Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-12-18
HIS VOCATION.
Which Was Caretaker to Six IN
ruly Boys and One Pretty Girl.

The wind was shrieking down Church
lane with q fixed determination to tear
up the flights OF yellow steps in front of
the somber-looking houses on either
side OF the narrow, old-fashioned street.
Many wind had tried to accomplish
this feat before, without success. They
were very firm steps. Every morning
servants performed wonderful opera
lions upon them with water and clay.
Poor old town, the aesthetic craze has
not touched 1t yet.
These steps led up into large, highly
respectable houses. Those who dwelt
In them were termed ''the gentry" by
the poorer people.
Within one OF the dining-rooms sat
two lazy individuals before d large fire,
their easy chairs so tapred that they
could watch the hard pellets OF snow
drive through the afr down the street.
"Guy Meredith, Nd" was inscribed
upon the brass plate on the front door
Of this house. The darker and lazier
Of the two men was Gilbert Rowell, a.
stranger to Church-lane. visiting his
friend Guy. For some years he had
been looking out for his special voca-
ton, but up to the present had either
passed 1t on the way or had not come
up to 1t, therefore he spent his time in
waiting round" very comfortably.
They were both silently smoking.
Occasionally the eyes Of Gilbert closed
In slumber. and once his pipe fell out
OF his idle white hand. causing sub
dued laugh to come from under Guy s.
mustache. That was all the sound
there was within the roomy outside. the
bowling Of tho wfhd and ne monoton-
Gus cry of COOLIES eflve, all e-live,"
far up the street.
In tho house, straight opposite DR..
Meredith's. lived Korfle Hlndle, a girl
Of twenty-five. she reigneA supreme
over six unruly boys, her step-broth-
ers, left to her care two years before,
when the ship went down, taking both
parents with her, into the stormy
water. Poor Lorr3eS What charge
she had! She lovSd those boys more
than herself. bat she had grown to feel
very old and potherly, Jane down
stairs. a stout handwriting servant,
thought she was the teHa OF the house,
and drove the refractory Irish girl
about without mercy, but Was very sub
missive to her young mistress without
knowing 1t. Dr. Meredith got much
innocent amusement out OF this house,
hold. as much as be could see through
Its windows. or VIXEN any of those Wild
young colts happened tohaltkill them
selves in some escspsde, and he was
suddenly fetched acf6ls
II was Wednesday, afternoon, conse-
quently half holiday at the exceedingly
proper establishjp6At cdlled the Gram
mar School, and Two boys were per-
forming like acrobAts in the dining
room over the way; another was pulling
himself up the Venetian blind cord; the
youngest, fat baby OF three, was
Justify screaming Because be could not
do likewise. The firelight shone bright
ly and revealed the tea-table all ready.
Sister Lorrie had not yet entered the
room.
Gilbert my boy, would you like to
be transported into yonder Babel P
That youngsters mouth bespeaks n ter
rible row, II the blast outside did not
Guido It," rnurmured Guy to his sleepy
friend.
mo, thanks; may have a vocation
somewhere awaiting me. but I'm pretty
sure It Is not that Of a caretaker to the
young"
All this time the monotonous cry
was drawing nearer. Church-lane poo
pie might have set their time-pieces Nv
poor old Timothy. For years he had
come exactly at i've In the afternoon.
II not with cookies, then some other
kind Of fish. To-day his cry seemed to,
have q very mournful cadence in Il:
the lettering form could scarcely stand.
before the shrieking gale. One more
call, which IVES not "Cockels e-live, y,