Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-08-09
BRATTLEBORO FRIDAY. AUGUST 8, 1889.

ter you'd gone, sir only he put it in rather
a queer way" replied the warder. "'War-
der, says he, you know that good gentle
man Yes, says l. Well he's an old
college friend of mine, and would be much
| distressed il he heard was under punish
ment. | know you wouldn't like to trouble
him, so pray let US hear no more about re
porting Talk about cheek a prize pig
amt in it with him. suppose he was on
ly kidding of me about the college, sir.
Alas no, replied the clergyman, "his
story is true we were ut college together
What has brought him to this | cannot i'm
agine. Does he seem to you at all mad ~
"No sir, not bit, said the warder
promptly, "as eggsentric as you like, but
not mad. | was an attendant in an asylum
before came here, and know a lunatic
when | see him. Bless you, sir, he feels it
more than he pretends"
'Im glad TO hear it, Smith very glad
But be as easy with him as you can"
"All right, sir Trust me for that. He's
not one Of the sort TO give real trouble
I've read his case and fancy he really was
precious hungry when he broke them lamps
Starving men have done worse things TO get
a meal before now. Good night, sir"
Charley Micklereed had always had pc
culiar knack of enisting the affections of
those about him. As sort of human cork
floating on the sea Of chance he never
seemed 10 have any aims, and consequent
ly he had no interest to clash with those of
others. Therefore his acquaintance had
always looked kindly upon him and been
ready to do him small favors.
Mr.. Bamlett had several other interviews
with his friend, and strove, TO all appear
ance in vain, to exercise the spirit of indif-
ference from his breast Its no use, my
dear fellow" said Charley to him one day
Il don't believe your theories about re
sponsibility and all that Wish did, but
don't. The serious troubles of life TO me
are hunger, cold and illness Should soon
have been in for all three if hadn't smash
ed those lamps. As it is with my moder-
ate appetite, rm fairly warm and comfort
able for a fortnight yet, and I'll bet you
what you like there's philanthropist wait
ing for me, when L get outside, with the of
fer of a situation
But will you stick to work if you get
it y asked the clergyman.
'Of course | will, if the work will stick
to me, D." replied Mr.. Micklereed. 81 don't
pretend to be in love with work like so ma
ny humbugs nowadays, but | bow to the
could TO get job before | came here"
''But then what character had you"
began his friend.
Character what has character to do
with it = inter- upted the prisoner. Isn't
the right to labor the pet theory Of the pres
ent day Besides, there was nothing
against my character. | didn't drink.
didn't steal | didn't even lie The last
head master | saw, after seeming satisfied
with my answers to all his questions about
competence, had the impudence to ask what
were my religious opinions, aud he showed
me the door when | said hadn't any
do you really mean to say, Mickle-
reed, demonstrated the clergyman, THAT
you cant see that your boast of indiffer-
ence in religious matters was rightly fatal
to your chance ~
"Of course | cant see it. replied that
perverse individual, unless you maintain
that he who fattens oxen must himself be
fat. gave up the schools, though, after
that and tried the docks, but they wouldn't
have me there. Then it was prison or
workhouse TO get meal, and | chose pris-
on as being easier to get into than the 9th.
er place.
Mr.. Bamlett sighed and gave it up for
the present. Have you any complaint to
make = he asked mechanically as he pre-
pared to leave the cell
Yes, by Jove, I'd almost fogotten, ex-
claimed the prisoner ''Smuggle me bit
of tobacco the size of small pea the next
time you come. ! can't sleep without it.
Wish could, for it must be uncommonly
nasty to swallow"
The coolness of the request took away
Mr. Bamlett's breath He told his friend
he would not on any account commit such
a breach of the trust repo sed in him For
five minutes they argued the point. The
clergyman pleaded conscience the prison
er pleaded the duties of friendship. The
question was left unsettled, but next night
the prisoner, with a morsel of tobacco in his
mouth, slept better than the man who had
supplied him with it, The Rev. Mr.. BAN
let's conscience was tender and though he
gave way TO the opportunities of his friend
on two or three subsequent occasions, he
was very glad when the day came for No
ll9 to leave the prison.
One thing alone somewhat lessened the
bitterness of his self f-reproach. Mickle-
reed during the last week of his time show
ed some faint signs of repentance, or rather
of consciousness that he might, after all,
have made fool of himself The Rev
Joshua was neither proud nor enviOus, and
did not scruple to acknowledge to himself
that nicotine had perhaps succeeded where
he had failed As a smoker he knew its
soothing effect on a troubled mind The
rules of the prison were meant for the pris-
oners' good-but he dare not follow this
Jesuitical line of reasoning any further.
/ Micklereed had promised that when re-
leased he would come to his friends lodg-
ings, but greatly to that good mans disap-
| pointment he did not put in an appearance.
a. IL.
on, said that lawyer looking gentleman"
had met him and taken him off in han
som Also that No. 1l9, noticing him out
side the gate had borrowed a sovereign
| from the lawyer looking gentleman and
given it to him, saying, Tell Mr.. Bamlett
he shall hear from me, and thank you, war
| der, for your kindness
Three months passed away, but Mr.. BAN
lett heard no more of his unfortunate
friend He hoped his relations might have
come to his help. The readiness of the
! lawyer like gentleman" to lend the SOW
ereign looked as if he had friends, but the
curate was rather vexed at his silence, and
murmured to himself hard sayings about
the ingratitude of man.
One Friday night, however, Mr. Bamlett
was reading the Guardian, and he came to
a paragraph which considerably astonished
him. 1t ran as follows
I'VE understand that the valuable living
of Platton Magma, Southshire, vacant by
the death of the Rev. Samuel Somnan, has
been offered by the patron, c. NJ Master
ton, Esq, to the Rev. Joshua Bamlett, Gu
rate of st. Swithins, w. c. This living
enjoys an enviable distiI ction at the pres
ent time. Most of its income is derived
] ~ in ha fitN nf
that its nominal value of 5000 year is
some indication of its actual one. The
population of the parish is 260 and there is
a good vicarage. We congratulate Mr.,
Bamlett ON his good fortune"
Nonsense was the curate's mental
comment The Guardian must have made
mistake There must be another man of
the same name. Those papers are always
wrong in details
He took down the "Clergy List, ," and ran
through the Bamletts, but there were not
many of them, and not one, save himself,
rejoiced in the name of Joshua.
Surely" said he TO himself "it can't be
true. | know no one called Masterton. Be
sides, should have heard of it direct"
Just then his landlady entered the room
with letter.
This came for you, sir, this morning, -
salu sne, ana III sorry IL mas beeh ms
laid
The letter proved to be from Twibell x
Twiss, the solicitors of c. NJ Masterton.
1t contained formal offer of the living of
Platton, and mentioned the solicitors re-
gret that their client was at present abroad.
They requested Mr. Bamlett to call upon
them as soon as possible.
He called, accepted the living, and had
read himself in and taken possession before
Mr.. Masterton returned.
One morning he was walking in the gar
den of the vicarage, wishing his patron
would come back that he might make his
acquaintance and discover what manner of
| r.,n,, Il ,una ,rhn hnuinlr a nod thin.r 10