Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-04-16


what are you workin' at now
Jimmy?'
I'm workin' in dry goods store.
Then / suppose you don't live
very nigh, for hear tell O them city
clerks what don't get enough money
to keep the body and soul together.
So I'll just tell you, Jimmy, we've
got nothin' but roast sparibs for sup
per. We ain't got any money now,
Jimmy. We're poorer nor Jobs tur-
key
/ told her 1 would be delighted
with the spareribs, and to tell the
truth, John, l haven't eaten a meal
inNew York that tasted as we'll as
those crisp roasted spareribs did. l
spent the evening playing checkers
with father, while mother sat by tell
ing me all about their misfortunes
from old white Mooley getting drown
ed in the pond to fathers signing a
note for friend and having to mort
gage the place to pay it. The mort
| gage was due inside of a week and
not cent to meet it with-just $500.
J She supposed they would be turned
out of house and home, but in my
mind supposed they wouldn't. At
last nine o'clock came and father said !:
Jim, go out to the barn and see if
Kit is all right. Bring in an armful
of old shingles that are just inside
the door and fill up the water pail.
Then we'll go off to bed and get up
early and go a-fshing.'
l didn't say word, but 1 went out
to the barn, bedded down the horse,
broke up an armful of shingles, pump
ed up pail of water, filled the wood
box, and then we all went to bed.
Father called me at 4 80 in the
morning, and while he was getting a
cup of coffee / skipped over to the
depot cross lots and got my best
brass rod. Father took nothing but
a trolling line and spoon hook. He
rowed the boat with the trolling
line in his mouth, while 1 stood in
the stern with a silver sinner rugged
on. Now, John, | never saw man
catch fish like he did. To make a
long story short, he caught four bass
and five pickerel and l never got
bite.
At noon we went ashore and father
went home, while l went to the post
office. got letter from Chicago
with check for 81 900 in it. With
some trouble | got it cashed, getting
paid in So and SO bills, making quite
a roll. l then got roast joint of
beef and a lot of delicacies and had
them sent home. After that / went
visiting among my old schoolmates
for two hours and went home. The
joint was in The oven. Mother had
put on her only silk dress and father
had donned his Sunday-go-to-meet-
ing clothes, none too good, either.
This is where l played a joke on the
old folks. Mother was in the kitch-
en- watching the roast. Father was
out to the barn, and l had a clear
coast. i dumped the sugar out of
the old blue bowl, put the thousand
dollars in it and placed the cover on
again. At last supper was ready. |
Father asked a blessing over it and |
he actually trembled when he stuck |
his knife in the roast.
'We haven't had a piece of meat |
like this in five years, Jim,' he said;
and mother put in with, And we
haven't had any coffee in year, only
when we went visitin'.'
Then she poured out the coffee and
lifted the cover of the sugar bowl,
asking as she did so, 'How many
spoons, Jimmy?'
Then she struck something that
wasn't sugar. She picked up the
bowl and peered into it. AHA, Mas
ter Jimmy, playin' your old tricks on
your nanny, eh? Well, boys will be
boys
Then she gasped for breath. She
saw it was money. She looked at
me, then at father, and then with
trembling fingers drew the great roll
Of bills out.
Ha! ha ! ha ! can see father now
rs he stood there then on tiptoe, with
his knife in one hand, fork in the
'ther, and his eyes fairly bulging out
If his head. But it was too much
'or mother. She raised her eyes to
heaven and said slowly, Put your
rust in the Lord, for he will provide
Then she tainted away. Well,
'Ouu, Iuofo not nucn more 10 tell. |
We threw water in her face and bro't
Ter to, and then we demolished that
Inner, mother all the time saying,
My boy Jimmy! My boy Jimmy!'
l stayed at home a month. l fixed ,
Up the place, paid off all debts, had
good time and came back again to I
lew York. 1 am going to send $50 {
lome every week. tell you, John, ,
is mighty nice to- have home"
John was looking steadily at the '
cad of his cane. When he spoke 6
e took Jim by the hand and said: '
Jim, old friend, what you have told '
he has affected me greatly. have q
OF heard from my home way up in
1aine for ten years. I'm going home c
o-morrow." d
WHO Is YOUR BEST FRIENDs >
w., ID srf. |