The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-26

filled by proxy, and acknowledged only by
a handsome present of a baby plate and
iewelry, it was connected with memories
stretching much further back. For Ben
jamin Brierley and Samuel Yorke had
been chums in those days when both boys
sold papers in Bradford Market; and Joe
knew that in any great event of either of
their lives, letters of sympathy always
passed between Brierley mill aud Man
chester. He had never seen his god
father, and he knew nothing of his char
acter but he looked at the sign above
the door, and its very retention there, Joe
thought, argued tender and true heart.
For the firm was no longer "Yorke &
Sons" -Four years previous both sons
had been killed, with their mother, in
railway accident. Four years and yet
the father had not brought himself TO re-
move the sign ut up with such proud and
happy feelings just before their untimely
end.
After a few minutes hesitation Joe
pushed aside the door and found himself
in long room full of tables piled high
with printed calicoes. 1t was dusty,
dusky place, with an oily smell, and very
quiet, in spite of the number of clerks
and statesmen. He asked for Mr.. Yorke,
and was directed to an inner room, whose
door he opened. When he did so, Yorke
stood facing him. He was small, thin
man, in shabby clothes, with an old white
hat pushed backward from his forehead.
But there was the unmistakable look of
master and millionaire about him. He
was standing before table on which lay
freshly opened letters, most of them con-
tanning samples of cotton and as he
drew the snowy fibre slowly through his
fingers, be was softly singing Methodist
hymn. He looked up, with bit of
along staple in his hand, when Joe
entered, and stopped in the middle of
the line
Canaan. bright Canaan,
Pm bound tor the land of Canaan"
and looked curiously at Joe. He knew
him at once, and said, "Why.al Thou
must be Ben Brierley's son, isn't ia ?"
eyes; I'm Joe Brierley."
"Sit ia down. WHATEVER hes brought
thee to Spinning-Jenny street ? There's
no wool here, lad it's a. this stuff and
he gathered the samples with a swift
movement, and looked almost lovingly at
the "stuff."
"Well, came to sell bit of property
that belonged to my wife,"
"For sure. Thou married Bradley's
daughter-a rich lass. / knew Bradley
hard mamie held property most livery
where. WHATEVER did he own i Man
chester 2"
"The house next the Queens hotel
Sykes was the agent. He wrote and Of
fered $40 600 for it"
sc Too little: too little"
eyes; sold it to the proprietor of the
hotel for f22 000'
"Thats more like t. figure. Sykes ill
always feel as if ia cheated him out O.
$4,000. He's that kind. Thoult stay
wi me tonight; I want to talk wiz thee"
81 want to stay with you much longer
than that"
"Eh? WHATEVER What does ia mean?"
81 want to apprentice myself to you.
| want to learn your business from A
to H."
II thought thou was lawyer"
81 am poor lawyer, and never will
be good one. l took to the law out of
contradiction, and never made 800
by it. want to be cotton spinner"
"Why not go TO thy father ?"
"Ill tell you, if you care to hear"
"For sure l do; only, Ill hev no half
and-half confidence. Tell me Everything !;
good and bad too"
Joe was only too thankful to have some
sensible, kind man to open his heart to-
He did not spare himself in any respect.
Yorke listened patiently, watching the
young mans mobile, expressive face with
a good deal of interest, but never inter.
| rupting his confession. When it was
finished he said:
Thou has gone wrong liver since thou
left thy father. That was t. first wrong
step"
at was not my fault. Father was so
masterful."
1t was thy fault. Honor thy father,
thet's t. commandment, as l read it,
Mems laws hev so many PROVISIONS and
amendments and what-nots, that they
need lawyer to MAX head or tail O.
them. Gods laws are just Do this and
Don't do that 1t is Honor thy father ;
good, bad, or Indifferent"
"But how can one honor An unreasona-
BILE and tyrannical father ?"
al reckon as how t. Almighty knew
there 'ud be them kind O. fathers. But [
say, thy father isn't either. Now go to
him and ask him to TAX thee prentice"
1t would be no use. He told me
should never have part nor lot in Brierley
mills, and when father says thing in the
way he did then -
81 know; he'll be as stubborn as if
stubbornness were his religion"
81 want to stay with you. Don't say
NO."
"Well, then, if TAX thee, thou'lt hev
to do my way, not thy own. I'll hev no
fine gentleman prentice. If ia wants to
maxi thy living wi clean hands, thou
need not come to me. I'm at T. mill
livery morning at eight, and stay at BUSH
ness till five. Thou'lt hev to learn a.
about spinning and weaving, a. about
dyes and dyeing, and to taxi thy share O.
twork in T. printing-room. It's hard
business, and thou'lt be dirty and hot
and tired most O. t time; and rll not en-
gage to TAX thee for less than two years.
Thou sail hev livery advantage, but it will
be that long, anyway"
"Ill agree to all you DESIRE"
"And thou'lt hev to live VII me. If |
take charge o. thee, I'll hev thee under
my own eyes,"
This was more than Joe had contem-
plated. Among the compensations he had
promised himself was the lonely freedom
of evenings devoted to his own will and
4.