The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-05-08

nottcs that the table cloth was snow
shitp aud that the glasses and china yer
polished aud linile a. He didn't stop I
ell poor. tired lookiae Mrs Bell that Oh
sss the beat cook Ia York eounir. II
sucv ". snd boss,ed oi iia~sy IRON bone
but then II wasn't bis way 'iol speak ou
q rrsisin' his own family. Bsljcs, ia
riddle cakes aud Mrs. Bell belonged &
ain; add he asolared il A. his policy "te
seep only the very best es every kind .
unfi. from the women folks 10 the haus
iosn 10 the primest pesiat patch on ih
eouaiy roads
Farmer Bell took bis bat from its peg i
the eptry way aud sauuiered down Vi
| shady walk. At ihe foot Of the garden b
'ound bis good ne,ehbcr, Deacon Bonus
attending to the seeds and potato bug
just across the garden ieucr
Although the ntiRhhots hadn't met BE-
ore for sev . i days. there vas 10 eonyen
io3al greeting, no, even How dy. Fo
armer Bell wasn't 10 any way a conven
tional man. He clsimed to be simpl,
"sqnsre," aud took pride in the sharp cor
lers that stuck ort on every side OF hii
lature. He bad no sympathy for auy son
,itive person who couldt stand the hard
knocks they got round 10 bis neigbbor
lood. Yet, underneath all this rough
masonry. inside which he enc .sed himself
there was a soul that scorned every form
II double dealing with God or man He
was just as "square"6with one as the
other
He wasn't u religious man. He seldom
II ever. went to church nowadays. For,
be said III never make no truck an
dickAr with the Lord jest ter make sure
ev gettin inter heaven. 10 the end He's
likely 10 come out iust bet. When the
Lord calls | shall make it pint Ter be up
an dressed. But He'll bav ter take me
with my ev'ry~lsy clothes on ! shan I
hev on no Sunday filings | want ter
pass Ter Jest what I'm wuth an no
more.
Keeps yer purity lively, Deacon. a
huntin' them calikerbscks, eh?
Yes, rather, replied the deacon as he
shipped at q vine where strong army
Of the destructive beauties were buddled
'ogether.
There amt no calkerlatin on them
chaps. They're a nuisance created for
what purpose l never could make ont,
added the farmer, who went on to explain
ynas ne oy,.,,,ss:.33.. as.3. &c &c !. the best method
OF 'squelchin' the derned thuga"
The neighbors chatted about crops, the
weather aud politics, aud, just as oil talk
is likely to end, they fell to discussing re
ligion,
They say neighbor Green has got most
through. Deacon, an tbey'v sent for Cor
ISIS ter come home from college.
Indeed Is IT true then that We must
spare him? A good. Christian man: Ah,
yes. neighbor Bell, there are few like him.
Twill be pretty sad for the family TO lose
such kind. indnlgent husband and
father. Well. we'll, this neighboihood
can't afford to lose its best men. We
haven't many like Brother Green. no, not
many. And the deacon's face spoke the
sincere sorrow OF his heart.
Farmer Bell drummed bit on the top
rail, looked up and down the valley, aud
raid nothing. He was thinking what the
leacon would drobably have said had be,
Josiah Bell, been lying near to DEATH like
,eishbor Green. The thought wasn't very
pleasant He knew very well that no one
would think OF calling him "a good Chris.
ian man." nor "a kind indulgent husband
md father For the first time in his life
be truth forced itself fupon him that there
would not be much about him that people
'ould praise, except. perhaps, that he was
square, and owed no man cent.
Then q vision Of darkened room, and
PEOPLE moving about softly. with drawn
aces such as are seen always in the house
Il death, came to him There, in the front
Dom, be, Josiah Bell, wss lying. and the
Ieighbors had come 10 to help at the fun
raj. Mary aud John we're there Bnt,
omehow, there we're lew tears, II any
le could see the parson, too; but there
ras no ring OF sorrow 10 his voice Aud
be Singers, why they sang Old China as
hongh it we're q sort OF Chrlstmas tune.
0 gladsome-like and CHEEKY. And.
trsnger still, be could hear the boys
bou,ing in the playground just beyond
is house, not thinking 1t wortb while to
top iteir sport. because such disagree e.
bic old codger was ont Of the way, tyen
ing enongh to let the funeral 60 ou.
OF course, this was only vision. But
meant great deal TO farmer Bell. IL
bis dsfkeped understanding as
o human voice OF argument could do. He
sd spent many 40 hour With the deacon;
ben going the round OF discussion time
Ter time. the farmer would swing the
utter circle With what he believed WAS this
clipcher" that the deacon never tried TO
,mbat! | never could stan the idee OF
,,s liyin' In the go ssyou.plesse style all
our life time. then bnying up lot Of 70.
eiou. stock ies, 10 time fer the rise. Ell
IN eoln ler SEX the Lsri ter mske good
nristi.n outer me. I've got ter make .
srssin xiih Him ~ will hold me clus 40 ,
a, Ter iuia' 'bou, right every day. don't
that ei should git down onto
= knees 40 tell the Lord what lot
Ink on Him. an how much I'm wiiin' /
. d. fer Him, an then go ont later the
,ru an trade horses crooked. that He'd /,
. fooled inter belieyin' that Ia got reli !
on. Al. tie my opinion. Deacon. thsi
e Lord aio'i soiu' ter trust sny nau tel /
inter heaven. sa send him ter walk I
ROACH the golden streets sben He knows ,