St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-05-11
selected Story.
AN EIGHT-DAY CLOCK.

/. lU SHlu hNbNH''
wofl', AGAINST the broken gatepost
pack Jared are hard at the setting sun.
end S'"' ttagged-looking cornfields
the .hed desolately away at his
ktfe' a"d wore an apologize aspect,
s. eet though S ashamed to call attention ion
10 iH' d;minutive yellow pumpkins
fn nioh were their utmost effort in
En'." ov Of crops. 1t was a poverty
fne .o Ms1 Inheritance enough; land
stT'.I had "run out" from lack of en-
MAJ h;n "T a belt Of once glorious
Fcn ndHTauds now sadly shrunk and
wo ";,ed BY repeated telling, and the
POM nroy farmhouse, implanted for
om D"y . a long year and showing the
fna az grs of time and weather to an
I lar@ing extent despite all zedeki-
t@s undagging efforts at patching
aad repairs
= 2edekiah's loved every tree and
sry stone-there were plenty-on
w oIace and his heart within him
m,IIed with sorrow and passionate
o " at the thought that that ter
SIe mortgage must be foreclosed
,art Monday, and Birch Brook farm
".t 70 the name of Barnes forever.
# had been desperate struggle to
,.eo their heads above water ever
f;nce their fathers death two years
,efore. Farming carried on by a
JeIicate widow and boy of fifteen,
however much energy and good will
thew bring to bear between them on
the work in hand, can hardly be ex-
O,cted to afford brilliant results, and
The wet season just passed had "hn-
shed the job" as Zedekiah himself
Eyopld have said. The hay was
Iooied and the wheat sprouted, and
Where the magnificent income of the
Owners lust sufficed to buy the salt
Ior the stirabout which the ruined
Iorn should have supplied, that
meant ruin.
And SO the mortgage was to be
torecosed next Monday, and the
A,rneses were to be homeless.
"Zed!Zedm 1t was a gentle voic,
that called and Zedekiah, with {
snake of his shoulders, forced a ghast
y smile of assumed cheerfuness ant
burned to greet his mother at tn
open door.
She had been pretty woman
once, and even now, faded and worI
though she was, there was certain
grace and gentleness about he
which accounted for her sons devc
ton, even though the little plaintiv
voice and manner showed, poor we
man, that life had been prett
hard and bitter struggle.
Come in to your supper, led,
sle called again as he came up til
tagged walk with an air of inten:
auntness to hide the fact that
Twas footsore and lame where II
Ants had bruised through the wor
boots. The children are that hui
levy that can't keep them quie
and they ought to have been in be-
poor things"
Two yeIIow-haired little girls "a
up as they entered.
"Ah led, y cried little Mamie,
aHt had no supper yet. Wash
YOU bad to stay away so long
While baby Carrie chimed in yet
I'd yely bad boy. Shan't have I
supper hsself.'
Hush, hush!' said the motht
Children, how you talk One wou
think you were beggar children
talk like that"
Zed's forced smile faded in a quiz
look pain.
They ought to go to school"
SAID then checked himself at t
recollection Of the cost OF scho
books
lie was staring hard at the r
ym0ers of the fire as his mother
irned from giving the little gil
M t'eIr goodnight kiss and sat doy
her shabby rocking-chair to t
arnng and patching, which W
'e usual evening occupation.
fnsed himself again at her a
MI 2oach. He was always trying
be cheerful for her sake, poor fello,
guess I've got that place, mo,
rr he said. II went to the ste
Mr. Norton told me of and they
pretty we'll settled to take me @
he wages don't seem fabulous,
DE sure, but they'll be somethir
ana then there's the prospect OF
rise"
"Oh, Zed!' The darning fell in
MIS- Barnes lap. you poor DO
a. YES tue wages are something a
90 mistake, but can't bear
V'nK OF YOU, your poor fathers sc
'tt common errand boy in q
gerry store"
A:dekiahs sallow cheek flushed.
don't see why!" he said stout
'Focerles are honest enough, a
,1'y re clean, too-a great deal nix
wan good many other things,
,aok Besides, errand boys alwa
nake their fortune right away.
WI ever hear of a millionaire in
o'oK who didn't begin by sweep
out store?"
All, if your Uncle Zedekiah h