The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-06-30

And L suppose she maugntn I'll"
snapped Polly. " See here, Seth Jen-
kins, d'you s'pose I'd hev a poor'us
gal o. mine a slippin inter nabers'
houses?"
Wal, no, s'pose she wouldn't
dare. But, Polly, I've allus thought
you was leetle too hash with that
gaia leetle too hash. Recollect,
Polly, we're to temper the wind to the
shorn lamb, as it were. Now be we
dom it by that thar leetle gal?"
Look here, Seth Jenkins What
d'you mean?" asked his wife, sharply.
D'you mean to insinoate 'at Pm not
dom my duty by that are little huzzy?
I've been forbearin' an forbearin' till
it amt no kind of use. Only yistirdy
one o. them white plates I've sot such
store by was broke, an this very
mornin' one o. the yaller bowls slipped
out'n her hands an broke all to flint
ers then l cuffed her ears. hope I'm
a humble follower of the Lamb an
meek an lowly member o. the good
Lords flock, an you stand here afore
me hintin', as # / wasn't dom my duty
by that little pauperl"
" Wal, wal, Polly, don't get so riled,"
said the deacon, who was of much
more quiet disposition than his wife,
{" but somehow l allus pity the orphans
and the homeless ones, an feel IS II
| I'd like to do sumthin' for 'eml" And
the good deacon edged away from what
he knew was an unequal contest, in
which he always came out second best.
I" Here I've he'd to feed the pigs, an
fetch the water N tn wood, an dig the
taters for dinner, an wash N scour all
the things myself, besides we'din' the
onion an tn pa'snip beds, all on count
o. that little huzzy a-skulkin' an a-laz-
ing off in the fields somewhere"
"Polly, I'm afeared, Pm raa'ly
afeared you've bin werkin' the little
gal too hardl You should recollect
we're all sinful an born in sin, an tibet
it hes been sed that whose mistreats
one o. these ere little ones"
But the good deacon was not per-
mitted to finish what he had so elo-
quently commenced, for Polly with all
patience now completely gone, poured
forth such a volume of wrath upon his
head, that he was fain to beat a retreat
to the barn under pretence of " feed
ing them calves"
Polly's powerful when she gifts
fairly to goin' >" soliloquized the deacon,
as he attended to his calves.
Throughout the long day the boat,
with its tiny passenger, floated unmo-
Tested down the great river. AT times
the little waif was frightened by the
rocking of her boat on the swell made
by passing steamers, none of which
came near enough to understand the
true situation of affairs.
And now night was coming on. The
shores were receding from Lucy's view,
and the river was every minute becom-
ing wider, as the boat approached the
sea. Little Lucy was getting tired and
hungry.
I" l wish this boat would 60 up to the
Shore" she moaned, as, weary with ex-
haustion and her enforced fast, she
peered over its side, trying to make out
the fast disappearing land.
But such was not to be the case.
She had now arrived at the mouth of
the river, and the current, assisted by
the ebb tide, was sweeping her out into
the great ocean. Although summer
time, the cold breeze from the salt
water made her SILVER, and finally, as
night shut down with her black mantle,
enveloping the sea and shore alike,
little Lucy huddled herself down in the
bottom of the boat on an old piece of
sail-cloth, and drowsily repeated the
little prayer her mother had taught her.
The increasing swell rocked the little
shell of a boat more and more as 1t
went out into the offing, till Lucy,
alarmed, raised her head above the
gunwale, and looked off upon the agi-
tated waters, now fecked with bits of
foam.
g 'spects I'm safe!" she murmured.
Mamma said if l was always good,
nothing would ever hurt me; and I've
been good. The boat just sailed away
with me; couldn't help myself, no
how. Pr'aps papa will come in his big
ship and find me, cause l can't believe
he's drownded, or mamma would told
me. But I'm so hungry and sleepy!
wish papa would come quick-quick"-
The drowsy little head fell back upon
the old sail-cloth, and Lucy, waif
upon the bosom of the broad ocean
was fast asleep!
"Ahoy there on deck"
Aye, ayem
There's something right ahead
perhaps point on the weather bow
pears to be small boat or piece Of
wreck" said the lookout,
The captain sprang into the fore-rig-
ging with his night-glass, and after q
short look came down and Immediately
gave rapid order to the helmsman.
The great ship waved off from hei
course and came around gracefully
while the captain gave his orders:
"Into the gig, my lads! There
lower away my hearties! Now give
away and see what it is. I'll lay off
, and-on to pick you upp'
The stout sailors needed no urging
7 but pulled with a will, and were sool
| seen returning towards the ship will
1 something in tow.
Q Soon they were alongside, and as thu
, old boatswain came up the ladder bear
, ing something tenderly in his arms, tn
skipper asked:
; "Well, Ben, what is she?"
| She's leetle gal, cap'n-we foun'
e her in an open skiff-one o. these rive
V craft made for still water; and, cap'n
: she's fast asleep lest as we found her