Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-07-29
We laid our purses on the table be-


in dream. We shall all soon be il
another world. Pray, let us pray.
And down he fell on his knees, Close
to the table, with the candle burning
and the ugly flint and steel in hi
hand. He prayed and prayed. A
last he appeared exhausted. HI
stopped and eyed the purses; ant
then emptied one of them out on the
table. He appeared surprised, and,
thought, gratifed, at the largenes:
of its contents. We now though
we should have to retire; but to ou
dismay the 'Old Gardener said:
Now we will praise God by sing
ing the Hundredth Psalm
This was agony to US all. After
the psalm the old man took up the
second purse and while he was ex'
aiming its contents, Ryder, who was
close behind Tom and myself, wills.
pered softly:
Il have unfastened the door, wher
you hear me move make rush.
The sOld Gardener then pouring
out the contents of the second purse
exclaimed,
'Why! there is almost enough to
build our new house of God Let me
see what the third contains
He took up the third purse.
'Now!' whispered Ryder, make a
a rush..
We did so, and at the same mo-
ment heard the old fellow hammering
away at his flint and steel. We ex-
pected to be instantly blown into
fragments. The front door, how
ever, blew open before us; the next
step we found ourselves in the gar
den. The night was pitchy dark.
We rushed blindly through the nurse
ry ground, scrambled through bram-
bles and prickly shrubs, ran our heads
against trees, then forced ourselves
through a thick hedge. At last, with
scratched faces, torn hands, and tat
tered clothes, we tumbled over bank
into the high road.
Our horses were soon found, and
we galloped to Ryder's residence.
Lights were procured, and we sat
down. We were black, ragged and
dirty. We looked at each other, land,
in spite of our miserable adventure,
roared with laughter.
I'VE may laugh exclaimed Tom,
but if this adventure is blown, and
we are found out, Cornwall will be
too hot for US for the next seven
years. We have made pretty night
of it. We have lost our money;
been obliged to pretend to pray for
two long hours before a great heap
Of gunpowder; while the iron-faced,
ugly, red-capped brute threatened US
all with an immediate passage into
eternity And our money, forsooth,
must 90 to build a Methodist meet
ng-house 1t is truly horrible. The
fellow has played the old soldier on
is with a vengeance, and we shall be
5he laughing-stock of the whole COM
nunity.'
The affair was not yet ended. Re-
ports were spread that three men,
disguised as black demons, with
horns and tails, had entered the cot
tage of the 'Old Gardener who had
not only terrified them, but had
them out of good sum
Of money, which he intended to de-
vote to the building of new Metho
dist meeting house. It was given
out that on the following Sunday the
odd Gardener intended to preach
and afterward solicit sub
scriptions for the Westinghouse,
when he would relate the remarkable
manner in which he had been provi-
dentially assisted with funds for the
building. Our modification was COM
olete. Tom, whose hatred of Meth
1dism was intense, declared that he
would blow up the Westinghouse as
soon as it was built. Our curiosity,
however, was excited. and we all
.hree determined to hear our adven-
;ure of the night related by the 'Old
Gardener if we could contrive to be
present without being suspected.
Sunday evening arrived. The meet
ng-house was crammed to suffoca-
ion, and with the dim lights then
burning in the chapel we had no diff
iculty in concealing ourselves. The
sermon was short, but the state
nent of our adventures was related
most infinitely and circumstantially
n the old mans quaint, homely, and
humorous phraseofogy. This even
ne he seemed to excel himself, and
vas exultingly humorous. The old
face glowed with delight and
Il never said he, saw
lack faces pray with greater devo-
ion. / have some doubt, however,
e slyly observed, 'if their prayers
7ere quite heavenward. They some
ines turned their faces towards the
DOR, but lifting of the flint and
teel kept them quiet.
He then added with a knowing
hake of the head and an exulting
augh, But they had not smelt pow
er like the old soldier whom they
anne to rob. No, no, it was a large
large enough to brighten
Id General Give himself. The can
lie was lighted, the flint and steel
we're ready. You may ask, my friends,
{ 1, myself, was not afraid. No,no,
nv doar friends Shouted he ethiS