The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-01-21

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her work. She and Nyfer both seemed
to think that all the duty they owed
their young ones was to make 'em
mind from the word go, and dig away
like all possessed, to make property
for 'em. But / was there that evenin'
when Ben came home without the boy,
and / saw 'em stand and look in each
others faces, like the end of the world
had come, and neither one could help
the other. Then she went about putin
bit of supper onto the table; but
when she set out Sans little tin plate
and mug, all the mother in her broke
loose, and she flung herself down,
shudderin' and sobbin' in way I'll
never forgit. Well, SEEM as how l
kinder misjudged the creetur for havin'
no heart, l felt pushed to make one
more try for that poor lost kid o. hern;
so l jumped right up and said out
With the Lords help, I'll find
him yetl'
i lit my lantern and shaded it so it
let Just little light down onto the
ground. Then l went over the road
just as l guessed the boy had done,
turnin' off on the trail at the big red
oak stump, and right down to the
swamp. There stopped and listened,
still as death. Sure as there's mercy
for us all above, heard him almost
right away.
WOh, Maj Such pitiful call! Then
he cried and whimpered, very weak,
like his breath was most gone, and his
heart most broke. | followed that
sound and found him easy. He was
mired to his arm-pits in mud and water.
| couldn't at first see how | was to get
to him. There was the body of big
walnut tree lynn back on the hard
ground, and the bark was loose. l
pulled it off in slabs and throwed 'em
onto the hummocks, and so bridged
my way out to that little yaller heap.
He struggled wild when first pulled
him out; then gave up in kind of
faint. l carried him home in a hurry.
There was still good many people at
MYERS. They made some milk warm
and put taste of liquor in it, and
forced a few drops down his throat, as
you've done to chilled lamb on win
ter's mornin'. He was bathed and
rubbed and wrapped in soft flannel, and
laid in the baby's warm nest afore the
fire. Nyfer and his wife stood lookin'
down at him.
"' Raich,' said he-and she looked
up, her black eyes a-swimmin' and her
face all a-tremble. Then he took her
into his arms and held her cloast-
Raich, we hain't loved one another
enough, and we hain't loved our chill
dren enough. There's that that's bet
tern money and land, and for the rest
of our lives we'll try and keep holt of it. }
"And | believe they did. The little
boy had fever, but he came out all
right at last. Miss Nyfer died about
five years after that, and he took the
family and went back East. OF course
/ wouldn't have told this story just as
l have if any of 'em had been around"
The people had listened closely, and
when Mrs. Lockery put on her bonnet
and resumed her seat, the hush was so
profound that we could hear, high
above our heads, the twittering clamor
of a next of young tanagers, to whom
the mother bird had brought worm
The next to address the assembly was
noble-looking old man with silvery
white hair! 1t was Mr.. Luke Wilson,
or Squire Wilson, as he was generally
called. He had firm, intellectual head,
and when he spoke his language was
correct and well spoken.
The Widow Lockery," he began,
has disclaimed all right to the title of
heroine, Do not let the verdict be rem
dered till l have finished what I am
about to relate. My friend and neigh
Dor for forty years will, l know, pardon
me if for once lift the veil from a pas
sage of her experience to which she
seldom alludes, and of which many in
this audience have never heard. Moth
ing has been told here to-day, nothing
could be told, more strongly illustrative
of the courage and endurance of the
pioneer spirit of one brave pioneer.
Gone winter evening, many years
ago, a stranger presented himself at
the cabin of Thomas and Ruth Lockery
and begged nights lodging. He was
a Canadian, completely tired out, and
far from well. Neither Lockery or his
wife had it in them to turn sick
stranger from their door; so they gave
him supper and bed. The next day
he was unable to rise, and before night
he broke out with the smallpox.
"The following morning when went
out to feed my cattle happened to look
towards Leckery's and saw on a sharp
rise of ground, half way between the
two houses, woman standing and beck.
oning to me. 1t was my neighbor here
l went towards her, but while / was
some distance away she halted me, and
told me in few words about the man
with the smallpox, and charged me to
watch the road and warn the commun'
ity. She said she had been inoculated
and would not take the disease, but she
feared for her husband and children
That day / rode eleven miles to the
nearest doctor. His wife cried anG
would not let him go. He read his
books for an hour, while my horse
rested, then he made up package Of
medicines for me, and l started back
left the medicines and stimulants or
the scrub oak hill, and Tom came and
got them.
Gas Ruth had feared, her husband
and two children were taken down
Several of the nearer families then of
fered to take all risks and help hel
nurse her sick, but she firmly refused
their assistance.
GO can get along Alone she would
say from her post on the hill. THE
Lord gives me strength for all | have
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