The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-08-08
RELIGIOUS STORY.
A Master Hand at Prayin',

small-paned window into the darkness,
hoping to see its distant lights over the
"spur," but only a line of fir trees
showing dimly against the starlit sky
rewarded her.
~ do wish that boy was home. It's
such terrible skittish times. One don't
seem to know what'll happen 'twixt
sunrise and dark"
cit beats all, Miranda, what sight
o. store you do set by that boy"
"But Dan'l's an awful good boy, an
awful good boy" And Mother Ferris
placed the lamp nearer the center of
the table, already spread for supper,
and drew the fried pork further back
upon the stove. "And it's such ter
rible skittish times, somehow it seems
as though there never was so many
MISUNDERSTANDING happenin' as nova
days"
"There amt nothing going to hap
pen to Daniel" said the sister-in-law on
the other side of the stove. " He
hasn't drove that stage ever since his
father went for nothing. You do have
to carry so much along with you al
ways. You never can let things rest"
but Dan'l's such an awful good boy"
answered the other meekly.
AT this the sister-in-law gave a slight
sniff, not exactly as though disagreeing
with the statement made concerning
the good qualities of her nephew, but
rather as if disagreeing, she saw no
necessity for discussing the subject.
Just here "t-o-ot, to-o-t, tootl"
sounded from over the fr-lined hills,
and at the first note Mother Ferris
face lighted.
"How good it does seem to hear that
toot again. 1t beats all what differ
ence it makes when one knows her own
boys back of it," And a soft pink
came 10 her thin cheeks. 81 wouldn't
believe anything could sound as good
as that horn does on dark night like
this"
She drew the spider back to its former
place at the front of the stove, placed
the chairs in waiting at the table, filled
the pitcher with water at the sink, and
then looked around the little domain
with quiet satisfaction.
Fifteen minutes later there was the
sound of steps outside, and a stout lad
of eighteen or Whereabouts entered.
"Well, mother, here / am as hungry as
hunter Pretty dark night this. Got
along all right though. Quite snap to
the air; if it keeps on the river'll be
frozen before long-pretty well trimmed
with ice now"
Daniel tossed his coat off, doused his
head into the wash basin at the sink,
wiped his ruddy face on the crash
towel near, smoothed his hair and drew
back his chair, and took his place at the
table, all the while keeping up steady
stream of talk.
His mother gave him an apprehen-
sive look her attention had been
quickened. What was it? Was he
hiding something? His tongue didn't
generally run like grist mill, at least
unless it had something to grind.
She passed the milk and sugar for
her sister-in-law's tea, and then took
the plate Daniel had filled for her,
glancing at him furtively. But she
partook Of her food slowly.
Daniel dipped piece of bread in the
gravy, and gave it to the cat, sitting
down on the floor at his feet, and, as he
glanced sideways, he said:
Mr.. Cavenaugh came down in the
stage tonight"
There it was the something she had
been expecting. Mother Ferris's knife
dropped on her plate. The plate was
not China, so it did not break, but at
the sound the sister-in-law's head went
back with jerk, and her lips went to-
gether tighter than usual. Mother
Ferris pushed her tea back, and lifted
her thin hand to her face.
"Now mother, faint no sort o. use
takin' it harder'n must be. If he has
come to shut down on the mortgage,
shut down it'll have to be for all us.
We've done the best we can, and there
amt anybody can do more" Daniel
was eating now as though life or death
depended upon the size of the mouth.
fuls stored away. But this was only a
pretense to make his mother think he
was proof against the things that were
setting in around them.
"But Dan'l, it don't seem as though
/ ever could 60 on livin' out o. the
house, and your father layin' every
inch of the stun wall, and drivin' in
every nail in the house, and me and
him settin' out every apple tree on the
place with his own hands. 1t jest
don't seems though could"
4" know, mother, it's hard" And
now the boy choked, either with the
food he was unceremoniously disposing
of, or with emotion, but whichever the
cause, his eyes were winked quickly, as
though moisture lay within them that
he had no use for. "It's tough. Aunt
Almira and l know that as well as any
body" and he glanced to his aunt.
"She and / have talked of it many a
time when you waren't round, haven't
we, aunt Almira?"
"Of course, everybody knows it's
hard"
Mother Ferris arose and busted her.
self about the stove now, but the tears
wet her thin, pinched face. 81 know
-I-ought to be willing to stand it,"
she sobbed, her emotion overcoming
her as she leaned up against the sink
and wiped her face with the towel.
But it seems though twas like
buryin' your father over again"
81 know, mother" and here Daniel
remembered the cat again, and as he
looked down he took occasion to add (:
"'Tain't as though we hadn't got the