The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-11-10

Braddon was too close to be honest,
and cheated badly in the way of tax
ing toll. The Braodons were terri
BILE graspin,' stingy set, workin' an
savin' an denyin' themselves com
forts, so as to keep putin by.
"Speakin' of them as such Mig
gardly family I always except Darius.
He was entirely different.
''It was plain that he was put on
by all the family. They seemed to
think anything was good enough for
Darius. His father was hard with
him; his mother, who was queer and
unreasonable in many ways, actually
seemed to have something of spite
against him; and the three older boys
and two girls, Arabel and Minty,
made him obey them. But for all
that, he was sweet-tempered and in
dustrious and willing-hearted, and
tried to square his life by Gospel
rule. His soul was calm and gentle
and true. And true soul, dear, is
rare soul. More's the pity for human
nature.
GAS time went on, changes came to
the family. John and Robert married
fairly well, and settled down on their
own farms. James, the next one to
Darius, persuaded his father to give
him some capital, and went to New
York to make living there. Arabel
married the storekeeper at the Cor
ners, and Minty, for want of chance
to marry, stayed at home with the old
folks and Darius. She bad a sharp
tongue and an uncertain temper. 1t
was hard bearing with Minty some
times.
"But something had been ailin'
Mrs. Braddon's sharp black eyes for
quite spell. They'd been gradually
growing DINNER, till, by-and by, she
went stone blind. Then something
happened at the Bridges. Old Joe
Mason, shiftless sort of creature,
who generally spent his time talking,
discussing other folks matters in the
grocery store, while his own farm
went to waste, was compelled to sell
his farm for taxes.
cit was John Hartman, of Passaic,
who bought it. He was a shrewd
man, and he saw at once there was
valuable water power on the Mason
farm; SO he put up big building,
bought machinery, and started flour
mill. He was square in his deal
finding it a good deal the best
policy, and in a little while there
want much grain taken to be ground
at Braddon's. The hoppers stood
still enough and the water was free
to flow over the dam without being
fretted to turn the wheels before
hand.
"That was worse to the Braddons
than the blindness. Old Braddon
made himself the most miserable man
you ever saw over it, till, by and-by,
palsy stroke stretched him hopeless
on his back. Poor things! they
couldn't see no silver linin' in the
cloud of their afflictionsl All their
talk was about the mill, and how
badly folks had used them; how
much it cost for doctors bills and
medicines, and how they were likely
to end their days in the poorhouse,
anyhow. With only Darius to man
age things, everything would go to
rack and ruin. 1t was nightmare
to hear them talk.
"Poor Darius! 1t was no thanks
at all they gave him for patiently
giving up his young days to taking
tender care O them. He never went
out any more with young company;
and he just worked along there, mild
and quiet.
"An' yet dear, he had different
plans. One night Minty sent him
over to get some emptins. l was
alone at home, that evening, and as
she didn't want them until the next
day, he sat down kind of sociable-
like. was fxin' my black silk to
wear to Mary Aliens wedding the
next week, and we got to talkin'
about marrying; and never thinkin',
says, foolishly:
"EDarius, from the talk 1 once
heard about you, l thought to have
tended your wedding before now
"He kind O. gasped, as if I'd
struck him. He turned so white |
thought he was fainting. Then he
dropped his head in his hands, and
burst out sobbin' fit to break his
heart.
"Don't Darius, don't says l, fright
ened enough. Il didn't mean harmp
"But l couldn't stop him. I'd
seen people cry like that over their