Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-06-08
The Dark Hour.


won't let me have chance to keep
home over your heads. | know I'm
not all ought to be, and I'm punish
ed"
Becky went across the room and
patted her husband on the back.
'sNow don't take on, Nick, DON'T
she SAID. ssThat can't be, for He
knows as all knows how good you
are. Better times IL come. They're
sure to; and you'll be rewarded for
all your patience yet. The darkest
hour is just before day.
The cobbler shook his head.
ssTve gin up hope, Becky" he
said, "what with the rent and bill for
medicine. 1t was like me to get sick
just at the worst, and no work COM
in and the new shop with gilt sign
tempting folks from our shabby base
ment even for the mending of their
old shoes. I'm crushed down. Why,
you are as thin and white as ghost.
you havn't tasted meat this week,
Becky"
'sNo more have you," said Becky.
ssBut la, why there is folks thinks
meat unhulsome. Wegetarans, Nick,
they call 'em; where l lived out once
/ saw one"
ssDid he say bread was unhulsome,
too?" asked Nick. ''Oh, gal, l wish
I'd left ye living at service, rosy,
bright and happy! but l meant TO
do better, i did. If l was an able
bodied man I'd work somehow and
somewhere, but it's the last or moth
ing with me. Becky, why didn't you
take Tim Rolf, the wheelwright, and
send the little limping cobbler about
his business?'
81 don't like Tim," said Becky,
"and I just knew how nice and cosy
we'd be together. Never aquarrel ;and
how we used TO 60 to Hoboken and
and have lemonade in the garden, al ,
come home arter dark an afternoon,
and how we used to go to church Sun
day morning in clothes as good as
any one's".
"Used," sighed poor Nick.
"Why, 1t can't be all up bill, said
Becky. 81 havn't time to 60 out
gallivanting now, but, Ia, I don't
miss it. We're steady married folks
now, you know
"Oh, Becky!" said the cobbler,
"you try to keep up heart, but you
know it's come to starving"
They looked at each other, and
then Becky put her arms about her
husband as if to shield him. She did
not weep upon his bosom; she was
so strong and he so small and frail
that it only seemed natural to reverse
matters. She hugged him up to her
shoulder and covered his head over
with her apron, and put her cheek
down outside the bundle thus made,
and smoothed and patted him as if he
had been baby. But she cried, too,
and the apron was wet through IN no
time.
1t was bad state of things. No
money, no food, no fire. and winter
at it's coldest the children sent to
school breakfastless for the sake of
the warmth and comfort of the school
house; no work to be had; the cob
bier as helpless as man well could be,
except at his trade, and Becky S
washing stopped, for Heaven only
knows how long, by a great felon in
the palm of her right hand.
But Becky loved the queer little
mortal she had married so well that
she had stopped crying first, and
picked up his head and patted it, and
kissed him between the eyes-great,
frightened light-blue eyes, that seem
ed made for crying.
"You stay at home and mind the
place." she said. s'I'm going out fol
while. Perhaps there'll be bit OF
luck-who knows?"
She put on her bonnet and shawl
such thin little shawl, which had
been used for an ironing cloth, and
had an iron shaped scorch between
the shoulders-and took up basket
The cobbler looked at her.
"Becky!" he said hoarsely.
She knew just what he meant.
''The little children, Nick,' il
won't seem like begging when it's fol
them"
Then the door shut behind her, anG
, poor Nick limped after her.as though
to stop her, then paused and fairly
flung himself down upon the floor
wishing he were under the ground be-
meath it.
"God forgive the man who marries
a woman to starve her," he sobbed
"Why, if / had known it would come
f to this, I'd never have courted her
It's time / was dead"
Perhaps, being strange, impuls
,, i've little fellow, there might hav,
been tragic end to this scene bu
that the children came in from schoo
and began to cry, partly at the sigh
of their PROSTATE father, partly be
cause of hunger, and Nick forgo
himself.to do what he could for them
He had no dinner, but he had
great deal of love for them, and SOM
, pieces of red kid. And the fact tha
smother" and the basket were gon
together impressed them with hop
g Of nroviSionS