Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-05-15
WHAT CAME OF 1T.
A SHORT STORY, BUT A GOOD ONE.

A SHORT STORY, BUT GOOD ONE.
"Then you think you wouldn't do i
Dolly." said Uncle Lipalet, pulling OF
the stove-hearth and poking at the coal
"No, wouldn't, 'Liphalet," reptile
Aunt Dolly, resting her shining knittin
needles, while she stirred up the pump
kin simmering in the pot. "The farr
I is paid for now, and if we're savin' we'v
enough to last US through. Why shoul
we harass ourselves with seekin' arte
riches :"
"Tain't riches I'd be seekin' arter
Dolly, but this Mr.. Swinton-they cal
him very smart young man, Dolly-h
says if the mill amt rebuilt the villag
will 60 backwards, the farm'll sink il
E vally, and things'll generally be rul
down. You know, Dolly, ! never helC
back when conld do anything to hell
along"
II ain, likely to forget, 'Liphalet
where the calf and butter money went in
time o war, nor how you've given &c
church and missions, schools and poor
folks, and everything else anybody'd o
mind to draw up paper for. You and
I've had more disagreement
But this'll be helpin' Others. Dolly.
This Mr.. Swinion-he's a very pleasant
spoken young man, Dolly-he says he II
guarantee the stock shall pay for itself in
three to FIVE years. He says he'd rather
build here than elsewhere, because he
wants to help his native village, and If
we'll all take hold, and each help little,
he can DO IT,"
We've no money TO put in said
Aunt Dolly, leaning back and fixing her
eyes on the Goals Uncle 'Liph had raked
open, "unless we take
Unless we take what we'd laid by for
Rube's eddyca,ion, said Uncle 'Liphalet
softly.
"Since God took Rube's eddycation
into His own hands, 'Liphalet, I've at
ways wanted that money TO lie in the
bank till we had plain call to use it. !
can't bear TO think Of It's being used like
other money
Nor |, Dolly; but Rube would wish
it doing good, and this Mr.. SwintOn, he
says it might draw ,hribble what it does
now. We can maybe use the income in
helping boys who love farming as Rube
did"
Dolly replied nothing, After the men
ton of Rube's name silence was wont to
tall between the old couple = an Old
couple outwardly-as crooked, as gnarled
and scraggly as any two old apple-trees
that drew sustenance from their rocky
fields.
This Mr.. Swin,on came out to the farm
the next day, and Aunt Dolly put on
her black alpaca apron and received him
with courtesy. A man of less shallow
sympa,hies would have been touched
with a kind Of pitying tenderness for
the obseqrious old woman. but TO Swim
ton her Difference was constitu,ionally
agreeable. 1t argued well, too, for his
designs. He drew his gloved finger
athwart his foxy-colored moustache, and
talked business.
Heaven help the simple minded old
couple now What is Z" Business TO
them but a kind ofmys,erious wonderland,
full of pyramids and sphinxes and statues
of Memnon; What is business man
but priestly sorcerer, with his offerings
and incantations, living ever among the
mysteries
But Heaven did help them. Sometimes
it does seem to fail people in their sorest
needs; and yet, things work obscuTely
and very far around. and who as yet has
seen the end of anything:
Aunt Dolly, in her wood rocker, knit
silently on the socks that would bring
her seventy-fve cents pair. Uncle Ii
phalet drank in the mans words with a
child-like credulity.
LET me tell you, sir, manufacturing
enterprises are the life Of our villages.
Compare" Mr.. Swin,on drew his COM
parsons huently and correctly. Were
we to locate elsewhere, stock would be
rapidly taken up, but owing to our most
singular and unfortunate tires-loss OF
confidence in the location-l am strongly
desirous of conferring the advantages OF
the mill on my native village; citizens
must subscribe.
"As for the risk-how can there be
any risk Let me explain" Mr..
Swinton was a man of facts, unimpeach-
able, immoyable facts, that there was no
going back or around. THAT doesn't
admit of a question. know it to be
true-why, we've demonstrated it, sir.
Do you see"
Uncle 'Liphalet thought he saw.
Who could avoid seeing square, sharp
" defined fact, that was nowhere allowed
to melt away into suppOsitions or uncer-
tainties .rr /.
Il hain't but leetle money, anyway"
said Uncle 'Liphalet, pushing back hi:
rough, gray locks with his rough, trem-
bling fingers. Mother and me saved
up enough, leetle by leetle, to eddycate
Rube with, but he (Rube) died, as you
know, and the money has lain in the
bank"
"a thousand isn't much, anyway,
said the man of the thousands, tipping
back in his chair, and picking his teeth
elegantly; "but the morale your sub
scription lends is something. Our very
singular aud unfortunate fires you see
The fact that men like yourselves have
entrusted their savings to US gives us de-
sirable standing"
IJ.,J ;nholat's va nitv ,vas touched