Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-01-16


one on 'em M fur Mirandy, an
'tother 'H'' fur Hiram. Do you re-
member it?"
eyes, an Lem Haskell, the good
man that pumped the origin, caught
you at it, "interposed Boyleston "an'
he said he wuz surprised that two
young folks who had been brought
up In the nurtur an admonition O. the
Lord could carry on so"
elem married Hepsy Burdette-
good likely girl as ever lived" said
Brattle Street. ''Use ter be mighty
clipper when she first came inter the
choir, but when she found that her
fine clo'es an ribbins an feathers
wuz draggin her down to hell, she
gin 'em to her sister Matildy."
Hiram remembered this venerable
witticism, and he remembered Hepsy
Burdette and Lem Haskell, too. Lem
was troubled with fits-a mild sort of
epilepsy. Between the enfeebled
condition of his intellect and his
weekly employment at pumping the
organ he fell into and maintained the
pleasing notion that he himself made
all the music the organ emitted.
And so they hummed and whisper
ed to him-these old, familiar tunes
of the Carmina: "Duke Street" and
"Uxbridge" and ''Windham" and
"Dundee" and "Olives Brow" and
"Olmutz' aye, all these old friends
of Hiram's boy life among the Yer
mont hills. They talked with him of
the common, the old courthouse, the
tavern, the bobbin factory, the spell
ing schools, the husking bees, the
saw-mill, the trout brook, the bury
ing ground on the hill, old General
Kimbalps orchard, and the long flow
er beds in front of the old homestead
and they talked of the times when
Hiram went sugaring off, and played
hi-spy in the Westinghouse sheds,
and went sliding down hill on moon
light winter evenings, or attended
general training, ,and played three-old-
cat on the common, and chased but
terfles in the home lot land got scold-
ed for tramping down the rowen.
And as they talked they spoke of the
war.
"No, we didn't go to the war"
said old Rockingham, "but we kept
the women folks company while the
men nd boys was away, and / calcu-
late we saw a grander martyrdom
than you could have found on any of
your battle-fields. The men had lots
to keep 'em braced up, for there was
the activity of war, the excitement of
change, and the thought of fame,
country, and all that sort o thing
but the women-folks-there want
nothin' for them to do but to wait,
md to pick lint, md to pray"
"The hills stood guard all 'round,"
said Dedham, las much as to say,
There shan't no sorrow come to the
women-folks if we can keep it away ;
and it seemed as if they tried to keep
their word, too, for the stage that
fetched the mail from Brattleboro
allus broke down two or three times |
on the road whenever it had bad news
from the boys who had gone to the
war"
"Oh, but how sort o. fierce-like the |
use to read out the hymns in
them days." said Ortonville sand
how he KEEP fightin' over the battles o
the war in his prayers md sermons"
"And how the hull congregation
used t rise up nd sing praise God
from whom all blessings fiow,' when
ever there was news that the Green
Mountain boys had won a battle p'
cried Old Hundred, proudly.
eyes, yes, we must have played
our part in the struggle" said Near,
solemnly, "for we helped to give the
heart-and it's women's
prayers, l tell ye, that win half the
battles men fight"
The old tune-book was humming
and murmuring to Hiram Atkins
when he fell asleep, and he dreamt
he was boy again.
All around him were the rugged
hills, with their patches of moss and
brown rocks, that stood out like big
warts on their honest, homely faces.
The air was cool and fresh, and full
Of the fragrance of lilacs and of win
,ergreen.
He saw the old homestead, with
is great yard and tall trees, and the
narrow walk between the flower beds.
The robins futtered in the naples
or hoped through the green grass
md there, among the daffodils and
sweet williams, stood grandma
She was coming to meet the little
boy who had been gone so long How
Ter kindly eyes beamed through her
gold-bowed specs A big velvet bag
hung over her arm; it was full of
cookies and nutcakes and lozenges.
The little boy knew that, and he ran
% clasp grandma's dear hands.
But it was only a dream. Hiram
vas asleep, you know; and with a
thousand holy harmonies the old tune
book sang softly to the slumberer,-
Weekly Neacs.
Salvation on Is what you want. 1t kills pain and
ures the worst cases Of rheumatism, neuralgia,