Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-03-21


 had probably kept a hotel in country town, or engaged in some other occu. patton which had given him little more the air of a man of business, anu 8 little less that of day laborer.
 At dinner, of wh oh he was invited to partake. he asked a blessing. As they ate he commended the cooking spoke of the great loss which his hos, had sustained from the destruction o1 his ranch by the overflow, and con- demned in strong terms the outrage upon the rights of so good citizens as those at whose table ho sat.
 Then he passed on to a description Of his own ranch, which he wished to sell.
 It was we'll up in the hills, he said, but it was fine place for fruit, and was out of danger from the overflow, and all it needed to make it valuable property was the cultivation and care wh oh Mir. Parsons knew so well how to give it.
 He offered it for sa'e cheap because he was going back Last and wanted to clear everything up before he went, and get what he had together.
 He would prefer to sell for cash. but if they could not do that, he would take pair of horses and any other stock they might have to turn out. And if he could not dispose ot them readily in the neighborhood. would drive them to sacramento. on his way to New York, and sell them there. | After dinner he went out, in company with MT. Parsons, and looked at the different animals and the tn ngs wh oh the now nearly impoverished family had to offer. He readily agreed otake one pair of horses and a wagon anl the top carriage, also three ows. But this st Il Jeff a d terence winch he proposed should be male up by note to be signed b. Mir. Parsons and 8 couple of his neig ,bors.
 To this NIT. Parsons would not con- sent. He doubted if any one would sign note with him now, and he could not bear to think of asking and being reused. and preferred giving mort, gage on the place which he was to get of Mir. Blake.
 Finally it was agreed to pay him the fifty dollars in b. nk, and in addi- ton to the other art clrs named, to turn him out the six head of fat hogs in | the pen and certain articles of house- | hold furniture, the most valuable in l their poss ssion, but for wh oh there would not be room in the shanty to which they were going, anI so the bar ! gan was made.
 The Parsons were to retain possession of all the property until they had moved on to the new place; then to put c goods and animals at the disposal of Mr Blake and receive the deed When this was all settled between them, and memorandum of the whole matter made and carefully deposited in the pocket book of Mr. Blake, that gen. Ieman returned the pocket book to his pocket bu,toned up his coat, and mounting his horse. rode back to town. | When he was gone Mrs Parsons gave a sigh of relief.
 "Well, am glad it is all fixed up," she said, ''and shall feel better still whom the deed is made and we are in possession, All the time he was hero I was afraid that the trade would fall through some way, and I can not begin to tell how anxious am to get away from here, or how dreaded having to rent place. I'd rather live in a hut and have it my own, than in palace that belonged to another, and l am like Johnny; I begin to feel as if thls awful mass that is about us might raise sud denly and swallow us all in moment
 "Yes." replied her husband, '.it is better that we go, though it's mortal hard 10 leave this place, which was the purtiest and best in the valley. But it don't make much odds, s'pese, where one is. SO they have enough to eat; and guess we can git that up thero.
 I'll lead up tonight. an start to- morrow with the first load. It'll take me two days to make the round trip, al' hard days at that, but I'll put on all four of the horses and take all k n pile on tho wagon. Then l'll get Ritchie to help with the next load an wei Il take Johnny in the carriage an make it all in two trips with somebody to drive the cows. You'd better write Jennie and Lucy, mother, an tell lem to come to Phippsburg. so's to meet us there when we go with the last load. That'll save comin' after 'em, an they'll be thar to help you fix things when we git thar.'
 "Poor things, what 9 home e-eoming it will be to then,' sighed Mrs. Parsons.
 Nevertheless she wrote telling the girls what had occurred and how they must take the boat on the night of the day on which they would get tho letter. They were to get of at Phippsburg in- stead of the old landing and wait at the hotel until their parents called for them ou their way to the new home up in the mountains.
 This letter John Parsons mailed tho next day, while his teams were eating and resting from the pull over the hills with their load of household goods.
 That night he slept in the shanty upon the place which he had bought, and the following day returned to his family and the doomed cottage.
 With the help of neighbor he loaded the remainder of his worldly posses sions upon the two wagons, the heavy one and the spring fruit wagon. This neighbor was to drive one team and MT. Ritchie volunteered the use of another animal to attach to the carriage in which was Mrs. Parsons with Johnny propped up among his pillows,
 It was sad leaving of the old home.
 The muddy w,ster was now entering