Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-01-10
THE KARRATUNk STAGE
LINE.

The white horse had settled back in the
breeching as if he had shifted the com
mand from afar, then the chestnut gather
cd himself together, IA final shiycr ran
through the sleigh-bells aud the Kara
tunk stage came To stnd-still.
What is it, Mis- Weston
4 large boned. CHEEKY faced woman
was stepping from the porch Of farm
hoose near the road.
Il want you TO do a little shopping for
me, Phin.'
Certain Mis- Weston"
"A pair Of copper toed boots for Benny.
Les see--the last pair l bought for
Benny was mines, wasn't they"
Yes; but he'll want tens this time"
Certain I'll pick out a good pair, too. .
'Ts there any news up the roadi'
'Nom-except that yomg SOlon Hack
ett's gone into the woods to cook for Brad
streets crew"
Did Squire Fadden say anything to
you this time about expecting Frank 3
widow
"No Saw nothin' of his folks"
II didn't know but he'd notify you to
meet her, or something
..Never's mentioned it. Fact is, the
Squire never mentions things much. Looks
like storm, don't III Chkl Get up!"
Jingle, jangle, went the big. round
sleigh-bells, and the stage moved ON
its way to Streamville, just as it moved
every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, in
good weather and bad, on holidays and all,
with such regularity as if it We're one OF
the glittering orbs of the solar system, in
stead of rusty black ark on yellow run
ners
.'Oh, give me home by the deep,
4 cot by the billowy sea,
Where the wild breakers roar
On the stern, rocky shore
oh, that is the dwelling for me,
For mel
oh, that is the dwelling for mel"
sang Phin. as the stage slid down the bill
not because he had any particular lik-
ing for salt water, or had become tired oi
bis bachelor quarters at the Karratunk
Tavern, or would have preferred clam dig
ging or lobstering to stage-driving The
song was mere outburst of good spirits;
it meant that Phin. Bonney was contented
with his lot, and pleased with the general
aspect Of things in the interior of Maine
1t was thirty miles from the backwoods
town of Karratunk to the thriving village
Of Streamville, on the Maine Central Rail
road. A long journey at best over the
poor roads, it was always heightened by
such incidents as have already happened
and are yet to happen on this December
morning
For Phin. was the shopperin general OF
the people of Karratunk. Cornboro' and
Atkinaville. For dozen years he had
been the medium of communication be
tween the farm houses on the Stage line
and the stores of Streamville and the me
dunn had grown in favor with constant
use. lie shopped for the farmers aud for
the farmers wives, for the farmers boys
and for the farmers girs. He 8hopped for
the rich and the poor for the good and for
the wicked. And, beedes shopping faithful
Is and impartiallv for everybody alive, lac
chopped Tor tnG dead ard for batn5 unborn.
Groceries and gowns, crockery and clothes
pins, tobacco aud slate pencils-swaddling
clothes if ordered, and shrouds il need be
- he bonght and fetched to the indescrb
able accommodation of all concerned.
But as much and as acceptably as he
shopped in each fifty-two weeks OF the
year, he never shopped so extensively or
to such great satisfaction as in the week
before Christmas The Christmas trees,
the Christmas stockings, the Christmas
puddings, were all indebted to Phin. He
drove FROM Streamvillc loaded with bun
dies in which were tho mystery and the
delight, the mirth aud the feasting OF
CoInboro', Atkinsyile and Karratunk-a
vcritable Santa Claus, but for whom the
Christmas of these three towrs would have
been a barren festival. All this added To
the passenger, the mails and the horses,
IN endless chain Of work and bother which
honest Phin was really glad to wear The
more crrands he had to do, the more
pleased was he-for the more Christmas
there was to Der and it, a. often happened,
he had no Christmas orders from two
or three shabby houses on his route,
somehow it came to pass that the stage
brought II Christmas bundle to every one of
them evcrthelcss-which, Phin. said was
much iollcr and better than skipping any
body
1t was the day before Christmas in the
year eighteen hundred and never mind, when
he drove away, singing, from Mrs. Wes.
toms, and the interruptions Of his journey
were many. Mrs. Beety asked him TO buy a
shavngmug for Hiram, as good mug az
he could get for a ninepence; Jonas Mer-
ill ordered two pairs of skates for his twin
boys; Auat Ora Wcatcut must have IA
ast-cake, and so on.
at worries me drctlully, phin., because
you never set nothin' down" said Aunt
Ora.
II get along just as well as if did, and
better, too" said Phin. 'Yc see, Aunt
Dry, if | sot down my ordcrs in IL book, I'D
be liable TO write 'em wrong or read 'enl
wrong; but if | carry 'em in my head
there's 30 rcadin' nor writin' To do, and no
chance to make q mistake"
And there did not live on his route man
or woman who could justly accuse Phin. oi
II blunder. lie bought everything exactly
according To orders, delivered everything
just where il belonged, and always knew
TO a cent what everything cost.
"Thats Mary Faddon surpriain thin
and pale, but AZ pretty as ever" fhin. said
TO himself at the Strealnvillc railroad sta
ton that evening, when a rather slender
young woman in black stepped from the
train and looked eagerly about.
Phin knew her well, knew all about her
and her widowhood, had carried Frank mp
and back the last time he visited the old
homestead on Cornboro' Hill. And only
five or six weeks ago their daughter, June,
had gone to her grandfather on the stage.
She was Il charming little brunette of five
years, and Phn. had fallen desperately in
love with her at first sight. He had in hi.
pocket, now, IN intended pledge of his
affection in the shape of an aggregation o
sugar elephants, camels and eagles, q pound
of the most Christmasy and spectacular
candy to be bought in Streamvlic.
Phn. cumsily made bis way up to Mary
when he saw her.
HIloVyI vc do Mia Fnducny" guil he