News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-12-16

rum. Rum and me own darned mulish
ness. Eff hadn't driv that boy away
he'd be now maxim good livin fo
her, no matter what l wus about, anC
she wouldn't be IN there dyin'-dyin
for bit to eat. :"
As he spoke he glanced at the little
pokey hole in the cabin, where faint
| light glimmered, and turned again tc
the dark line of the water front.
'She was never the same after he
went away never the same bouncing
gal that used to 'liven up the old house
like sunbeam. 'Twus that tux all the
so out O. her. And | had to get to
work and blame her for sulkin' when
her heart wus breakia'"
He took the pipe from his mouth and
absently showed it IN his pocket. -aa F..
''It might a been all right, he went
on. 1T might "a been all right eff
hadn't carried on as did till house and
shop and e erything went to smash.
But l had to keep a-goin' while the
money lasted, and now-now," he re-
peated with solemn inclination of the
head, ''it's gone.
He swung about to resume his lone
some walk, but the glimmer in the
| cabin brought him to a standstill.
she's there, he said, and there was
sorrow and remorse in his voice. ''She
there nussin' his baby and thinkin' of
its father; maybe cryin' her eyes out
about him. And she's a-dyin' by
inches"
The rumble of a wagon came from
the land side, and the sound of horn
away OF in the streets sent down to the
silent wharves a reminder of the holiday
jollity going on ashore. The man
started as he heard it.
''She won't be without her supper, "
lie said. mot while this here toy 8
lyin' around
He groped a moment in his pocket
and drew out rIng-a plain gold cir
clet, evidently the symbol of consum-
mated union.
Il had to sneak it away unbeknownst
to her" he muttered, turning the shin
ing trinket around in his fingers. I'm
afraid she'd take on q deal if she knowed
it, for she hangs on to any keepsake of
his for bare life. But what's the use?"
And the ring and hand that held it
went down into the pocket again.
Whats the use O. bein' senteemental
and snickcrin' over such things when a
square meal can be got for it, and p'raGs
-p'raps a drop t drive away the
chill.
He glanced, half frightened, half
apologetically, at the little window as
he spoke, slipped carefully by on tip
toe as though fearful of being confront
ed by the occupant cf the cabin, reached
the side, looked back again and then
stepped out up the pier and skunk
away.
1t was only moments space after
when there sounded among the low,
harsh whispers of the river something
that seemed deep in the darkness, but
not of it-sOmething suggestive of heat
and light and home, and not of this
black food and these great marine
phantoms standing SO solemn in the
gloom
1t was the cry of child Low and
weakly, suppressed as soon as uttered, it
still had q strange shrillness in the 81
lent place, and of all the sad voices of
tide and timbers it seemed by far the
saddest | came from he cabin of an
old canal Loaf, came only for an ins an.
and died away in wha fancy involun-
arily plctureI a mo hers kisses and
caresseS.
Old IOm heard it half way up the
wharf. heard it and arrested his
cautious footsteps and brought his face
about in a twinkiing to the tiny-lighted
pace in the cabin that barely reached
his eye where he stood. The cry was
not repeated But he stood there for
over a minute with his whole soul it
seemed, intent upon that dim olimmer-
ing D ne. His hand mechanically
cropping his pocket, touched the ring
and it seemed to startle him. He took
out the little tinket and looked at it
as though making sure that
it was really there, and brushed it with
a rough, greasy sleeve. Then, without
a glance at the street on which he had
been walking, he passed back along
the pier, crossed to the boat again and
walked straight up to the cabin and
entered
A ships lantern hanging from the
roof showed rough table, a couple of
boxes, tarpaulin, some ends of rope,
and on loosened and a slanting berth
an infant with a woman kneeling beside
it. 1t was pleasing face she turned up
to the old man as he came in-pleasing,
and it had been very pretty-but there
was sad gauntness about it now, and
the dark, tender eyes looked out from
blueish hollows. /
'Where have you been, father?" she
asked. ''Baby has been restless again.
[ m afraid that the child is growing
worse" This with look of infinite
solicitude at the tiny creature beside
her. ''And it's so hard to see the poor
lear suffering and be able to do moth
ng. Why, father, what is the matter?"
She might we'll ask. The man was
standing, with his head sunk upon his
1reast, and great tears were rolling
lown his faded cheeks His eyes were
ixed upon the little cabin window, but
t was clear that his mind was far away.
lie started as he spoke, and when he
it was in voice broken with
obs.
''Libbie, " he said, my poor gal, I've
Jeen a bad father to you, a reglar bad |
un, amt /? I've ruined the little home
-ou oughter be in, and brought you and !
,our child to this. I know that amt /
he wust, neither. l driv him away
hat would be a support and comfort /
you, and left that leetel creetur ithout /
father I've done all that, and wus
-goin to do more, God forgive me, this
cry night, only for hearin' your baby /
ryin'. | meant it for the best, | did, /
,ut knowed that it would "a hurt your /
eelln's wuss than anything else. There, |
.ibbie; take it. 1t wus very nigh |
goin' as everything else has"
He held out the little gold ring to her .
nd turned his head away In an in /
tant the woman was on her feet. Her +
ong, thin hand clutched the bauble and !
hot flush showed itself on her pallid /
nnken cheek.
Father" she cried, "would you
are?'
In her Indignation she was speechless /
)r a moment but then she broke down
nd the tears came.
1T is all | have left" she moaned,
all | have left to remind me Of him
i of his fathers the child may ever see.
Ow could you think of it, fatherl 1t
as cruel cruel. B."
"'Twas all wrong, yes, it twas, Lib
ie," the man assented. But it bruck
e heart to think o. you an that leetle
D sittin' here supperless ] heerd the
ellis tollin up in the city and the horns
BLOWN, and knowed that everybody
as havin' a good time on Christmas
We night, while you was starvin'. |
,uldn't stand it. ] sneaked away with
e ring to pawn it or sell it, | didn't
re what, till heerd the leetle cree
RS cry, and it brought me to myself
rim. His child, | SAYS TO mesef
is childp And / right about and
mes back here with the ring to you
ibbie to you, me poor gal 81