The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-10-02
urn back half mile for that very pur-


was dear, kindly, tender-hearted old
woman, with an utter inability to rule or
order or mold anybody or anything. She
took life as she found it, and neither
fretted at nor tried to amend it-a sort of
moral feather bed, soft to evaporation,
but, after all, restful to the eager, hard
worked, exasperated and wiry people of
her race.
GA proper, nice woman" Semanthy
Carrier said, always an eternally good
natured. No faculty in her, an one
that rifles you considerable when you
want to have things gee, but when you're
sick or sorry, sort o. comfortin', like
poultice."
Peter knew his power and his position.
Petted from his early kittenhood, he soon
learned, like the young of the human
species, that he could tyrannize over his
PETERS, and then the warmest, softest
seat was given up to him, the door open
at his first appeal, the giblets of the rare
ly used fowls we're saved for him, his
tastes qrasified and his notions respected.
One is sometimes tempted to half accept
the masculine theory that women like
tyrants, when one sees how they manu-
facture them for themselves.
Now Joseph Parker had just come to
Meriden to live. A certain Mr.. Webb,
who had mandatory in Vermont, had
moved to Meriden to get more water
power, and as Joe Parker was his fore
man in the paper mill, he had moved too,
hired house little way out of the vii
lage, next to Mr.. Mays homestead, and
brought with him his mother = and his
mothers cat. Hence this story and what
ever tears may besprinkle it.
Mrs. Parker's cat was not at all like
Peter May. He was black, all black, with
green-yellow eyes, and an aspect that
made stranger think Of the regulation
cat that was the familiar OF witches in
all history. He came from Hanover to
Meriden by rail, nailed up in straw
berry crate, kissing, splitting, yowling
and sharpening his claws on his frail
prison all the way, to the terror OF every
passenger in the car. Indeed, Joe was
forced to carry crate and all into bag
gage car at the third station and ride
with it the rest of the way, for the brake
men refused to look after it, SO daunted
we're they with the wild animal within.
Tiger was sent into solitary confinement
in the cellar as soon as Mrs. Parker
reached her house, and was snubbed by
hunger and darkness before they dared
to let him range abroad in the new neigh
borhood.
Now Joe Parker had not been in Meri
den long enough to make much acquaint-
ance there, and was very hard at work
the first few weeks of his stay, 80 that he
always went to sleep in church on Sun
day, and missed any sight thereby of the
blooming damsels in the choir or in the
pews; he was ashamed of it, to be sure,
but there was the change of air from
Vermont mountains to the fat meadow
land and low lying pastures about the
river; and then he was really overworked
for time in helping to place the new
machinery, move the old and settle his
mother in this strange place. where he
knew no one to whom he could apply for
help or suggestion. Tt was not Sunday
to-day when he peeped through the fence
at Nanny, and suddenly, as if by stroke,
lost his honest young heart for, be-
loved reader, this is only love story.
Only love story; only record OF the
great world song, the event OF so many
lives, the tinality of all.
"That passing bell
That tolls one into heaven or hell"
as the old poet sings. When l hear peo-
pie say, "Only love story" l think OF
that couplet OF Tennyson's:
lone drew a sharp knife through my tender
Throat slowly, and nothing MORE"
Quite enough for once, muses. the
average reader, and so is this matter OF
love, be it the passion of Romeo and
Juliet or the less wordy and more COM
monplace emotion of foreman in fac
tory and farmers daughter, for, after
all, "do the best that ye may" It's love,
love, love, that makes the world go round
yes, that makes our sad old world
merry-go-round.
Glove will find out the way" says an
ancient song, and Joe was no exception
to the rule of the pathfinder. Hepersuad-
ed his mother to send him over to the
neighbours the very next night for pitch
or of milk, and also to negotiate for their
daily supply. This being successfully
effected, he went daily for his milk before
milk hours, and his pail was filed by
Mary Ann, blooming with the sweet
morning air, neat, trim and lovely, at 3
o'clock A. M, as city girl at her late
dinner. Joe grew worse and worse. He
thought of Nanny in mill and market;
her face shone above the machinery, her
laugh tinkled with the mill bell. He
made friends with Peter also; for cats
know loyers-when they are cat lovers
Just as we'll as children know their friends.
Tiger was still kept in the high fenced
chicken yard on the Parker premises
now devoid of chickens-as measure OF
precaution against his straying: he was
too dear To his mistress to be ventured at