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


mallets, and rang out cold Hun
dred with great precision and
force no other bells had yet be-
gun, for the hour had not yet struck.
Then, like, good patriot, he rang
Yankee Doodle The clock bell
below then struck twelve, and the
general jangle began. The delicate
notes of the chimes would be lost
in such clamor, so the trio stood
and chatted. Arthray, was curious
and ignorant about local affairs as
active business men usually are,
asked numerous questions, to all of
which Tom made prompt reply,
although frequently compelled to
throw himself upon his imagina-
tion,-he would commit any crime
rather than have Mrs. Arthray
suspect that he was not what she
seemed to believe him.
One by one bells grew silent,
and again Arthray rang the chimes;
when he rang 'Adesta Fidelis,'
Tom broke down he had heard
his mother sing it thousands of
times. lie turned abruptly to Mrs.
Arthray and said;
Il must go nOw-tbis moment
You won't fail to call, to day 2
said the lady. you received my
card, | supposoP
Alice said Tom in low quick
tones, you don't know me, I'm the
worst drunkard, the lowest tramp,
in all Thornton. | couldn't help
being overcome by your kindness
tonight, but I've insulted you by
even standing near you and speak
ing to you. Pm ruined, ragged,
vile, wOrthless-Tye not felt like a
gentleman IN ten years until to-
night. Now, if | do not call, you'll
not tell anything that will make
fun of meY
Not call?' said Mrs. Arthray, as
her husband turned away from the
bells, Certainly you will call
insist upon it. Oscar, Mr.. Dolser
must hurry away to look after a
reforming drunkard who needs
everything. | want to help in the
good work; have you any money
in your pocketi'
Arthray handed his wife a small
roll of bank-notes; the lady went
to the lantern and counted a hun
dred dollars from it, and handed
them to Tom.
Now, ring just one time before
you CO. said she. 'YOu used TO
do it so WE'LL
q can't; Pve entirely forgotten
the BELLS said Tom.
'Pll help you.--you can do it with
a single malet..--here.' As she
spoke she placed mallet in his
right hand, seized his wrist with
her left, and guided him in playing
'Auld Lang Sync, her rich voice
singing near his ear:
"Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought TO mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days Of Aud Lang Syne.'
There said she at the end Of
the fourth bar, now we wont
dctain you any longer, but remcm
Der that I'll be the most disappoin-
ted woman in all Thornton, if yor
don't call tomorrow
Tom dashed down the narrow
steep steps without saying a word
From force of habit he returned t
the tavern.bar, where he encoun
tered a storm of curses. The
loungers demanded that he shoulC
fulfill his promise, hut he refused
and declined to explain. Then they
wanted the school.house keys, bu
he pretended to have lost them
Strange stories were told Of his
subsequent doings ; it was saiC
that he called on q physician and
then on a minister, both between
midnight and daylight ; that ht
paid several prices, very early Il
the morning, to overcome thu
iastidiousness of the owner of
barber shop and bathing establish
mcnt, and that he had persuaded
the owner of a clothing store t
open his place for a few moments
and fit him to the best garments
OH the shelves. However it all
may have come about, it is certain
that in the afternoon of New Year
day, Tom Dolser, in the garb and
bearing of a gentleman, thougl
without much cOmposure of counte
nance, called on Mrs. Arthray. III,
had to introduce himself again
and he feared the consequences i
his hostess should have to intro
duce him to others. Heaven kind
] ly arranged, however, that the onl,
other person present was an OLE
clergyman, who had been paste
to Mrs. Arthray and Tom a quar-
ter of a century before. After Ton
had gone, the lady made u conf
dant of the minister. The old maj
hoped, yet he feared; he had pre-
pared dozens of pledges in twent.
years, all of which Tom had signe'
and broken. Yet after the lat
drunkard had become, if not hi
original self, at least an indus
trious and respectable member O
society, and Mrs. Arthray was on