The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-06-24

on the piazza, Silas led the horses away
to the stable, saying, as he went out,
SEQ right in, girls, m give y'ur aunt
surprise. She'll be glad enough T. see
y'ul"
He could have taken care of his team
and been back to the house in fifteen
or twenty minutes, but more than an
hour went by before he made his APP
pearance there. AS he afterwards said,
he had no sooner got away from his
nieces than he was "put through an
overhaulin' of himself" He had given
way, had done what he had vowed he
would never do. He had yielded to
what he had believed to be the prompt
ings of the Holy Spirit. Yet now, when
he should have the cons ciousness of
having performed duty, he felt that
he had but suffered his imagination to
guide him, and that, in consequence,
he had committed an act of folly. OF
course he would be laughed at for a
man of weak and variable mind. He
told himself that he deserved to be.
He crept into the NOW, and threw him
self at full length on the new hay. His
blood was in a ferment. Drops of
sweat stood out on his forehead like
beads.
"It's well come T. my senses afore
| meddled VII him-mis'abl critter It
could never learn the worth # dollarl"
Down by the pond the geese gabbled;
hen with her brood perched about the
open door; swallows twittered in their
nests under the caves, but Silas was too
deep in troubled thought to heed the
70 al, ho1
higher, and poured his beams from mid
heaven. A ray of sunlight streamed
in through chink in the gable and
stretched across the hay at his feet
There his eye caught it, and, following
it, his thoughts took turn. Upward,
upward, past the roof-b barrier, past the
sun itself, they reached forth toward
the Infinite. Light that was not of the
sun broke upon his soul and irradiated
his face. He clambered down and
went to the house. Outside were the
two girls making the acquaintance of
Tige, the house-dog.
"Girs, come and give y'ur ugly OF
uncle a kiss
One glance into the eyes beaming in
real kindness upon them and they
bounded into his arms.
"Well, l never This mornin' l
hadn't a chip, m now I've got a pair
o. girls so big m strong they're li'bie t
hug tn breath out o. mel"
Silas found his wife busy with prepa-
rations for dinner. She came and laid
hand on his arm, smiling through
tears.
"Tm so glad y'u've done what's right
by Johns chil'ren," she said.
"Tut" said Silas, "it's no credit.
I'd ought t. done it long ago. Git
ready big chair m some quilts After
dinner Pm going T. fetch y'ur brother
John himself"
ooh, Sile, d'y'u think you can? He
didn't use you right, l allow"
81 amt goin' T. think whether | can
or not. I'm a-goin' after him!'
1t was with feeling akin to remorse
that Silas, accompanied by Jake, the
farmland, drew rein before a cluster
of buildings of cherries aspect, and
looked about for a convenient hitchipg-
place. Against the only post available
for that purpose a strange creature, a
combination of old-man and beardless-
boy, sat mumbling over half-de-
voured turnip and leering at them from
under frayed hat-brim.
Deliver me from the poor-house if
that's what it doesln said Jake, with
JUNCTION.
Comm to It wouldn't m axe y'u mr.
me idiot like that fellow" said Silas.
1T would make us like that, though"
Jake pointed, as he spoke to a man
seated under shed attached to one of
the buildings. The man, who was
dressed in a suit of faded denims, was
so thin in flesh as to appear literally but
skin and bones. He sat, or rather
leaned back, as if too weak to hold him
self upright, in rickety, high-backed
chair. His thin hands moved slowly,
tremblingly back and forth. He was
sewing carpet-rags from a basket by
his side. Silas got out of the wagon,
and, going straight up to the man, held
out his hand. "John, how d. do?"
A quick flush overswept the mans
leaden face. "I'm only tolerable,"
said he, taking no notice of the ex-
tended hand.
"Tve come to as y'u T. drop thu
difficulty between us out o. your mind,
m I'll drop it out o. mine" said Silas,
DdllIluS Will lump Ill MS luIOdl.
The mans face softened somewhat.
After ALL" said he, Gin the start l
was most to blame"
"An' I've been mos t. blame ever
since. humbly a. y'ur pardon for all
i've done t. y'u 'at was mean N ugly"
AS Silas said this he again held out
his hand. The consumptive caught it to
his bosom. A convulsive tremor shook
his frame. Tears were coursing down
his wasted cheeks, but Silas appeared
not to see them; very likely he did not,
for his own were ready to overflow.
"Now, John, d. y'u see that big
chair? Sarah's expectin' y'u t. sup
per-"
"Sarah is expecting me?-to supper?"
Yes, m breakfast, N dinner, m
supper tomorrow; Pm goin' t take y'u
way from here for good!"
They got him into the wagon and
took him home.
Cant we manage to let the girls
know" John asked, while they were
on the way; "they'll be so glad to hear
I've got away from that place"
The reply of Silas was assuring,