The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1884-09-11
Hsv ! Became . Farmer.


II vas getting dark. Bu. through ID
bushes. slsss the muddy road ] oosld %
bon. ahead. and iimped on toward Il
ibongh ! had liitl. hope tbai the peopl
1 there vsuld receive me
All how discouraged, husgry snd foot
sore vas that night Every step vas tor,
ure. II | bad had ny choice TO live .
die. j henesil, thisk ! would have pre-
fsrred the latter.
II was q low. small. one story house
weather beaten and silspidatsd. Two .
The frsst windows were bearded up, an,
the other two had half the glass pane
broken out OF 10 the left vas = still
moro dilapidaled barn. the great docrs 0
which we're propped up. Not only th
yard iopce. but all the fences in sight wsr
shattersd aud falling aows.
The place. As ! say 1t . sscsad glance
vas usinhsbited. and from the forest o
tall. dry tkisllss before tho house dsor.
judged that IL hsd not Bees occupied is
. iosg time. Al least. Thought, Ishoult
BOT - dsnisd a nights lsd ging here.
There was FIRE place 10 the rear sf The
room. and after shouting 10 make sure thai
no one would object. built prodigiou,
fire. and going TO the barn fetched in arm
fuls oil old straw there and made bed fei
myself.
| was hungry. yet still more tired, and
after time fell asleep.
In the spring OF 1874. was as homeless
and houseless as anybody in Boston. !
was nineteen. My mother was dead, and
nay father, crippled sailor, was au inmate
Of a charitable institution.
The previous summer had driven an
ice cart, ana had saved enough to carry
me partly through the wiatsr. But ]
could not get another Job. II thsrc is any
thing 10 this world which will try ose',
soul, it is to hunt 8 job week after week
and month after month. and be met by
that one Geld reply, "Nst wanted"
BY the month Of February my money
was all spent.
Up TO that time had not the least idea
OF leaving the city and trying the country,
for knew nothing OF it. | knew brake
man named Lssvett on the Boston K Maine
railroad who had an uncle living in the
town Of b, up in New Hampshire.
This uncle, he said, needed hand on
his farm, and he thought could get the
place, Ho gave me line to him, and got
ne free ride on the night freight with
him to Exeter. From Exeter walked to
b, but VIXEN l arrived the place was
filed.
Hardly knowing what to do l went on
inquiring for employment and had been
travelling two days when / came to the old
deserted house. Here / stayed during the
night.
My waking was not CHEEKY tho next
morning. was miserably cold, and il /
had beea faint and hungry the night be-
fore, was hungrisr now. The weather,
toe. had turned foggy and wet Drsarily.
and not without pain, got up and looked
about the inside OF the old house. The
bare, smoked and upholstered rooms were
the picture Of desolation No wonder, l
thought, tLst the previous inhabitants had
abandoned tho place. Though there was
little iaducement to tarry longer, there was
still less to go on seeking work where no
one wanted to hire; and for the first time
ths idea Of staying here entered my mind.
This WAS what l thought: Here is house
and here is a farm. They are deserted.
II nobody else wants them. why can't l
have them and make homo OF them2
But whether l lived there or not want
ed something TO eat, and set off along
the road to farmhouse painted red. As l
drew near, o clatter Of forks and plates as.
surred me that the felix's wereIat breakfast.
The outer dsor was ajar. ! stepped up
and tapped atit.
"Come in. some one called out.
II entered and said, Coed morning"
but no one responded.
"Do You wish to hire any help" l
asked, addressing myself to the man OF
the house.
BE you the chap that had fire in the
cid house down here last nighR" the man
inquired.
"Yss," ! snid "Do you know who
ownes it2"
That's hard telling he answered.
"aufus Bartlett lived there last. But old
man Smith in Boston had mortgage Of
1t; and guess the mortgage has got it by
this time.
do you think this Mr.. Smith would
care il stopped there awhile?"
Cant say, replied the man.
Isst awhile and thea asked them il they
could sell me peck Of potatoes. or four
quarts Of corn meal, and let ne work in
payment. Il will work all day for either
one. offered, "aHd will try and do q
good days work"
But neither the man rer woman an
swersd. Isat 10 minutes, perhaps, feeling
but comfortable, and then bade
them gsod morning and went out. While
! stood hssitating in the road, boy came
out into the yard Tho old man sez yeu
can 90 to saving this ere pile Of wood"
he called 10 me.
The next night ! possessed apsek Of