Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-02
JOAB'S RUSE,

1t was a bleak, bitterly cold Decem
Der night. The frozen boughs of th'
OuttoAball-tree ratified in the keer
blast The ground was tight-fettere(
in a cruel black frost.
Now and then the sickly moor
struggled through the bars of cloud
Illuminating the dreary landscape fol
an instant, and then, a' if discouraged
vanished once again into the black
vaporOus masses.
Joab Alillson sat before the fire
looking into its blazing heart, A
feeble candle burned on the table, but
otherwise the farmhouse kitchen was
quite dark,
There was a tall, wooden clock in
one corner, garlanded with the bitter.
sweet berries which had not yet lost
their autumn splendor. and monster
Jerusalem cherry tree, studded with
tiny scarlet globes, occupied the win
dow.
And honest Joab had just laid aside
the last weeks paperwith hlsspectacle-
case on top OF it,as his wife came down
stairs.
lie looked up.
"Well," said he, chow is she?"
"Shes dead :" said Mrs. Millson.
Dear, dear ~ said the kind-hearted
old farmer. dead, is she? And poor
little lris--what is to become of her %
Il think you'd great deal better
say poor me-" exclaimed Mrs. N1illson,
houncing into chair, in extreme irrl-
tation, "with three weeks board un-
paid and not a cent left !"
Not cent, eh?' repeated Mr. Mill
son.
isle told me deal just before she
died." said the farmers wife. "She ran
away from her friends to marry Iris
father and he died and left her when
Iris was baby And then her folks
wouldn't have nothing more to say TO
her And she has supported the child
ever since, the best she Cold"
"Poor thing! repeated Joab, whose
heart was as gentle as hismanners,
were uncouth. II might ha' knowed
from the haggard look in her face that
she had seen trouble"
"Three weeks board, to say nothing
of the medicines I paid for, and the
doctors bill % said Mrs. NIillson.
Folks oughtn't to be sick if they cant
pay their way. It's what | call down
right swindling"
"Where is Iris? ?" asked Joab.
ASLEEP, upstairs"
"Don't she know her mother is dead
"No" snappishly retorted Mrs. Mill
son. Whrre was the use of calling
her? Amt there trouble and confu-
sion enough a'ready?'
Poor dear :" said Joab, mechanically
rubbing his knees-"poor dear It'll
be a blow to her"
81 shall see Mr.. Gri9gett up at the
asylum, tomorrow" said Mrs. Millson.
"Of course. the town will bury Mrs.
Brooke"
THAT'S most a pity, amt it, my
dear?' said Joab. ".ohe was proud.
spirited creeter, that Mrs. Brooke"
Poor folks hain't no business to be
proud" said Mrs. NIillson.
"Rebecca," said the farmer insinuat-
ingly, couldn't We"
mo, we couldn'tD' sharply inter-
rupted his wife. 1--WE, indeed with
that thousand dollars you owe to Nun
son Miner, and the mortgage on the
farm eating up our means as fast as
ever it can. Haven't we done enough
for this woman a'reaiyY'
"She paid her board as long as she
could" mildly expostulated Millson.
"Then she'd ought to have left of
livin' when she couldn't pay her way
no longer" said Mrs. Millson.
Yes, but"
1--WE made up my mind" shortly
Mrs. Millson. This here
house amt a free charity. | shall see
the selectmen tomorrow, and Mr..
Griggett into the bargain. l don't
suppose I'll ever get that board money,
but | don't mean to throw another
cent after it.
At that moment a little, shivering,
white-robed figure appeared at the
figure Of child of ten, with
auburn gold hair streaming down her
back, large blue eyes, and cheeks GRIM
soned with grief and terror.
mamma !" she cried. II dreamed
that mamma called me and they
won't let me into the room. Oh, Mrs.
Millson, is size deadY"
Iris. 60 back to your room at once"
said Mrs. Millson sharply. "Yes, Of
course she's dead What else would
you expectp Go back to bed--you
can't do no good" !" ..
. But the honest farmer, melted by
the child's look of wild, dumb distress,
opened wide his arms,