Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-09-03

mc ~ udy. MIS-. bWeSC let us nave the 4
pie by all means"
And he actually lifted the horrible
black thing to the table, and ate it-yes,
he ate (which was the most graceful |
piece of martyrdom ] ever saw in a man. !
And then got courage to tell him how
| burned it; that Mrs. Chapel must have
that dress, and the machine had begun
to squeak in the most horrible way; that
I'd oiled it and fused with it, all to no
purpose, and how | was to finish that
dress of Mrs. Chappel's with the dread
ful noise distracting my poor brain, L
didn't know.
Gwen look at it." he said, in that
resting, comforting, soul cheering way
of his, and as l followed him into the
sitting-rOom, l knew in my heart that he
would exercise that squeaking demon
from the machine. And he did.
''lt's the ball" he said; ''its become
smooth from friction, and if you'll bring
me little -four and meal, Mrs. Sweet
stay! here is piece of chalk, which is
better than all"
And with that little white lump that
he took from his waistcoat pocket, he
made the machine perfect in tive-in two
minutes.
Now, how could I help watching him
from the door again, as he walked away
to school; and let his coat tails flap as
they may, or be knock kneed to eternity,
how could help sending after him my
heartiest banediction and blessing2
And can it be wondered at that, only
two or three months after when he was
going away, was like one stunned and
bewildered9 We were sitting in the
Little front room, and was finishing off
that diagonal oversk rt for Mis-. Chapel.
Charley had gone hunting to the woods,
for it was already autumn, and an early
frost had set the leaves ahame. A breeze
from the west blew my ha.r into my eyes
and put it back with trembling hand.
The soft, warm day of golden light sud
denly seemed to cloud over and become
one of moody sadness.
81 have an opportunity for advance
ment in my profession, he said, (which
it would i'll behoove me to put by. In
my native town is offered me position
of trust and confidence, no less, may
say to you, dear madam, than profess
sor chair"
sat quite still and the ruff'e fell from
my hand my footrested upon the tire die
of the machine, and sat and stared at
Mr. Slade like one demented.
'And it has occurred to me-" he went
on, "that the position have held here,
which is an exceedingly easy and pleas
ant one, might prohtably and suitably
be filled by one of the other sex; the
duties are not at all hazardous, and could
be performed more readily, it appears to
me, than those pertaining to the needle
| have spoken to the committee in your
b.half, and with little attention upon
your part to the simple mechanical re-
quirements necessary, and little help
upon mine, you will be ready to Il the
position at once"
"Who? l, Mr.. Slade3 Why, you must
be crazym
Then, feeling that this was not re-
spectful way to speak, | added that his
Kindness for me had led him to overrate
my capabilities.
"Why. Mr. elade," said I, "I never
got beyond the four rules in arithmetic.
"And upon these depend everything"
he replied. Come, put by your k,
and let us see what we Can do for first
attempt"
1t was of 10 ue to refuse. His was
one of those material natures that al
ways conquer. Half an hoIr later l was
sitting close by his side at the table,
with Charleys slate under my blurred
eyes and Charley's pencil in my trem-
bling fingers. The rosy evening light
streamel in upon us, the soft south wind
bringing resinous odors through the win
dows from the wood where Charley yet
fingered.
"Now, my dear Mrs. Sweet" said Mr..
Slade, and the very gentleness of his
tone, the tender rendering of my name,
made me shiver and shake, for could
not get the thought out of my head that
when he was gone there was nobody left
to deal tender,y with me or mine, NOW
pray try and give your thoughts to the
subject in hand. 1t is the simplest
thing in the world, and these rudiments
once conquered the rest will follow. Now,
man sold his farm s., $50; and four
| teen ffteenths of this is seven-ninths of
the cost of his house, and the house cost
seven times as much as the store now
what was the cot OF the house and
storc"
His voice was so persuasive so dis
tinct, it must have been plea ant voice
to listen to at school, even if the poor
tile bio kheads could make nei her
head nor tail of his m aning. | locked
at Mr.. Slade, and then out of the win
dow, where the mellow light of the sun
set shone, and away over at the wooded
h lis beyond, and l thought how, such a
little while ago, it was II spring land
Scape all bathed in tenderest green, and
now it was autumn, the grass was sere
and brown, the leaves were falling, the
branches like skeletons against th3 even
ing sky.
''Madame-my dear Mrs. Sweet, " said
the voice of the schooImaster, II beg
your attention to these few first rules. 1t
is distasteful to me to leave you a prey
to the coarse habits of the village
women, who tlaunt their inery in an OBJ
trusive and unbecoming manner, and
grudge you the poor reward for your la
bor. ="
''She said the seams were crooked and
perhaps they were" said, for | knew
he m ant Mrs. Chapel. 81 am not very
good at sewing or-anything." Then
two big tear rolled out Of my eyes on
Charley's slate, and blurred the chool-
masters figures, which so di,trcssed him
that he got up and took turn about the
room again.
"Dear Mrs. Sweet, he said, quite i'm
plorin9ly "f You would only make up
your mind to master these first rules A
man sold his farm for IS, 630--"
"And I'm sure he got price for it, y
hrnke in snnd whntnvpr hn crnt for his