St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-01-31

there is nothing, after All, IKE the
quiet of ones own home.n
'.How about its effect on the
health ?" she asked
"Welr," said he, laughing, "we'll say
nothing about that till next summer,
when business cares will, perhaps, call
for relaxation. A slice more of the
toast, please"
ave shall all die before them" said
she, ''if what DR.. Scapula says is true ::
but It's of no consequence, so far as
am concerned, suppose"
"And what does the doctor say ?"
"Why, that every drop of well wa
ter in the city is rank poison, and that
we are drinking typhoid fever, malaria,
phlebotOmy, rheumatism, pneumonia,
hydrophObia and all other diseases,
and nothing but drinking Mystic water
can save us"
Goodness gracious does he say all
this ?" affecting alarm.
every word of it, and about our
well, too: He was here Yesterday
"indeed ~
''And he said that with the hospital
on the hill above us, not more than II
quarter of II mile away, aud the slops
of four estates percolating think
| that was the word-thrOugh the
ground into our well, he wouldn't as
sure our lives for year"
"WelI," said Blifkins, rising to the
occasion and from the table at the
same time, "yOu tell DR.. Scapula that
he is an alarmist, aud that what he
tells You is all moonshinc, humbug,
and the old we'll shall stay"
"No matter, l suppose" said she,
whether your wife and children are
left to incur the danger or not. |
should hate to have the children
suffer-
"By the way said he, "where are
| the children | have been so beset by
| thirst and hunger and sleep and pump
ing that | quite forgot them. Where
are they 2"
"GOne to their Aunt Emma's," she
replied, "to spend the evening, where
they can have plenty of Mystic water"
"ConfOund the Mystic waterm he
calculated, and went away TO meet his
children at their aunt's. He thought of
the Mystic water all the way there,
the memory of that hard pump perco-
lating through his mind. Could there
doctor had said?
In this frame of mind he returned
home with his children, and, though
he saw i'll them no signs of failing
| health, he felt that if there were any
risk he was unwilling to take the re-
| sponsibility of causing it, so he was
prepared for the letting on of the water
| question again. 1t soon came-much
easier than the pump, as he had
learned by experience and, as he
heard Bridget, who had returned from
her mOurnful errand, working at it, he
WAS ready to yield to reasonable sug-
gestion from Mrs Blif kins, the result
of which was that the pumps should
be taken ont and the Mystic intro
| duced, a reservation being made that
the well should be left, subject to
new pump if the new arrangement did
| not prove satisfactory. Indeed, he
stipulated that one should be put in,
whether or no, the next spring. The
water was accordingly introduced, and
peace remained undiluted until there
came up Il terribly cold snap.
"WOn't the water freeze p asked
Mrs. Bifkins, us Mr. b. came home
chilled through and through.
81 dare say" said he, as lie donned
his slippers, water is just as likely to
freeze as anything. Eve known ice to
he made of it,"
Nonsense !" she replied "Why
can't yOu be serIousg | mean our
Mystic water"
"Well wife," said he, "we will sec
about that at bedtime. In the mean
time we viii enjoy ourselves. 1t is il
cold night. See how the frost is gath
ering on the windows. 'Tis blizzard,
sure enough"
After supper, and in the enjoyment
of Il good time, the water was forgotten
until the hour of retiring, when Bridg
ct put her head i'll ut the door.
"An' will yez look afther the water
mem p said she.
"Certainly; all right, Bridget" re-
piled Blifkins.
He took "a light and went into the
cellar, where, after some difficulty, he
found the escape cock and turned OF
the water. This done, he retired tc
enjoy the repose of the virtuous, re-
flecting that he had got the bulge on
the cold, and that the water was secure
from its attacks.
The next day was washing day, anC
Bridget was up before it was wei
light, preparing to do her duty in tn,
sudSy endeavOr. She had put hel
boiler, filed, on the stove over night
to get the benefit of the remainder %
, the late kitchen fire, and had no i'm
, mediate occasion to try the Mystic
faucet: but, when she did try it, it re
fused to run, save very weakly, anG
| then stopped altogether. She ran
@, up stairs and knocked at Blifkins' doc
, Just as he was turning over for anothe
nap.
"Well. what's broke ~ he cried, an
. grily.
"Water's friz, SIR said Bridge
through the key-hole.
''Mrs. Blif kins, do you hear that
+ he shouted in her ear.
+ "Hear what p said she.
''The waters froze Dye hear
FrOze 2'
''Well, get up and thaw it out" SAT-
r she; ''though of course | am expected
to do it, as you said | should have Il
when it was introduced"
They both went down to look int,
the situation. The faucet, upon in
spection, trickled forth few reluctan
, drops and then discontinued.
alt must have frozen under the sink g.
said Blif kins.
well" said Mrs. B., 81 will hea
= some cloths and put around the pipe
/ think know the very spot"
The cloths were heated and applie'
without favorable results. Then
kettle of hot suds was poured over j
with no better success.
at needs warm air." said Blif kins
= ''bring ON all your lamps"
Y The lamps were brought, lighte'
4 aud placed under the sink, creating, il
4 "A feV moments heat enouph tn melt