Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-10-30
THE GOLDEN TABLE.

following conversation:
II tell We what, mum, I'm a-goin' to git
out o this. I'm tired o. hoein' an a-plant-
in an a-cuttin' stocks in the fall, an
a-thrashin' the fail half the winter Pm
a-goin' to Furnaceville to go inter the fac
try where can be somebody You'd orter
seen how the fellers from there look They
was just drest TO kin last Sunday when
ketehed 'em a-stealin' apples oyer'n our
back orchard. Shiny caps an starched
shirts ev'ry one on 'eml Some on 'em earn
three an four dollars week sides payin'
board, an they say they live like kings at
the fact'ry boardin' house"
WALL Joe, you hev spelt Mebbe there's
more N yer head than | think, but land o.
massy, yeou don't talks eff there was.
You IRIS big fool as yer Uncle Glib. He
never mounted 10 shucks, only sot round
on the aige o. Little Pond an dreamed
o. how to git that ere gold table, an yer
dad an jest dug the meat off n our bones
TO feed you young uns an him. To think
yer dad an ! should 90 TO work an hey
fool in the fambly" and poor Mum Her
ring seized pail of swill which she had
been scalding, and went out OF the little
doorway to feed the pigs, whose pen was
but portion of the back yard fenced off
cornerwise By short strip OF rail fence.
josh Herring sat silent What was It
about this gold table? Surely he had heard
il before Mum was so mad with him
now for wishing TO get away from home
that lac knew she would tell him no more,
lest it should make him good for nothing,
as Uncle Glib. But II there was a gold
table there might not that be a better thing
to 20 in for than 10 go to the factory
When mum came back from the pig
pen Josi was missing She snifiled and
said, Gone to the fact'ry; he's no count
anyway"
But he had gone to Neighbor Sanders to
learn about that table
At the home OF Noighbor Sanders this
anomaly, an ambitious Herring, listened
TO strange tale.
Ages and ages ago one of the historically
lazy, non-working Herring family had
been possessed by a strong passion for
money, piles of money, earned easily and
quickly. 4 travelling pack man sought a
nights lod cling at Herring's cabin, disap-
peared mysteriously, or So the neighbors
thought when they were not visited by
him they next morning as they expected
Of itself deep disappointment TO these
simple people, who rarely saw peddler
more frequently than thrice a year, and
surely never INDUCED in the luxury Of
trading with more than one out OF that
thrice
Jake Herring had made a great deal Of
talk about the cheating scamp who, he as
serted, had risen early while the family
were sleeping and gone away without pay
ing for his supper and bed. Yet the neigh
bors whispered their doubts to each other.
and in a few months the Herring family
were suspiciously well dressed. They
talked of presents from hitherto unheard
of wealthy relatives. But the neighbors
talked of the missing peddler They be
lieyed the fine clothes came from his pack.
and wondered if lit would ever come To
light"
Some years afterward one of the more
ambitious farmers of this locality resolved
TO rid a certain field Of It's tangle of bar
berry bushes Jake Herring was resting
peacefully in his grave, as far rs any knew.
But there were grave doubts in the neigh
bors' minds when Neighbor Rand, TO his
horror, unearthed from beneatha barberry
bush the skeleton of q man and long.
leather shoulder strap. such as peddlers
used for carrying their packs
Murder will ont cried all the town, !
"and Jake did Kill that peddler, and must
have used the strap 70 drag the body from
his house 20 the field where he buried II |
under the thorny barberry bush.n
Then followed the tradition that a curse |
came then upon the Hcrrings that all !
should remain poor, aud wherever they /
went a barberry bush should spring mp
even where none could ever d maLa 10
grow before. 50 that the whole world should /
know the danger that Herring was near.
But as to all crimes some utonement Is I
permitted, or some expiatory achievement 4
is allowed 70 wipe out the sin. So In this I
case had If ia some way become known I
that in Titles pond DEPTHS lay golden 4
table. and if this could IS secured by the 4
industry and skill Of some one. compara- 1
lively sinless. AN the sins OF his ancestors 4
might be atoned aud the curse pronounced T
upon even the third and fourth generation I
might be removed.
No wonder that Glib Herring had pom /
dered long how to obtain III and whenever /
he heard OF q white bull calf born at some 1
had tried 10 purchase H. Ira /
dition said, Twelve yoke ct spotlessIv 1
white oxen attached % Vrapnel iron aud 1
driven through the pond by 4 brave. indus 4
trious, pure young man would bring to 4
light the golden table and lift the curse 81 4
sins from his own and future 4
We're he sinful on indus 4
trious only ia prctense then he and the 4
oxen would sink in the. % that day. un- 4
fathomed depths Of the pond: while the 4
heavy grapuel iron would against an laws 4
Of nature) fioat for seven days a. "A warn /
ing to all that the sin Of hypocrisy would /
never be permitted TO prosper OF advance
one in life
Where the cultured can scarcely shake I
of superstition It is not strange that th-
ignorant cling to it. JOSH Herring Went
home in deep thought. twenty-four white
oxen be knew must first be trained aud in
his possession, and he must 20 steadily TO ]
work. He went ont late al night. and find- II
ing "A luNuriaut bsrherry bush he Suz it /
up with quick, vigorous thrusts of the \
spade and shovel. Then. with his heavy
boots, he tram Piled il under foot. crushing
the blood hued berries at every stamp Of I
his heavy co'yhide uumbsr mines; then
kneeling down beside the gravelike exea-