The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-11-13

Well" replied the child, {" guess
if keep on loving him he WON'T be
innymunt' much longer"
"1 guess not, either" said Mr..
Rogers, giving his hand to help her
down from the seat, as the cars slack
ened speed at NJ and stopped at the
station. He led the child from the car
and gave her to her grandmother's care.
hope she has not troubled you
said the lady, looking fondly at the
child.
On the contrary, madam, she has
done me a world of good" said he, sin
cerely, as he raised his hat and, bid
ding Betty goodbye, stepped back into
the car.
Mr.. Rogers resumed his seat and
looked out the window, but be did not
see the trees, nor the green fields, nor
even the peaceful river, with its thou
sands of white water.lilies, like the
stars in the midnight sky.
Had he told the Lord that he was
glad his L" innymunt" had broken his
velocipede and could not join in the
race for wealth and position? When
he came to put the question straight to
his own soul it certainly did look like it.
1t was of no use for him to say that
the notes were honestly due. He knew
that he could afford TO wait for the
money, and that if Robert French was
forced to pay them at once he would
probably be ruined and he heard the
sweet voice of the child saying, Love
your innymunts;'" and he said, in
heart, using the old familiar name of
1 l.. l L / ,,,1 I
Rob has broken his velocipede; III
lend him mine until he gets his
mended."
Had the sun suddenly come out from
behind a dark cloud? Mr.. Rogers
thought so, but it had really been
shining its brightest all the morning.
A boy came through the train with a
great bunch of water lilies calling
centapiecesiXforiI"
" Here, boy, called Mr.. Rogers.
d" Where did those come from?"
"White Pond Lily Cove" said the
boy, cycling Mr.. Rogers with some per-
pleXity. He had been train boy five
years and never had known him to
buy anything but the Journal.
" What'll you take for the bunch?"
Fifty cents" replied the boy,
promptly.
Mr. Rogers handed him the half
dollar, and took the fragrant lilies
How do you get into the Cove now?"
he asked, as the boy pocketed the money
and was moving on.
" Git out'n' shove her over the bar"
replied the boy, as he went on.
Mr. Rogers looked at the flowers with
the streaks of pink on the outer petals
at the smooth, pinkish-brown stems,
and thought of the time, forty years be-
fore, when he and Rob, two barefoot
urchius, had rowed across White pond
in leaky boat, and, by great eXertion,
dragged and pushed it over the bar,
and been back home at seven O'Clock
in the morning with such a load of
lilies as had never been seen in the vii
aCe before. Yes, he remembered il !;
and Rob's mother was frying dough-
nuts when they got back, and she had
given them six apiece. Oh, she knew
what boys appetites were! She had
been dead thirty years, he thought.
Just then the cars glided into the
station. Everybody rushed out of
the train, Mr.. Rogers following in a
kind of a dream. He walked along
until he came to Sudbury street, and
stopped at place where he read: "Rob.
| ert French, Manufacturer of Steam and
Gas Fittings"
He entered the building, and going
up one flight of stairs, opened door
and entered room fitted up as an
office. A man sat at desk anXously
examining a pile papers. He looked
up as Mr.. Rogers entered, stared at
him as if he could not believe his eyes,
and, without speaking, rose from his
chair and offered a seat to his visitor
Mr.. Rogers broke the silence. "Rob, "
he said, holding out his hand these
came from the cove where we used to
90, and-and-I've come around to say
that if you want to renew these notes
that are due to-day / am ready to dc
o-and-and-"
But Mr.. French had sunk into his
chair, and with his head buried in his
hands was sobbing as if his heart would
break.
Mr.. Rogers awkwardly laid the lilies
on the desk and sat down. "Don't
Rob-" he said at length.
You wouldn't wonder at it, Tom, y
was thS iSply, II Jou hhC" NhoI
had endured for the past forty-eight
hours. l can pay every penny if
have time, but to pay them to-day
means absolute ruin"
Well, | guess we can fix it up all
right" said Mr.. Rogers, looking in
tently into the crown of his hat. Have
you any more paper out?'
Less than two hundred dollars, .
was the reply.
The twenty years of estrangement
were forgotten like troubled dream
as the two men went over business
papers together; and when they finally
separated, with clasp of the hand, each
felt dozen years younger.
"Ah!" said Mr., Rogers, as he
walked away with light step, Betty
was right. If you love your innymunt
he won't be an innymunt any longer.
Christian Union.