The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-01-16

themselves-und him, too.
As for Joe, he dragged himself along
| through the cold rain toward the place
where his beloved drink was to be
found, when suddenly his eye lit on
piece of money lying close to the walk;
it was only silver quarter, lut it
meant much to him, Squire Grove
would never let him have but one drink
at time now that he could not pay
cash for the stuff, but had it charged
on Mary AIMS store bill; to-day he
would get that glass first and then
spend his quarter for more. SO he go;
very drunk indeed and, having Just
sense enough left to keep away from
home, turned toward the brick-kiln
across Mad Brook, knowing he could
! lie down by its warm walls and sleep
till new day.
The brook was up to its brim now
with December's rains; the foot-bridge
was narrow; it seemed very crooked to
Joe as he stepped on it; he tried to fol-
low those odd curves-and in one mo-
ment he was deep in the water Then
he, too, looked back at the past; that
strange revelation of the foregoing life
that comes to the drowning man came
to him. He remembered all that ever he
had done, from stealing apples out
of the neighbours lot when he was four
years old, and the sound whipping his
mother gave him, down to his carouse
to-day; he saw himself as he had been
young man with health, work, con
tentment, a loving wife, pretty chill
dren, and then drunken scoundrel,
the scOrn and contempt of that worn
out woman and terror to his pale,
pinched, half-clothed boy and girl. Sud-
denly text he had once read flashed
across his mind-for once, in those
forever-gone days, he used to read the
Bible.
"The sorrows of death comprised
me, and the pains of death got hold
upon me: found trouble and sorrow.
Then called | upon the name of the
Lord: O Lord, l beseech thee, deliver
my SOUL"
Feebly he said, " o Lord /" then
everything went.
About two hours after Mary Ann
had gone out to split wood she heard
the gate click again; the factory bell
had not rung; probably Joe had stag
gered home drunk, as usual. She did
not look up from her work till the door
was flung open and four men brought
in her husbands body.
The first thing she thought of was
her mornings wish; God had granted
it, The next was that here lay her
husband. She did not believe two
hours ago that she cared for him par
ticle, she knew now that she loved
him still
But, New England fashion, she made
no sign; she only looked at the fore
most of his bearers, and said, Is he
dead?'-in such voice!
Much as ever he's live" answered
the indirect Yankee.
1--WE see him 90 in, over to the kiln,
and was jest in time; another minnit,
the doctor said, an he'd have been
deader n door nail. Put him 10 bed i,
doctor says, an he'll be here in iiffn'."
So Joe Barber began his New Year
in agonies of rheumatic fever, as far
from happy" as man could be: for
if the anguish of body ever gave him a
moments respite the memory of those
horrible moments under the cold rush
of Mad Brook returned to torture his
mind.
For a long year thereafter he was a
cripple-even when at last he could
leave his bed, unable to walk without
crutches, and only across his room al
that. But all this time, racked with
the recollection of her dreadful words
and remorse to think how nearly her
wild wish had been granted, Mary Ann
nursed him and waited on him with I'M
failing and gentle patience. She felt
that she must atone for her hard speech
though Joe never had alluded to it.
AT last the year came round again,
and Joe Barber, clothed and in his right
mind, sat by the kitchen fire watching
his wife pare apples for her Saturdays
baking. The children were in the shed
cracking nuts, and laughing as children
should laugh, but as these two rarely
had done, and Mary AIMS face shone
with peace and pleasure as she listened
TO them.
I" You look some as though you was
a-gon' to hev happy New Year this
time, Mar Ann" said Joe, in a feeble
but gentle voice.
Mary Ann dropped her knife sand
looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
ooh, Joe! you never will know how
happy was this time last year to have
, you live, after all! And to think what
dreadful words l said to We, tool''
"Sho, sho! Mar Ann, don't be con-
sarned about 'em; they come back to me
there when | was drownin' and done me
f good-that's so. | wasn't worth hevin'.
and / know it. Nothin' but the cold
water cure fetched me up in time. |
sha'n't never again provoke We to
wrath the way done before; the Lord
helpin', | believe I've begun real
, New Year"
Mary Ann lifted the corner of hel
apron to her eyes and wiped away a
, tear of joy.
r "Well, Joe," she said, in answer
) ''let bygones be bygones; we Wont
twit each other with nothing. You and
+ me and the children will Just turn tc
/ to-morrer and keep a genuine old.
f fashioned happy New Year, Wont
we?'
, "Amenl" said Joe, with all hi,
heart.-RoSe Terry Cooke, IN Christian
| IIon;nY