The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-10-22


ancs upon walls and fences OF placard
announcing that the Cecilia Club" would
give . concert at HAvsrford lsiK miles
away and Saul Ki..redgs was the ''basso
profondo. I" NJ
West Eden Was far. very far, from the
maddeping crowd. and the entertainments
that came within its range we're wont
10 lie OF the burnt cork variety. They
savored OF the ungodly, and OF very
humble social sphere. And Saul vas Dea
Kiitridges only son. and had been expect
cd 10 follow in bis fathers footsteps--to
be deacon Of the church. president Of the
Eden bank. postmaster Of West Eden ithe
portmastership bad descended TO the dea-
con from his father and grandfather un-
disturbed by political changes. and the
deacon regarded II ~ : respectable heir
loom) and for . wife he was TO take 10
himself Mary willctt, the ministers
daughter.
All these plans were waiting for The
baby Saul when he opened his astosished
blinking black eyes upon this trouble
some world. AlAsl almost from the day
Of their opening the black eyes took diff
ferent view of life. Before their owner
was five he had set little Mary Willett
down hard in . mud pie. and run of TO
play with the disreputable children on
the FLATS"
Hes alwers been walking in the down.
ward path" said Deacon Peters Of the
other church, as be stopped for friendly
chat at the updertakers door on the day
when the placards appeared. "To think
OF his thrashiu' the school master who
was disciplinin' Tidy Slocomb. one Of
them fiat children, an then runnin' away
with circus when he wasn't sixteen!
And then he feft college against his fathers
will, and the first thing they knew he was
playactin' in a theatrei And he's ,courtin
Tidy Slocomb and means to marry her.
They say be promised his mother he'd
give up the playactin', but don't know
but this is jest as bad. His father has
cast him of and forbid him the house but
he's terrible broke down by it Well, he's
been prosperous man, Deacon Kittfidge
has, aud you cant expect to fly in the
face OF Providence every way"
Deacon Peters seemed to regard Provi.
dence as malignant power ready TO swoop
down on mortals and take revenge for any
happiness they might have enjoyed.
saul wasn't never what you could call
goodly given" said Job Fisher. the under.
taker 3 fat and jovial man, who was at
work upon willow baby carriage, cradles
and baby carriages being chesrfully min.
gled with the legitimate products Of his
craft all over his shop. "But be always
seemed to me like skittish colt; there
wasn't nothing really wicked about him. :"
"rhe Lords judgements amt ourn,"
said the deacon. stroking his chin lugu-
briously.
Naturally He'd be more perticular,
but it kind o seems to me as il He'd know
how to make allowances, too" The un-
dertsker looked little alarmed after be
had given expression to this lax doctrine,
and hsstened to add: II s'pose be kind
OF soft hearted about Saul You see, him
and me used to be great friends when
he was little curly headed feller; he
used to ix up play houses round hers in
my shop-in cradles or collins, ary one,
twas all the same to him. / can remem-
Der when he fetched over his old cat and
terrible homely batch Of kittens, and
kept EN- in coffin, that I'd got ready for
old Mr.. Hollis, till they were old
enough TO give away. I was expectin'
every day that old Mr.. Hollis would
want his coffin, but twas amazing how he
hung on"
I'm afraid Saul never had any realizin'
sense OF solemn things" said the deacon.
"But there is Deacon Kittridge readin
one OF the bills; it is certainly time TO
offer Christian sympathy"
ut ain playactin'. said the undertaken
to himself as the deacon departed, III
basso profondo does sound like swearing.
and somehow puts you in mind OF the bad
place, and il nobody else don't, Maria and
I'll go over to hear Saul sing,
When Deacon Kittride saw the deacon
OF the other church coming toward him,
he hurried away. II can't talk about it :
no. can't never talk about it to any body
but the Lord and Laviny," he murmured
TO himself
The post-ofIice was an excrescence upon
the side OF the large, low farm house
which Dea. Kittredge's grandfather had
built; an ornamental excrescence. for West
Eden was not. after all, so far from the
crowd but that hints OF the
new styles in architecture reached it, and
The post Office was an aspiring work box
with fendish reds aud yellows.
u which the solid, respectable old house
looked thoroughly ashamed. The family
sitting room had been the postofiice, and
lhe new postoiiice opened out Of II; other
wise she would have died Of homesickness
liter il was built, Mrs. Kittredge declared.
West Eden was social place, and a. many
people came 10 the Office nov by way Of
Ihe sitting room as by the legitimate en-.
rance.
Mrs Kittridge had become lame by
reason Of chronic rheumatism. and was
unable 10 get about much. and IL IL had
not been for the postofiice she couldn't.
ls she often declared. have kept up 30
With what was goin' on.
She knew whom every body letters we're
IRON; she sometinss ssi3d the deacon in
The dead Of the night'viIh shrewd guess
IA as IN iheiy rf,ntente. and neverf hcless