Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-29

ing an attempt at literature, suppose 1t
was looked upon here as respectable"
"And did you use to write poetry p'
queried Mrs. Pember.
"Not to sny dangerous extern. replied
Tompkius. II do not deny that tried
while in college, but / reformed when l
went West. I think uncle Jason always
had all idea that it might be better for me
to be Daniel Webster. He stood by me
after left college, and for three years
continued to get those letters, with five
or six dollars at time in them They
kept me from actual suffering sometimes,
before got down off my stills, and went
to work like NJ. honest man, in the pork
| business"
~ thought you were going to tell us
something about that GIRL" suggested
Mrs Pember
eyes, / was,' rejoined Tompkins.
'Whcn saw Lucy here, four years ago,
in the gallery with the singers, felt as
il ii would be impossible for me to face
her and talk with her. She would not
have known me. for one thing. When l
was brown.haired boy, making poetry,
and being martyr, and doing serenad-
ing, and living on Goldfish and crackers
and soup, could meet Lucy with grand
|
there in church, gray and worn, l dread
cd to catch her eye, or have her see me-
Although there was not three years diff
ference in our ages, vet it seemed to me
that | was very old, while she was still
blooming. Then there was the feeling
that l had not become Il great poet, or
orator, or anything really worth while.
On the contrary, / was Just nobody. 1t
seemed like attending my own funeral I
felt disgraced. OF course it was not all
true. had been good, square, honest,
hard working man."
Eyes, you had indeed, Timothy" AS
scented Mrs. Pember, with an emphatic
nod.
eyes indeed, [ had" repeated Temp
kins, his chin quivering. at was not
the thing for fair-minded man to think
80 poorly of himself but | was alone,
and the old associations and the solemn
services were very impressive. There was
! Lucy i'll the choir she always could sing
like nightingale. When | heard her
voice again, it overcamc me. / did not
hear much of the sermon. think it was
something about temptation and the sug-
gestions Of the evil one but ] am not
sure. for l had my head down Oh the
back of the pew in front of me most of
the time. l had to fight desperately to
control my feelings. One minute | would
| think that AS soon as the services closed
would r,i,h around and shake hanus with
my old acquaintance, and the next min
ute would be doing my best to swallow
the lump in my throat. 1t was as tough
a sixty minutes as ever passed. But
| finally the services were ended. felt
| that it was plainly my duty to stop in the
porch and claim the recognition OF my
friends. l did pause, and try for few
seconds to collect myself but the lump
grew bigger and choked me, while the
tears looud flow. Besides that, as the
adversary just then, in the meanest pos
sible manner, suggested TO my soIl, there
was that pork. / knew would have to
tell of it ii 1 stopped. But did not stop
L retrented. When / reached my room in
the hotel felt n longing to get out of
town. Fortunately, ] could not leave on
Sunday. So in the afternoon l sat with
the landlord on his broad front platform,
or piazza. 1t was not the person who
keeps the place now, but one of the old
est inhabitants, who knew all about the
Burlington people, He guessed that /
was college boy: he thought he remem-
bered something about my appearance. l
did not mind talking freely with n land
lord, for hotels and boarding houses had
been my home in Chicago. had always
been single man, just as | am to this
day. This LANDLORD was q good hearted
old chap, and it was pleasant 70 talk with
him. While we were sitting There, Who
should come along the street but Lucy,
with book in her hand. She was on the
opposite sidewalk, and did not look up.
Sho would not look at hotel on Sunday.
asked the landlord about her, and he
to Id me all there WAS to tell She was
living in one end of little wooden cot
tage over toward Winooski, another fac
tory woman occupying the other part of
the house. They made home together.
The landlord said Lucy was an excellent
woman, and migi.t have married ono of
the overseers in the factoiy aCy time she
chose for years back, but that shc prefer
red single life,
"When got back to Chicago / kept
thinking about Lucy Cary. The old times
when we used to live in Wilmington came
back to my mind. The truth of it was, 1
was getting along IL little, ut last, in Chi
cago in the way of property, and found
myself all tie while planning how / could
have Lucy Gary neal nc.
Odd you want to marry her. limo
thy 2" inquired Mrs. Pember
ut was not that he replied "but l |
wanted to become acquainted with her
again. knew she was the best girl I |
had ever seen. She always was lust as |
good and pions az ANYBODY could be. We
were like brother and sister. almost.
when young and when l thought OF |
home and my folks and old Wilmington
and the college days, somehow Lucy was
the centre of it all. In fact, almost every
thing else was gone. NV folks were
scattered, and Lucy and uncle Jason were
nearly the only persons up this way that
| could lay claim to. There is kind of