Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-05-15

OearaOie. Dut, Onclc LiPuaict Sou
h not talk so he picked his way dow
: the icy steps, CROPPED his way hon
a through the snow-storm, and ratified II
t back door as a signal to Aunt Dolly
: let him in.
e "Are you frozen, 'Liphalet :" aske
Aunt Dolly, in terror, as the candle-hgt
e struck the white face.
i Uncle 'Liphalet staggered in, and sink
, ing on the lounge, covered his face wit
E his wrinkled hands.
"Oh, Dolly"
"You needn' tell me, 'Liphalet; | know
what It's. I've felt twas coming. Bu
, Oh, 'Liphalet, we've helped each othe
through hard times these fifty years ant
we've got each other yet
Uncle 'Liph only groaned.
"May be the farm'll last US through
we're almost worn out, and it won't b
long that we'll be waiting. With th'
farm and each other
"Oh. Dolly. Dolly. you don't know
the worst, and can't tell you. | new
er can tell you, Dolly, never"-Uncle
'Liph staggered part way across the
room, then turned suddenly.
They're going to take it all, Dolly
everything-strip us clean, clean as we
were when we began fifty years ago house
and farm and cows-every,hing. There 5
been q great carelessness as we'll as great
wrong; wrong and carelessness from the
very beginning, and now they're coming.
The law'll let EN-, and it's got to go
the back pastur', and the wood lot, and
the young orchard, and everytting,-
even Rubes, grave, Dolly. Oh, God
haven't served Thee these fifty years ;
why shouldst Thou cast me off now :"
The gray, scraggy face, with the gray,
scraggy hair around it, was turned to-
ward the ceiling. Aunt Dolly went out
into the night.
1t was stormy and cold and bitter.
The sleet cut against her cheek, the
wind raved in her hair, and the snow
drifted at her feet, but Aunt Dolly didn't
mind it. She only wanted air and to
think She leaned up against the wealth
er-bound clapboards. Was it really
going, going, going, all going: She
couldn't think one word alone whistled
over and over again-going, going. She
looked off through the storm to the dimly
outlined maple beneath which lay Rube $
grave. That too was going.
Heart and brain together grew dumb I;
muscles involun,arily acting, carried
Aunt Dolly into the house. The voice
of an automaton said:
ITS time we had prayers father
The hands of second automaton
opened the old book. A strained voice
began:
The Lord is my shepherd +; | shall
The automatons fell on their knees
with tears, broken sobs and half articu-
lations, and were automatons no longer.
Uncle 'Liphalet went to more meet
ings.
"rll fix the back door, Dolly, / don't
know anything whose hand'll swing 1t,
said he.
As for the Native Village Manu-
featuring Company It was a boat load
ed with stone to the waters edge. Poor,
deceived and disheartened though they
were. never did men strain muscle harder
than those who sought to tighten her /;
but over the side the water came in and
she went down.
Then up from the east and from the
west, and the north and the south, came
creditors, seeking their just dues, none
doubted, but seeming oftentimes to the
gnarled and hard-working debtors, like
the fat kline come up anew to devour the
lean. Aunt Dolly and Uncle 'Liphalet
waited patiently for the one to whom
they were apportioned. He was not
greedy he allowed his prey to lie fatten-
ing until the leaf buds swelled on the
lilacs. Meanwhile, what agonies Aun,
Dolly underwent cannot be described.
What must the crab feel in seeing the
stork straddle along the shore and gobble
up his fellows, and knowing not whether
his turn shall come now or then:
Aunt Dolly's ideal creditor was an
iron man, steel tipped and brass-bound
when, therefore the real creditor one
early April morning, swung back the
little picket gate, and stopped to snuff al
the lilac buds, she closed her eyes as she
would have done in the hands Of her ex-
ecutioner. She went though, and lei
him in, as if he had come unto his owr
and his own received bin.
Then she went down with her sock.
knitting beside Uncle 'Liphalet. Uncle
'Liph shook worse, and his hair and face
were whittier than when Swinton called
three years before.
The creditor talked pleasantly so hat
his predecessor. All business men
were of the artful Swinton type.
The creditor opened the subjec'
gently.
II know the law gives it to you, sir
but ms hard, hard bringing my mind tt
it," said the hoarse voice of Uncle 'Liph
coming over infrm lips. Here's wher'
Dolly and me came when we was frs
married. There was heavy mortgag
on the farm; but we said we'd worl
ourselves clear, and we did it, sir. Wed
saved up something for Rube's eddyca
ton; but Rube died, and the money
gone; the farms going, and we're go
ing"
The creditor looked troubled.
"Why. sir, there amt rod o stone
wall on the farm but what I've laid tn