South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1891-11-13

knee. The mother never idle II she
could help It., eat In the Hre.li bI
knitting steadily. the fieecv wooii
rippling over her needles. and weav.
ing themselves into q soft and snowy
shawl. Outside the wind vas rising
in gusts. and shook the panes and
battered a,ainst he door:
wish Dick wsuld come home, his
mother was saying. when there vas a
great stamping OF feet. aud the sound
OF merry whistle at III threshold,
and presently 10 burst the boy with
a CHEEKY.
Hello. little mater Wish me joy.
please. You behold the sexton, pro
tenn. Of the old church. The situa>
ton Is mine for mouth. on trial, aud
for the year. after that, IL / choose to
retain il.
Mrs. Hanford's sympathy with
Dick might always be counted on.
and she warmly congratulated him.
For the sections salary was thirty
doll RS a month, and that, she we'll
knew. would pay the boys term bills.
clothe him. and leave SOU s,fiing over
for the future. Blu, had she foresee q
precisely how much her Richard had
made himself responsible for. she
would have been very doubtful OF his
power of holding out.
His father, who remembered his
own childhood and the tasks he had
done on a farm, was of the opinion
hat Dick would be The stronger for
few trials. Eva, I regret to cav.
felt little ashamed Of her brother,
or rather. a lutte ashamed to have
their necessity known to ihei, fellow
townspeop'c. The day came when
she was very much ashamed Of her-
self for having had thst momen,ary
shame.
The new SEXTON found him ,elf In
business. There were the & -es to be
lighted and tended to on Sundays
and on week days ltno. for the church
had neetings OF one sort or an ,ther
nearly every day. The bell had TO
DO rang whenever there wa, a service.
aud the paths around the building to
be KEEP, ear, which Of itself was no
easy .chore.' as the VILLAGERS sail.
1t really seemed that winter as though
the snow fell every day. All the
coasting, the skating, the tobogan.
ming. which the young people enjoyed
80 fully. was given up nv Dick, who,
as sexton, found no time fur play.
He protected his lands with lea,hern
gloves and bfs pam afoons with over
alls, and nobody saw d cioui on his
face nor hesrii a sigh "a he msnfully
attacked his duties. He i'd fad time
Tor his studies, though. aud his place
in his GLASSES was higher thsn ever {.
The head .stet ooDplimrn,ed him
openly at chapel exercises one day,
and the boys. who had at first dubhei
him odd Mortafi,v.' aud pnked fun
a, his s,x'onsbip. began to be proud
of him as lea'e-.
The cod came DOWN one February
night with a sharpness VIII Gu the old
es, inhabitant dii not reculIoc,. Th.n
came q long period Of skstiDg-such
skating as sets the bio d dancing.
and paints he checks red, and makes
life = splendid holi'sv. Poor Dick
counted on one days frollc in the
season, hut On the very day he Sc
lected, the ladies' gave an ,mprom ut u
supper in the church parlor, which
detained him, and that very nigh,
there came one OF the heaviest snow
falls OF tie whole winter.
Disaproi as he was, tue sigh,
Cf his little bank book, and the
thought Of the gold piece, deposite
very ninth. and the bills promptly
mct, comfortel him very much. Teen
too. his father was getting we'll, and
Dick was not baby TO cry over Q
tr ffe
The boys, howevsr, held 40 indiz
astioh meeting Quo day alter school
III tell you rhat, said Louis Hun
:er, Dick Hanford -on't get hi,
sks,es on once this winter. lis sim
ply too bad. suppose when th,
next thss mes i'll put an ED 4
the ice for tia year.
Ute that We all 90 up tn The
church with sh vols tO-mnrrov
morning in aTegu ar bTigsde-a re-
lief party-and nelp him out With hi
work, on condition that be goes I,
Crystal Lake with Va in tue after
coon, and skates In the aunua
N atch.
This proposition came from Ron,
aid Dexter. IL was received will
exclamation and was carried out
So with a Gear conscience and
light heart Dick joined the party u
the lake.
The only drawback to The foil ed
joyment was the fact that sewers
fellows who did not know much abou
skating bad insisted ON being of til,
company. or course they did no
enter the lists wi b those who SIX ateC
Tor the przs--a silver pin presented
by the sisters OF the memher,
Eof the club 20 the champion
winnsr--but they skirmished about
on The edges, male a great deal d
noise. aud occasionally met with an
accident.
The number who we're competing
for the prize had Rrado' lily lesssned
I'LL only Two Ron Dexter ald Dick
HanfOrd, almost side. by side. with a
Tong, sfnuous, graceful sweep Of mo.
ton we're nearing the goal. Sud-
denly there was 8 cry OF distress IN
the rear. Ronald kept on steadily
Dick beslLa.ej. paused and turned
back.
II was little Jack Masor, who, fred