The Globe-republican., 1889-12-25

and gobbhng oown Ifom An oAu oso'o
wall.
sDon't you gobble at me!'' he said.
and then went on, singing.
The composite army of farm fowl left
him at last. and he came in sight OF the
foaming mill-wheel that was tossing the
cool waters of the Housatonic near the
grand old orchards of what was once one
of the New Providence farms New
Providence is a vanished village now;
its churches and inns used to be on Stat
ford Hill, but Cheshire village has taken
its place. One can not SO much as hnd
New Providence on the map. 1t was
settled by the Masons and Browns
and Coles from Swansea, Mass, and Gov
entry, r. l. The colony went to Sack
Vile, n B., first, but finding the cll-
mate too rigorous, followed their pastor,
Elder Mason. to the Berkshire Hills and
founded Cheshire under the name OF
New Providence.
Suddenly Harry ceased singing. The
horses's back began to grow hard. he
thought that he would adjust the bag
and make his position easier. He clasp
ed the bag-and what look Of amaze
ment must have come into his face!-
there was nothing in it, not SO much as
single kernel of corn!
Harry had heard of witches and things
bewitched, of people casting an evil eye,
of the awful ghost story that Elder Le-
land used to tell. He recalled his
mothers wish. and wondered if that had
not bewitched the bag. Had the bag
united? He look to see. No. there was
the string. His heart thumped, and he
felt hot flashes and cold shivers creep
over him..
He stopped the horse. Crows cawed
above him. The mill-wheel turned and
turned before him. Why should he 60
forward? He had nothing for the miller
and what, oh, what could he say to
the miller if he went to the mill with
an empty bag!
He would retrace his way, and see ii
that would offer any clue to the appall-
ing mystery. But it offered none.
There was not SO much as kernel OF
corn in the road, and the turkeys and
geese and ducks and pullets everywhere
seemed contented, with full crops and
fat sides. They did not even gobble or
auack or cackle. The world all seemed
serene and happy.
What should he say to his father?
And to his mother?
| And what would the world say now?
| And Elder Leland. who had been visited
by a ghost and had heard voices from
| the sky?
So towards the red farmhouse Harry
Brown turned his horses head in WON
der and amazement. He thought of the
awful Indian tales and ghost tales of old
Swansea. from which the early settlers
had come, of witches riding on broom
sticks in the air, and spells and ''evil
eyes" and all sorts of imaginary mys-
| teries In this frame of mind he rode
up under the hOur-glass elm in front of
the house, and his father came to the
door.
Ibid he receive it we'll, sonny?' asked
Eben, with beaming face.
1T is gone," said Harry, with dole
full face.
''What gomez"
''The grist.'
'Sho! Where?''
Here Eunice's white head appeared.
She threw her apron over it and listened
anxiously.
''It disappeared
''Where?"
'.Into the air."
"How?''
Spirits
'Boy!"
There, Eben," said Eunice: mind
| what told you! The universe is agin
We. You couldn't get grist to Peter
Riggs if you were to go yourself.
'Twould be flying in the face of Provi-
dence. The powers are agin ye. used
to know all about spells and such things
in old Swansea"
well see-we'll see," said Eben.
That evening Eben shelled out two
more bushels of corn. In the morning
he brought out the old roam horse, and
put bag with the corn on mis- back. He
then went to the barn and brought stiff
buttonwood rod which he had used for
various purposes of discipline and cor
rection.
Boy
'.Sir?'
mount that horse"
Harry mounted as before.
go to mill; I'll follow
The pilgrimage was performed with
alacrity and safely. The meal was car
ried to poor Peter Rugg. and received
with grateful and penitent heart.
Eben returned home happy, but what
ever became of that first bag of two
bushels of corn was always wonder to
Harry, to Eunice, and their friends.
Eben's expectations were realized in
regard to Peter Rugg. The good act re-
stored his better will and heart, and
made him true friend for life. Eben
used to tell the story, and say: always
follow your better will, and do your
duty, though the universe be agin ye."
-Hezekiah Butterworth. in Christian
Union.
The Removal of Warts.
These disfgurements of the hand usu-
ally are never injurious outgrowths. as
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