Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-01-09

uOW ploSN Oiu i"i "iN'' VI "'"i'
mechanics. don't want any one
of them to remain miserable under
the impression that you might
have been happier had you mar
ried him instead of me. Men Will
be fools on the subject of their Old
flames, unless absolutely prevent
ed
So Mrs. Arthray mailed cards to
all whom she could remember,
whether she had recently seen them
or not, and her memory proved so
good that the post-ofice clerk was
mystified at seeing tiny envelopes
addressed to several men who had
been dead for years.
Among the young men whom
Mrs. Arthray remembered pleas
antly was Tom Dolser; indeed, she
had never known anything against
him except that he sometimes
drank liquor. She had long ceas-
ed to know or hear anything about
him, but'most of the old residents
knew that Tom had become the
most hopeless sOt in the village.
His home was the stable of the
common tavern that had once been
the village hotel, and for serving
in the bar-rOOm as boot black and
general messenger, he was allowed
to eat with the landlords colored
servants. His wardrobe was sup.
piled from the cast-off clothing OF
stable-boys, yet his dress never
was as uDsightly as his cOunten-
ance. Only two friends of his
youthful days remained to him
rum and the river; the latter could
not cast him off if it would, and he
would not abandon the former if he
could; when he could get rum, he
was happy; when he could not, he
solaced himself by lOunging on the
river bank and listening to the
only village babbler that talked
as it used to do and never upbraid-
ed him.
Late IN the afternoon Of the day
preceding the beginning of New
Years calls in Thornton, Tom Dol
ser returned from long errand
and entered the bar of the tavern
in dOleful frame of mind, for the
trip was to yield him only ten
cents; the next day, New Years,
could hardly bring him business of
any kind, there being no travellers
with boots to black in town on
holidays, so how was he to get his
customary stimulus? ? The pros
pect unnamed him-as almost
anything could and he felt like
crying, but after some effort he
succeeded in swearing instead. AS
he shuilled to his place on the
bOOtblack's bench, he was startled
by shouts of:
'Here he Is nowv tom, you're
in luck ? There's a week of solid
bliss ahead of you' and other re-
marks Of similar purpOrt
The sot looked about him de-
family; lie had been the subject Of
very rough jokes in that bar.room.
He stared inquiringly at the bar
keeper, who always spoke with au-
thority when he spoke at all.
'They mean it, Tom said The
great poisoner. 'The New York
fashion of New Years calls is TO
be taken up here tO-mOrrOw--Arth-
rays wife started it-and the fel-
lows here think twill be fun to
keep the woman and the men who
are to call on 'em awake all through
tonight, so they'll all feel good and
stale tomorrow
Il don't want to get into the
lookup said Tom, shuflling again
toward the boOt-black's bench and
looking much disappointed.
'There's no danger of that, Tom,
explained one Of the opponents of
New Years innovations from New
York. sAll the bells of Thornton
are always rung at midnight of the
last of the year, but the racket
sometimes ends pretty soon, be-
cause the ringers gets tired and
haven't anything to brace 'em up.
Now, just see how lovely we've ar
ranged the whole thing; the old
school house is right in the middle
of the town, its bell is the easiest
Of the whole lot to ring, and yet its
Jingle is so Internally loud that no.
body can help hearin' it. We've
f got the keys ; you take 'em, 60 in
just before twelve, lock yourself in
so nobody can get at you, take life
easy until the other bells shut up,
and then begin and ring, first with
one hand and then with the other,
straight through till daylight.
Well lend you a horse-blanket 10
keep you warm, give you pint Of
whiskey to keep you company,
and, ifyOu see the job through,
you shall have free rum at the bar
f here all day tomorrow and for a
week afterward-eh, Teetis?'
r Fact, replied the bar-keeper
! 'The boys are to pay the score.
'I'll do it,, said Tom, 'if you'll
! see me through fir ON now till mid.
} night said Tom.
ooh, no. laughed the expounder
Of the conspiracy, cor you won't be