Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-02-15
Mr.. wilkins Eye.

OI IlumDSIOWu. u CIaDDeu, ulSofly
| person, known as ssOld Wilkins"
Mr.. Wilkins barn was on the
street, and it was the supreme test
of courage among small boys to as
sault the great,- black edifice with
stick or stone,-it came as near
boarding the lion. in his den as was
possible in Plumbstown. Not that
Peter Wilkins ever laid finger on
anybody in the place, or meant to
but he looked so ugly, scolded his
family so loudly, and made himself
so generally disagreeable that he be-
came the bug-bear of Plumbstown
youth. He did once chase a tiny in
vader quarter of mile, unable to
get anywhere near her, owing to his
years and weight, but she never for
got his red face as he rushed from
the barn, roaring like an angry bull.
Peter Wilkins had wife, and two
shy, sweet-faced daughters, who nev-
er mingled with other children. AS
we have limited, Mr.. Wilkins was not
an agreeable husband or father. The
peculiar arrangement of his domes-
tic affairs often aroused the indigna-
ton of the village danes. They
could not get used to seeing Mrs.
Wilkins toll on the farm like a man,
or run to care for the horse when Mr..
Wilkins drove into the yard. Even
in a pouring rain, Mr.. Wilkins would
begin to shout for his feminine host
Ter several rods from the house then
throwing the reins across ''Old Mole
SKINS back, hasten toward the warm
kitchen, bawling out above the storm,
Grub him down good, Saryann, or
he'll get cold, it's rough day for
horses; and look sharp that ye don't
forget to bring in the stuff !"
The latter were ends of cloth from
the factories that Mrs. Wilkins must
weave into rag carpets to sell. Much
of it had to be dyed by her. Mrs.
Wilkins carpets were famous in the
region, housewives said they wore
like iron. Even good deacon Somer-
by, whose house was considered the
height of style, ordered one for their
best room! When it was done, thirty
yards in length and the breadths for
ty inches wide, Mrs. Wilkins bore it
to them in a roll, on her back. When
the patient woman staggered in un-
der the load, Mrs. Somerby's heart
ached for her.
"It's heathenish," she told the
deacon. 1 can't stand it any longer
When that brute comes for his mon
But Peter only chuckIed and said,
"She's a smart one,-that Saryann
O. minel'' and went waddling down
the road.
The Somerby's had no more deal
ings with him until one spring. Then
Old Wilkins suddenly appeared to
the deacon at milking time, as plaus-
ihle as one of old who entered Eden,
and recommended man who was
making up a drove of cattle to take
to his up country pasture.
"He's a good fellow, he knows
how to take care of stock" said ole
Wilkins. "I'm going to send two
calves, l thought maybe you'd like
to get some of yours pastured "
So the deacon added to the compa
ny of Plumbstown yearlings that were
sent 10 hill-pastures and who were
well-taken care off, especially ;
fine young cow that the Somerby'
never saw again The drover sale
she left the pasture all right, an(
must have got lost on the way, whicl
seemed plausible, as the rest of hi
summer boarders were safely return
ed. The true inwardness of the af
fair was revealed later through MI
Wilkins bad eye.
Suddenly. and without any visibl
cause, Old Wilkins right eye bega
a to trouble him. There was no acut
t pain, but day and night he was un
pleasantly reminded of it's existence
1t was new experience for Peter
robust frame. He was at first start
4 led, then filled with dire forebodlngs
: AS the eye continued to hint at dis
ease, Mr.. Wilkins took gloomy vie'
d of it, both mentally, and in a sma
S mirror that he placed on the windo'
sash for better light. He becam
strangely subdued. Sarah Ann-wh
. devotedly loved this clustering tyrar
,r was alarmed at the change in hin
d She missed the familiar harshness
It the scoldlng, the ordering about. Sh
was like the maiden whose lover wa
If deformed and who, when asked
: she didn't wish Sylvester was straigl
like other men, said, ''I'd rather he
% limp,-he wouldn't be Sylvester if /
dldn't!''
id So now, Mrs. Wilkins wished b,
q. lion would roar, her master shout h
'e commands; any mood was bett'
than his pensiveness. He steppe
:, feebly, as if his eye affected b
+ limbs, and began to lose appetite.
ot hail storm of missiles would hay
aroused no response from Old Will
gs ms barn now; his mind was te
lc much occupied to notice small thing
d When abroad or on cart the Vi
- bandaged eye held new, appealir
d. look that awoke sympathy. Wht
"A people ventured to inquire the caus