News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-10-23

r The boy took the books, locke
pleased and proud, and then thre,
! the books on the floor and spok
2 rapidly. Keep your books, / dom
want 'em; ALL want is to 90 ava.
from here and never come bacf
2 again. There isn't anybody VIII,
cares for me but Harry. Give hin
, the books-he ought to have them. -
He stepped up to Harry and threv
his arms about the latter's neck, anC
then before the people realized wha
he intended to do, pushed his way
out of the room into the school yard
and bare-headed ran toward the vii
lage, and was soon out of sight.
OF course there was a scene of con
fusion. Some of the younger pupils
were frightened, and everybody was
in doubt what to do or say. The
books were laid aside and the schoO
Es9astily dismissed, without even hav
kng the speeches, which the members
-Sno cOn1nnUtee nau been preparing
4 for a fortnight or more.
| Joe did not come back. Harry re.
fused to take the books which were
put away in a closet and gradually
forgotten. Teachers were changed
the children grew up, and at last
there was a school which knew moth
ing of Joe.
Among the older people and those
of his schOOl-mates who had not
strayed away in search of fame and
fortune, there was always a curiosity
expressed about where he could have
gone, and a kindly feeling grew up
in their hearts which would have
gladdened the poor boy had he ex-
perienced it when with them.
The weeks passed rapidly into
months, and the feeting years came
and went, as they seem to come and
go as we get older and note their
swift flight. The little village had
grown to be a respectfully sized town
Several manufacturing establish
ments had been introduced; a town
house had been built; the church had
been repaired; the liberal theolOgi-
ans had a chapel of their own: there
was a bran new schOOl-hOuse, and
actually several stores. The people
mingled more with the world and the
changes in sentiment and modes of
living, which inevitably come to
place which grows from country
village to a thicIly settled town, had
come to the town of II.
Some of these changes had been
brought about by natural growth,
but most of them by reason of the
fact that the RattleborO branch rail
road had run a spur through the vii
lage.
With changes in the town had
come great changes in state and ma
tion, some ofthem profound of signifi-
cance. The stormy signs Of discord
which had at first perpleXed-then
startled. then alarmed the people,
grew into preparation for actual war
fare, and at last the full fury Of civil
strife broke upon the excited land
The simple thread of our story
does not require that we should tell
of the great uprising-how husband,
father, son, brother, lover, left their
home and dear ones to do, and dare,
and lie But when he-thregiment
marched away there was one COM
pany from the town and its captain
was Harry Jackson.
1t did it's duty steadfastly and well,
and the promise of the young mems
early years bore glorious fruitage of
patriotic service. The four years of
commotion passed quickly by, and
the remnant of the gallant company
came home again to civil life.
Many of them never came back
Some of them slept in unknown
graves; others rested in the great
national cemetery; some had perish
ed on the march to the sea, or had
fallen doing gallant duty on the
ocean, and a few had suffered the tor
ments of southern prison life,
During all this time the fame of a
certain western officer had reached
the town more than once. At first
it was only a casual notice, but at
last the papers chroniclcd the skill
of Major and then of Colonel Hay
ward, and when the war closed, the
gallant deeds, the eloquence, and the
martial bearing of General Hayward
were known all over the land.
A few years before this time a sis
ter of Harry Jackson had gone OUT
west to teach in anOrmal school, and
her letters contained much, from
time to time. about the admiration
of the people for the brave General
Hayward.
At last one letter announced that
she had been introduced to him at
great fair given in aid of a soldiers
home, where he had delivered a
speech of surprising eloquence and
pathos.
Then later, to the surprise of her
friends, she suddenly came home and
told them that she had decided to
give up teaching, and when the sur
prise had worn off she created more
by an announcement that she was
engaged to be married to the Gener-
al, and that in Just two months he
was coming east to claim her as his
bride.
1t would be hard to tell which
created the most excitement, the fact
of her marriage or the fact that the
noted officer was to be in town. Her
BROTHER Harry was chairman of the
seNctmen, and he called a meeting OF
prominent citizens to see whether it
was advisable or not to make pub
lie demonstration when the famous
man should arrive, There was but
one opinion, and when the time had
really come the town put on it's hOh-
day attire, The stores and houses
we're decorated with flags and stream
ers; the fireman polished their ma
chimes for the procession; the town
hall was blaze of glory with ban
ners, and notices and flowers.
Harry had delegated the town
clerk to represent the town, and his
official had gone fifty miles TO tender
the honor of a reception to the Gen
eral. The latter at first declined, but
when he heard OF the Preparations,
and was told how Disappointed the
people would ipel, should he persist
IN his objection, he relented and yield
ed himself to the guidance of the
clerk. After the first meeting the
town clerk scanned the sturdy form
and bearded face of the distinguished
guest and said:
u can't understand it General, but
it seems to me you look awfullY fa-
miliar to me, but never saw you be-
fore, that know
"Perhaps You have,' was the an
swer; II have been East before"
All was stir and eagerness in the
town The younger boys, and not a
few of the older ones, got positions
at the depot at an early hour. After
several false demands on their atten-
ton, a locomotive decorated with
flags appeared i'll sight, footing loud