The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-05-15


at all sympathize with this view of the
case, and rebuked Ponto for his want
of hospitality. AS rule, the more
wretched human being was the more
she took him into her motherly heart.
Accordingly she was greatly delighted
when she found that her present guest
once had relatives in Pasumpsic, and
she and all the five children at once
took to calling him Grandfather Dill"
"Only think, john" said she, when
the old man had gone to bed, "he says
his folks came from Pasumpsic. No
doubt lie is some relation to us"
1T must be a great comfort to find
yourself fortieth cousin to tramp"
said John.
The next morning Grandfather Dill
was so i'll from the effects of his ex-
posture that he was unable to rise, and
what with the hot herb teas with
which Mrs. Ratchet scaled him inside,
and the mustard plasters with which
she fiayed him outside, il was won
der he ever did rise; but in few days
he was able to sit in the great arm
chair in the corner, and began to talk
about resuming his wanderings again.
For this, however, he was mani
testify too feeble, and John went to the
town authorities to get them to take
him off his hands. They all with one
accord declared that he was none of
their paupers, and that they were al
ready overrun with tramps, and that
the only thing they felt justified in
doing was to forward him to Littleton,
where he stated that he belonged.
But Mrs. Ratchet in her turn was
equally decided that he should not be
moved in his present condition, and
John quite agreed with her. So Grand
father Dill staid on and on till it be-
came evident that he never would take
the journey to Littleton, or any other
journey but the last long journey
which awaits us all.
Meantime, Johns conduct elected
various comments from his townspeo-
ple-some praised and some blamed.
Hans Schneider said:
II always thought John was n fool,
and now know it, burdening himself
with pauper in these hard times.
He'll come to the poor-house himself
yet, see if he don't"
As Grandfather Dill grew weaker
he had, or seemed to have, some
strange fancies. He often muttered
the name of "Priscy," coupled with
the words, "She shau't have cent of
1t" And at last one day he asked
John to bring notary to make his will.
Il am going to make it in favor of
YOU and your wife, said he; you've
10 Il
Dill, or her mother was; and as for
Priscy he stopped.
who is Priscy?" asked John.
Nobody; don't know any such per-
son. Bring the notary"
At first John put him off, for he did
not wish TO offend the notary by asking
him to come and make a pauper's will
but the old man was so persistent that
for the sake of quoting him he finally
acceded TO his request, and the will was
duly made, signed, sealed, and deliv
cred.
IF there is any truth in this, you're
a rich man." said the notary to John.
After this Grandfather Dill seemed
satisfied, though he failed rapidly; but
a few minutes before he died he muir
INJURED, poor Priscy! Perhaps she
wasn't so much to blame, after all.
That the property so literally be-
queathed TO him existed anywhere but
in Grandfather Dill's Imagination John
did not believe, and but for the notary
would scarcely have given the matter
another thought; but the notary said
the old man had given the items of the
will with great precision, which was In
itself an indication of its truthfulness,
and that it was very easy to find out
whether there was anything in it or
not. For his part he thought it worth
looking into.
John said it was his opinion that the
old man had nothing but the rags on
his back, but still, as Mr. Armstrong
was about TO send him away on bust
ness commission, he could easily take
Littleton on his route, thereby killing
two birds with one stone" as he Jest
ingly observed.
To his unbounded surprise, and to
the equal surprise of the Littleton
people, he ascertained through law
yer that the seeming pauper was in
deed the owner of thousands.
He had no relations in the town, nor
was it known that he had any else
where. He was not a native of Little
ton, however, but had come, it was be-
lieved, from Pomfret, so TO Pomfpet |
went John.
None of the younger generation re
membered any Dills, but some of the
older ones knew that there had once
been such family, though they had
long since lost all knowledge of them. |
If anybody can tell you aboat them
old Granny Madison can" said the
landlord of the Eagle Hotel. "She
knows everything. She's regular
History of Pomfret' in one volume"
And SO it proved.
"Do / remember Mr.. Dill-Joshua
Dill ?" said the old lady. "To be sure
i do. He was one of our leading citi-
zens once, but after he quarreled with
his daughter he was all broken up"
"Then he had daughter
"Yes; a stubborn, headstrong piece
as ever lived, and wild and needless
besides. He couldn't do anything with
her after her mother died. At last he
got so angry at something's never
could find out precisely what-that he
II Il