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


wonld not depart I, stood like AZ sccu'
ing angel. and buruel letters n Gre int
the soul Of il. yioiita. ilIs head dropped
lover aud st last rested upoa bis arms
crossed shove the top rail Of the gsrdei
ience. A strange trrmor shock his frame
like the chill that forebedes sndieD sick
ness
4 The deacon questioned. Are yen III
neighbor Belly
No snsser; only q movement as Of rails
ing bis bosed head; then II sunk agsil
upon biz arms
Do yoa feei chill. neiebhorg The air i
damp. Will yun throw my coat across you
sho ouldersf urged the deacon very gently
at ihe spme time tsking the garment from
/ a post pesr ., hsi d and sprfadine II pro
tectinely upou him.
Still no answer, only the Voice Of u,
evening birds. asd the low music OF ihs
merry kadron. little. swift'howipg brook
that skirie5 the garden grounds,
The sun had sunk low in the west and
touched with its last fiery CLEANS the sum
mits OF the Adirondscks. risiag tier above
tier along the eastern horizon.
AT last. farmer Bell. as II rousing from
deep sleep, raised his bead slowly and
turued toward the west
Was il the light Of the sunset that made
his face luminous, aud smooihed from his
conntenance oil the hard. bitter lines that
the deacon had been wont to SEQ tberef
I'm rough old Teller. deacon, said be,
speaking in q strange. hoarse voice. an |
don't suppose | ken make yer nndcrstan'
Jest how | happen ter be fied. Ye and ]
hev had great many talks iergether
bout the way things oughter ter be. and
! alus got the best on ye 10 the argument.
But sumtbin' ye've said to night has
struck hum, Deacon Its struck hum
Did ye ever hev nightmare, Deacon,
when someibin' clutched ye Nm it wouldn't
let go i'll it he'd crushed yer life aud yer
breath and yer strength? I've had such
one sense I've stood here. 70 see, Dei
con, I've sllus been square man;
bsint cheated nobody no. never one cent
But Deacon. | ken zee il now, I've cheated
Mary an' Johu. an most OF all, I've cheat.
ca myself all along I've cheated myself
out " the ovin' that belongs ter man In
his family; and, Deacon the nightmare
that's been upon me -mebby It's God that
seut it hes showed me that ef | should
die ter day there aint single heart es
wonld mourn fer me, an there amt man
or woman er child es would remember any
thing good .vme.
Ye've asked me great many times ter
try ter be Christian. Deacon, an' I've
told ye thet the Kind o. religion tnat ioins !
was gitien generally. wouldn't suit my
case. But now I've come to Think ! II ye
ken make out some kind OF contract =
some sort ev 40 insurance. not that kind |
es is lookin Ter q goodD chance in the next
world, but one as will make me be lovin
IN, tender an hoDist by Mary an John ap
All the rest now. before die, want il. |
An I'd be williu ter give a medder farm
Ter it, Deacon q medder farm an' more, |
yes II more, y deal more Fer | baint done
right by Mary. I've let her work jest es
hard es II she's poor mans wife. An
Deacon. I'm ashamed ter remember how
I've lot that dear woman do my prayin' fer
ne oil the years sence we've been husband
m WIFE, Many's tue time I've walked up |
n the dead ev the night ter find Mary
lown onter her knees prayin soft like
IN still. An I've heard her askin' God |
Ter bless herihusband an lead him inter the
light. An Deacon. I've laid there like q
great, lazy hulk when know orter git
lown onter my own knees beside her an
10 my share ev the askn', because need.
ID it apowerfu sight morn she did.
Ans 20, Deacon, when ye fix up the doki.
nent, want ye ter make sure that | be
,ound fast au stroDg ter try ter make up
er Mary, iest the best that ken, all that
We starved out ev her life.
An now there's one thing more an
want this ter be the most binding Of NIL,
BECAUSE ye know it's Mary's dearest hope
= an that is, that / shsn't stand in the
way OF John an his hankerin' after bein
mInister. An want the Lord ter get 9
trong grip onto my pnrse-sirings an not
ct them get sbet up tight aud kiuked inter
ard knots when the call comes ter help
long His work.
Now, Deacon Bonus, do ye think 70 can
. AXE out the dokimen. in the right kind
Z fashion. an make it strong Deaco D,
,ake 1t strong and biadin'?
Thanks beto God, my brotherl The
ompact shall be written 10 letters Of liv
lg light Let Us kneel. that God may
lace upon II His sacred seal.
TIE firmers knees so unaccnstomed TO
ending, slmost refused TO do him that
srvice; but bis soul kpelt 10 the depth OF
lst divine humility which asks no out
ard sisp. q
Upon the soft s~ard, on either side OF
ie garden fence, the two neig b bors pro /
rated themselves. The evening breeze
fled gently the gray locks OF their silver. I
! heads. and, while the deacon prayed I
oud, scross the hills came the sound OF q
le village bell. With slow aud solemn q
rokes the years Of nelghbor Green's life .
ere beiog measured III. The sound dis. Q
Ifbed not the koeeling supplisun. When a
Ie prayer sss .piej, aud tbs bell ceased
ling, farmer Bsil said =
For lie aud death u IL. Dmc1bi Q
For life aud death. ncighbor Bell. .
When iarmer Bell arose upon bis feet .
Ie twilight bad shaded slmost into dark i
,ss. His ear csasht the squad OF some Q
Iine movipg softly iast beyond tho rus b
a A D