Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-09-24
Waiting For The Grist.

who sat next to me in the car, and
with whom had struck up quite an
acquaintance, sswhat an influence a
look, word, OF the little act of a
perfect stranger will sometimes have
upon person"
Eyes said I, ''more than any of
us can realize"
'sIt was the simple act of a strang-
er that changed the whole course of
my life.''
s'Indeed! How SOP"
ssWhen | was boy, my father
moved to the far West-Ohio. 1t
was before the days of steam, and no
great mills thundered on the river
banks, but occasionally there was a
little grist-mill by the side of some
ysman stream, and hither whenever
the water was up, the whole neigh
| borhood fiocked with their sacks of
| corn. First come, first served. ,
Sometimes we had to wait two or
three days for our turn. | generally
was the person sent from the house,
| for while I was too small to be Of
much account on the farm, was as
good as man to carry the grist to
mill. So was not at all surprised
one morning when my father said,
"Henry, you can get old Roam and go
to the mill to-day"
Saunders mill was ten miles
away; but / had made the trip so
often that it did not seem far. l be-
lieve one becomes more attached to
an old mill than to any other building.
I can see just how it looked as it
stood there under the sycamore, with
its huge wheel and rough clapboard
sides.
When / arrived, / found the
North Branch and Rocky Fork folks
there ahead of me, and I knew that
there was no hope of getting home
that day; but / was not at all sorry,
for my basket was well filled with
| provision, and Mr.. Saunders always
opened his barn for us to sleep in !; so
it was no unpleasant time we had
while waiting for our grist. This
time there was an addition to the
number that had been in the habit of
gathering from time 10 time in the old
Saunders barn-a young fellow about
my own age, probably a little older.
His name was Charley Allen, and his
father had bought farm over on the
Bush Creek road. He was sociable
and friendly, but l instinctively felt
| that he had more manners than the
rest,of us. The evening was spent
as usual, in relating course jokes and
playing cards. Although not accus-
toned to such things at home, had
become so used to it at the mill that
it had long since ceased to shock me,
indeed, I was fast becoming an inter-
ested spectator.
sWell boys, it is time for US fellers
to 90 to roost," said Jim Finley, one
of the greatest roughs on the Rocky
Fork, as he threw down his pack of
cards and began to undress. We all
followed his example, although it was
not much undressing that we did to
sleep on the hay-mow but we were
so busy with our own affairs that we
did not notice Charley Allen until Jim
| exclaimed:
"Heyday! We've got a parson
here, we have"
s'Charley was kneeling by the oat-
bin praying. Jim Finley's jest met
with no response. The silence was
only broken by the drowsy battle
below and the twittering swallows
over head. More than one rough
man wiped tear from his eyes as he
went silently to his bed on the hay.
I had always been in the habit of
praying at home, but l never thought
of such a thing at Saunders mill.
AS laid awake that night in the old
barn thinking of Charley Aliens
courage, and what an effect it had
upon the men, 1 firmly resolved that
in the future / would do right. lit
tie thought how soon my courage
would be tested.
Just after dinner l got my grist
and started for home. When I al
rived at Albright's gate, where |
turned off to 60 home, / found the
old squire waiting for me. / saw in
a moment that something had gone
wrong. / had always stood in the
greatest awe of the old gentleman,
because he was the rich man of the
neighborhood, and now I felt my
heart beginning to beat very fast.
As soon as / come near, he said:
sDid you go through this gate
yesterday?
I could easily have denied it, as it
was before daylight when I went
through, and I quite as often went
the other way. Charley Allen kneel-
ing in the barn came to my mind like
a flash, and before / had time to lis
ten to the tempter, / said, ,"Yes, sir,
I did,"
care you sure you shut and pinned
the gate?" he asked.
The question staggered me. l re-
membered distinctly that / did not.
could pull the pin out without get
ting off my horse, but l could not put
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