ had 6
} han some piece, all done off witt
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