The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-07-10
WHAT CANE oFAHoLIpAY.
CHAPTER /. a BROKEN Lro

CHAPTER H. - hhNkLe i-Lo
John FordLsm il sanding ~ the via
dos Of poor bu, clean cottage room, IA
the pretty seaside village oi Y.rley. gloom
lily siroking bis bro~p beard and looking
st the fading light over the sea
We have been soIus down bill for sc
long, be says presently 10 bis vile who si,'
sl the table near. busy 10 repovsting sons
OF the old straw hsts Tor the children Ia
wear to morrow on picknieking eIpedi
'ion. 10 which they have all father and
mother sad ell been invited to take part
by some kind neishbors.
A pause, aud then John Fordham
adds
And doa'i see how We are ever TO get
up ssaio. don't care about taking q
holiday to morrow. either; aud | wish you
would agree 10 leave me behind Doro
thy.
N ouesense. Johnl returns little Mrs.
Foribsm cheerily. she is almost always
bright and hopeful The children would
not like thst. neither would |. Let us be
thankful that we have our health and
strength, 90 that We can put worries ont OF
sight for awhile. and 60 of aud epior our
selves like other people for once, indus.
triously sposeing away si some soiled rib
bons as she speaks. One or the other OF
US might have been laid up, she goes on
and how much worse that would have been
than anything we have had to put mp with
yet. Cheer up dear A good heart breaks
bad luck We have only to go on, doing
whatever lies before us, and leaving all the
rest to One who knows better than we dc.
aud the way will be sure to open
Here the four children, two boys and
two girls, run 10 from their play in the
quiet country roadway,
Oh. mother. have you inished our hsls2
aaked the eldest OF the girls. q curly head.
ed little girl OF eight. while Dorrie, the
takes mp the sponge which her
mo, her::bss just finished using, and next
casts her glance over Tia = table 10 search Of
. stray bit OF ribbon.
Not quite Dorrie. put down that sponge
aud ind my large scissors, that's good
childj Aud, Hilds, thread neddle with
white cotton for me-. Boys. have you
cleaned your boots2
Yes, mother
And brushed your clothes?
Yes. mother. Oh: look. Johnnie! peering
delightedly through homemade kalei
" doscope (lheirilstest toy and then gent.
boldiug it ont to bis older brother It's
oil rose color and yellow like sunshiuel
And green, and blue, and purple? On.
ISN'T it pretty And you've only got to
keep turning it. and turning i'll
But before little Alfred had got so far,
John Fordham the elder had looked down
1t his own boots, aud betbought himself
also oi his own clothes.
As be goes into the little back yard,
brushes, etc. in hand, be sighs heavily.
Once tie kaleidoscope Of his life had been
of blue, and rose and gold; but the gay
md hopeful colors have ell vanished long
since, and in these days be can only see =
iull gray, with lowering blackness OF
lonbt and dread on every hand.
BY trade he is o cork cutter. Once be
bad business OF his own in the large ad
acent town of Esstbrdge. and had been
loipg we'll. But the demand for corks had
allen of by degrees, for glass shoppers.
,tc bad come to be used instead; and. at
ength, after months. and even years Of
.nIieiy and suspense. he had failed
Removing from Esstbridge. be bad come
o live in Yarley for cheapness. feeling
himself q broken and ruined man. His
wife had taken 10 washing, and he had got
little painting. or something else OF the
ind to do, every now and then; and so
hey had gone on from day to day until
low.
However. as he-not very energeticaIly
: cleaned his boots, he tried hard TO shake
Il his depressiou;he did not wish TO cloud
be epioyme OF others by.his own de
action, and he determined that he would
o as bis wife had said. namely, go TO the
,icpic TO morrow and forget. in its little
lean OF brightness and there was moth.
,g bnt gloom beyond
The morning came clear and clondless.
hey oil set of 10 good time, in roomy
overed van. with hampers picked with
rovisions. and plenty OF wraps, closks
nd umbrellas 10 case OF . change OF
eatber before night. In short. their kind
lends. the wypnes. had taken charge Of
verytbinp, and they bsd nothing TO do
a, enjoy themselves
How beautiful the country lanes were in
heir fresh sunni preenness. how exbil
rating was tie cool. puH morning air,
nd bow glorous the June sun sbone down
D The f,seflDg hedgerowsi
John Fojbsm was iustbeginniug to cast
q his despoudeucy, ~ben -snsp went
,metbingl A sirapl At tue same mo
eut tue van began to go down bill the
orse kicked out violently poor John
ordham was throsn ont iuio the road.
ID i, was very evident ihs, bis leg was
roken.
All was confusion 10 an iastsnt. Thc
1ildren we're screaming with terror. and
,e mother almost fsiniing. Three men
bo had been passing ran up, aud gave ell
10 assistance they could; and . little lat.
there vas poor John Fordhsm being
heelrd away on truck 10 The nearest
ilwsy s,stioDt in order TO be taken 10
ss,bndse hospital
Add the rem sinder OF the sorro~fui par.