News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-01-21

Lord knows; went off two years ago
but, bless you, she had them almost a
bad at times"
: Bill soon reached home again, un
locked the door, let himself in, and wa
received with every mark of affection b.
i a small boy and smaller girl, botl
equally as dirty as himself.
'Tve got you such prime supper,
he said, taking the newspaper cove
from the v1tuals which he had bought
at the cook shop, ''you must eat it fast
and then go to bed in case father comes
home he don't like to find you up"
He gave the children each portion
of meat and bread, then sat watching
them.
"Ain't you going to eat nothingP
asked Bills little brother, looking al
him in great surprise.
Not yet; don't feel hungry" and
again the cruel cough shook him.
Supper over, thegchildren went to g
mattress at the further end Of the room,
and laid themselves down. Bill pulled
the dirty coverings over them, kissed
both their grimmy faces, then wished
them good night, "and if father wakes
you when he comes in," he added,
ooH lOu lGC ulLn KNOW 1t.
For time the children were restless,
but at length they sank to sleep, their
dirty arms folded around each other,
their dirty cheeks pressed together
Little Bill sat watching them for time
then rose, drank some water from out a
broken pitcher, and set out the remand
er of the food.
''Father may like it when he comes
In" he thought, then went back to
watch the children.
/ After time he heard step upon the
stairs, heavy stumbling step, but he
did not move, and when q man rolled
rather than walked into the room, he
just lifted his eyes and looked at him
/ quietly, keenly; then rose, crossed the
room and gently drew the man to a
chair.
''Head bad, father2" he asked.
''Deuced bad," the man answered
shortly.
Something was evidently the matter
with little Bills father, ague perhaps,
for he shook all over, only his head and
hands jerked themselves more than the
rest of his body, and now and then his
arms shot out spasmodically; his face
was gray, and great beads of perspira-
tion rolled down 1t; his eyes wandered
round the room, as though seeking for
something fearfully.
''Pll just put a bandage ON y'ead,"
said Billy quietly: ''there amt nothing
like it. What are you looking at,
father9"
The man had risen and stood gazing
in horror at the floor. Bill made him
sit down, and hastily bound dripping
rag round his head
''Is it rats, father2" he asked.
The man shivered more than ever.
eyes, look, they're coming on to me-"
He gave great scream, and would
have leapt up, but the child's hands re-
strained him.
"There is many, father, F" he said quite
quietly and naturally; "but, bless you,
they won't hurt; see, they are quite as
close to me as they is to you"
The mans head shook so that the
wonder was it did not drop off; and he
glared up inte the boys face
There was sich strange things about |
= night, IHll, - he wkisPery -s@,qrr-s /
all after me"
Bill expressed no surprise, but thought
a minute
''That's very like" he said at last, 'I
did hear as menagerie had got loose
did you run, father2"
"And snakes" said the man, not
needing the question.
''Ah, to be sure, there would be
snakes, then following the mans eyes
which opened wider and wider till they
almost seemed as though they would
drop out, "you don't happen to see any
of them now, do you, father2"
He pressed his hand more tightly
down upon the mans shoulder, and wet
ted the rag once more.
"There's millions, " the man answered,
call a-coming this way; let me 60"
He wrenched his collar from the
child's hands, but he caught him by the
arm.
Father" he said, "dear, dear father,
stop bit; they wont hurt you, they're
they're tame snakes, and ! want to tell
you what think brings them here"
The man sat down again, his eyes
riveted toward the father end of the
room; the child coughed till he almost
shook himself to pieces, then leaned
heavily against his father.
"It's kind of you to stay and listen to
me, father,n he said at last, because of
course it amt nice to have rats and
snakes, and-and sich like a crawling
about the room if it can be helped, and
1 think it can, for l believe father, it's
the drink that brings them"
"Whatw yelled the man, "d'you
mean to insinuate that takes too much;
that they amt there really; that only
sees them in my mind, you"
''No, no, father" said the boy, gent
ly interrupting him; why, don't see
them as plain as anything, all a-running
and a-crawling over each other?"
''But they're gone now," said the
man suspiclously.
"Of course they is; you frightened
them when you leaped up and yelled.
They cant, abide noise, but Lord knows
how soon they'll be back again. Why,
l do believe, watching the mans eyes,
'that they're a-coming now. Let me
bathe your head again, father"
Once more the dripping cloth was
bound around the mans brow, once
more the child was shaken with his
cough. GAS l was a-saying, father
the boy continued, 81 think it's the
drink, the smell of it, as draws them;
I've heard that snakes and rats and
them sorts are uncommon partial to
spirits, and you see, father, there's gen
orally little smell of it about you,
though it's but one glass you've took"
Again the man looked strangely into
the child's face.
Partial to spirits, are they! Where
did you hear thatQ
"Well, 1 can't exactly say, father;
but I've heard that in India and France,
and-and Iceland, where sich things
live, and bite, father for they're not
quiet and harmless like they is here,
that they fill tanks with spirits over
night, and in the morning there's hun
dreds lying about as drunk as can be,
a-singing and-I mean a-hissing and
a-biting of each other like winkie; then
the people sweeps them up, and burns
them; so thought father, that if that
was the case there, may be you, though
you amt to say strong of spirits, yet do
smell little, might draw them var
mints here, for they don't come when
me and the little ones is alone; and
p'raps, father, if you just took beer
for a time, they might go away far
enough not to be drawn by the smell.
if you did have glass of spirits, now
and again"
Once more the child stopped to cough,
again dipped the rag in water and laid
it on the mans head.
"Try and eat a bit, father" he said,
and silently the man turned to the Wit
uals, then, uttering a mighty scream.
flung the boy from him and rushed out