Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-08-23

was bearing up bravely on his account
and doing her best to sustain him. But
every now and again her lips trembled
and her withered cheeks were plucked
in brave effort not to give way.
Meanwhile the bells rang jubilantly
overhead, filling the tiny tenement with
long reverberations ; and the wintry
sun shone beyond the shadow of the
church, silvering the shining frost on
bare brown branches.
II mind when we was married.
slipped from the woman unawares.
She stopped short, afraid of any remi-
niscence that would make the moment
worse for the more worn partner of her
life; but she need not have hesitated.
He sat with his chin on his chest and
his eyes fixed on the rugged red brick
floor, sunk in a state of apathy. When
down utterly, and throwing her apron
fro.
ooh, my man, my man," she
groaned. "You was allus one to want
woman about. You'd niver no notion
o. tending yourself. But God e knows
you've done yer best fur me-" She
grasped his hand tighter and wrung it.
"You've done your best. AM now
you're worn out-an' it's the 'ouse'--
Disgraced and imprisoned, that is what
she felt it was, but she had no words to
express it.
The two neighbors wiped their eyes.
Then the old man reused himself bit :
"D'ye mind when / cam coortin' we,
Martha ?u he said.
cay, an one day we lad flower i
yer 'and," she answered eagerly, over
joyed to hear him speak; ga daily, fur
it were autumn. AM ye'd brought it
fur me, an l knowed We lad, an we
didn't like to give it, but KEEP on twist
in an twirlin' it till its 'ead dropped
off in the dust, an couldn't 'elp you
An we jest walked on together, but
'adn't word to say, only jest lookin'
at one another; an every time you
looked at me 1 laughed silly, and then
you laughed. All l mind mel mind
me well.o
The cottage had had its modest COM
forts in the way of furniture, but all it
contained that was worth penny had
gone by degrees to avert the evil day
all but two treasures, two white china
dogs with brown patches on their backs,
which stood on the chimney piece, and
looked oddly out of place, as being nee
essary luxuries of ornament, in such
surroundings.
The old mans eyes, wandering about
the bare abode, lighted upon these !:
"What'll We do VII the dogs, lass?" he
said.
Martha looked up. II told you I'd
keep 'enl, Dick, SO longs I'd last, an l
lev. l couldn't sell 'em. I mind me
when you got 'em-at the fair, the year
arter we was married" She turned to
her two friends in the window-pane.
"Dick went off alone cos l couldn't
co." she said, can sore enough l was
about lis goain' thouhht e might
stayed at 'Ome VII me an me near my
time. An was feared ED get drunk,
as t'other men did, a-many of 'em, an
not come 'Ome all night. But before
the sun set L seed i'm comm round the
| church, an he looked at me kind o.
proud, an ed a passed. in lis and. ED
saved the money onbeknown to me, an
bought them dogs" She patted his
hard hand, and covered her face again.
cam e was allus like that" she added,
in voice muffled with tears.
Then she got up, and, reaching the
dogs down, gave them to the elder Of
the two women, the one who had
spoken bitterly. "You'u keep 'em fur
my sake" she said.
III will, Martha" the woman an
swered, receiving the humble treasures
as a solemn gift.
The two old people were benumbed,
| for the cold was penetrating there, un-
der the shadow of the church, in that
fireless abode. Martha sat down beside
her husband and tried to chafe the life
back into his hands. The few remain
ing minutes were flying now, and each
came crowded with "reminiscences o.
happy days.
The old man glanced towards the
hearth. ~ mind you sittin' there VII
the boy" he said. "Eh! I did work. 1
enough"
81 mind, 1 mind" she answered,
rocking herself to and fro. "An' you'd
bring bit o. summat good 'ome i yer
pocket, an fain you wasn't 'ungry; an
/ knowed all the while 'twere cos there
was only enough fur me-" She patted
his hand once more. "Eh! but you bin
good man to me, Dick, T" she added.
They were expecting their landlord,
whose son had been married that morn
ing to the rector's daughter, to send a
man to turn them out. Carts and car
riages had passed the door at intervals
all day, and many time they had
started, thinking that one had stopped.
But now at last it came. A man jumped
down and entered the cottage, filling it
in moment with buster and self-as-
sertion, as if to cover want of pride in
the job.
"Now off with your he exclaimed.
'"There're expecting you up yonder at
the house, and have got a fine fire for
you and lots accompany" He glanced
round the bare abode. "They might as
well have kept you here, though" he
added. cit wouldn't have cost them
more-nor as much, maybe. Are you
going? must lock up the place."
The old pair rose, docile, obedient,
law-abiding to the last. At the door
they turned back for last look. Then
the woman broke down.
ooh, Dick! Oh, my manp she cried
aloud, throwing her arms about him.
The rector was taking the bishop
back to the palace just then, after the
wedding festivities; but the carriage
was stopped in the narrow lane till the
agents car could be pulled out of the
way.
"What is the matter?" the bishop
asked, hearing the woman's heartbrok-