The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-01-22


farm sad each other"
20. Dolly. Dolly. ysu doat know III
1 worst and eaat tell you. eau rsver icl
yeu. Dolly. never. =" unsls Iiph stag
ssrsd part vsy asross the room. thsI
tsrnsd suddenly.
They're going ts take Il al. Dolly :
everything strip ss clean, clean - "
we're vhes " began 90 years ago. hous'
ssd farm asd ssws--svsrything Thers'l
bsss great sArslsssnsss - well - grea
wrong; vrsns and sarslsssnsss And wrong
irsm the very beginning. and nov thsy'r'
csmisg The lawll lstsm. and it's goI
70 so--the back pastur'. and the wood lot
aad The young orchard and every thisg =
even Rabss grave. Dolly. 0. God
hsvsst I served Thee shssss 80 years: Why
shosldst Thou cast mo sG now9'
The gray. scraggy face, with the gray
sorasgIy hair arouad 1t. vas turned To-
ward the ceiling. Aunt Dolly vent eu'
isto the night.
II vas stormy and cold and bitter. The
slsss cut against her cheek, ths viad raw
"a IN her hair. sad the saow driftsd at he,
feet. but Aunt Dolly dida't mind il. She
snly wanted air aad 70 think. She lsaAsd
up against the weather bound slspbsards.
Was IL really going. going. going. All
going. She looked off through the storm
to ths dimly outlined maple beneath which
Icy Bubs's grave That, too. Was going.
Heart ssd brain together grew numb;
muscles involuntarily acting. carried Aunt
Dolly into the house. The voice Of N
Autonaton said.
"It's time We had prayers, father"
The hands Of . ssecond sutomatsn open
Cd tho old book. A strained voice he-
gam
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not
want"
The automatens fell o. their knees with
tears, broken sobs, and half articulstions,
and were automatous no longer
Unole 'Liphalet vent TO more meetings.
'I'll fix tho back door. Dolly, but !
don't know anything whose hands will
swing it."
As for the "Natiys Village Manufactur-
ing Company" it was boat loaded with
stone to the waters edge. Poor, deceived
and disheartened though they were, never
did men strain muscle harder than those
who sought to straishten her; but over the
side the water came in. and she had to go
down.
Then up from the east and from the
west, aud the north and south. came cred.
itors seeking their just dues. none doubted
but seeming oftentimeA to be gnarled and
hard working debtors like the fat kline
came up anew to devour the lean. Aunt
Dolly and Uncle 'Liphalet waited patient
ly for the one to whom they were appor
toned He was not greedy; hs allowed
bis prey to lie fattening until the leaf buds
swelled on the lilacs Meanwhile, what
agonies Aunt Dolly underwent cannot be
described. What must the crab feel in
seeing the stork straddle along the shore
and gobble up his fsllsSs, aud knowing
not whether his turn shall come now or
when?
Aunt Dolly's ideal creditor was an iron
man. steel tipped and brass bound, when,
therefore. the real creditor. one early
April morning. swung back the little pick
st gate, and stopped to sniff at the lilac
buds, she closed her eyes as she would
have done in the hands OF her executionsr.
She went, though, and let him in ~ il hs
had come unto his own, and his own re-
ssivsd him.
Then she sat down with her seek knit
ting beside Uncle 'Liphslet. Uncle Liph
shook worse, and his hair aud face were
whiter than whep .Swiuton called three
years before.
The creditor opened -the subject gently.
II know the Law gives ito yeu. sir:
bat it's hard. hard bringing my mind 10
it, said tho hosrss voice OF Uncle 'Liph.
cemisg ever is6rm lips. Here's where
Dolly and me eons whom We we're first
married. Thsrs wss heavy mortgage on
the farm. but We said we'd work ourselves
clear, and vs did it, sir. We'd saved up
something for Rubs's eddycAtion. but he
died, and ths moAsy's gone, the farms's
going and we're going. I don't ksow
where vs'ro going"
Tho creditor looked troubled.
"Why, Dir. there sih'ta rod o. stone wall
sn the farm but what I've laid the stone;
not foot Of drained msdaer lArd but I've
puAdown the tiles. not bearin' tree 10 the
orchid but | grated; there sin't-- Oh, it'll
be dreadful to take away ths farm. dread
full"
Uacls 'Liph laid his great. rough hands
over his face and the tears tricklsd out
besvsea his fingers.
He don't oughtsr shed tears" said
Aunt Dolly, spologeticalIy, 'but hes bssa
20 harasssd and worried he's kind o weak
snsd and broke down. sir. But it's hard
on 10 both TO leave tho old farm. There's
. difference. cir, betwixt farm that's
bought for . lump Of money. and farm
that seems 10 stand for tho spotted calf.
and the eossst sheep. and the yellow hens
sggs"-
Uncle 'Liphalst broke in;-"Its rocky.
and don't look like much. l know. but
'pssrs TO ne men arc like some trees; rs
them - had their roots twisted around
sod under tbs rocks that il is hardest to
tear up. l never expected TO die 10 the
poor house. sir. None OF my kin ever
went there. What vould Rsbs say! Why
what would Rubs say? Dollyi"
Eve trisd hard 70 realize il. said Aunt