The Penn's Grove record., 1894-09-28

.f the county is noised over every
part OF it, and that the affairs Of every
person in the county are intimately
known to every other.
In one of the fifty parishes, which
shall not be named, because to name i
IS ~unessential, lived a youth named
Joseph Samuel Wardley. He was the
ron of a blacksmith, was IN able
bodied, fine-looking fellow, broad
~shouldered, broad-breasted, with hght
red hair, and eyes that seemed to have
fallen into the copper when his mother
was washing, and to have had the colol
boiled out Of them, SO light were they.
Joseph Samuel Wardley was-if viz
tue consists in a series of negatives
most exemplary character. He didn't
swear, he didn't drink, he didn't quab'
BILE with his fellow-men. If, however,
virtue consists of positives, then il
would be hard to say what JOSEPH
Samuel Wardley was distinguished fol
his virtue; for, rs a matter of fact, il
would DO hard to say what Joseph
Samuel Wardley did that wal good.
He was slow i'll his movements, slow in
taking in ideas, slower in making use
of them when he had received them
into his brain.
He had worked with his father atthe
forge, but his father feared that he
would never make u blacksmith, as he
t're1 the hor.es ont and made them
Tyr, - be.,.e b. had shod all their
iorr feet. Lh-n Joseph Samuel was
pant TO Nuri, ON q farm, but he wa SO
SOW at the plow. that the farmers
would not retain HIM in their services.
1t was sGid thet Joseph Samuels was
always asleep. This was not eKactly
true. Joseph Samuel wal SO drowsy
and indoleut over his work by day,
that he was never sufficiently exhaust
ed by his efforts to enjoy a sound sleep
at night. He WIS half asleep by day,
he was half awake by night. There is
nothing so conducive to all-forgetting
sleep as the exercise of the full ener-
gies by day. Joseph Samuel did not
put forth even one-half of his energies
by day. The other half remained to
disturb the tranquility of the night ;
consequently he was a light sleeper,
and sometimes it was as doubtful
whether he were asleep at night, as it
was doubtful whether he were awake
by day.
As he was dismissed from the plDw-
tail, he returned to his father, Who
employed him to work the bellows
which kept his fire going in the forge.
"But," as the farrier said, ga chap
can't go on all his life blowing bel
lows. l must find some profession or
trade for which he is suited"
Accident or Fate seemed to give the
requisite indication. The father OF
Joseph Samuel had been an industri-
GUS man all his life, and it was believed
that he had amassed money. He had
no dealings with the bank at Oakham /;
that was we'll known. Where, then lid
he keep his money? 1t was whispered
that. singularly enough, whenever he
had received payment of q heavy bill,
MI. Wardley was observed to mount a
ladder to put straight, as ho said, one
of the tiles in his roof that was out of
place and let the water through. That
the coincidence was noticed, and was
. matter of discussion, never oc-
CURED to the blacksmith. The last time
he brought in his bill to the Squire it
was for the. sup Of fve-and-twenty
pounds and some odd shillings. No
sooner had he received the money than
it was remarked a tile was again loose
In his roof.
One night that Joseph Samuel Ia,
awake, unable by any means to induce
sleep-such as by counting sheep 60
ing through q gap in the hedge, re-
peating his catechism, listening to the
SHORES of his parents in an adjoining
room-he thought he hearda sound on
the tiles, as if some one was engaged
repairing the roof. He got out of bed,
peered through the window, and saw
by the light of o crescent moon that o
ladder was set against the house, and
that a pair Of legs were visible on til,
ladder.
As Joseph Samuel was inclined for
activity all night, and waspromptthe
in his resolutions, which was not the
cas- by day, he stole downstairs on
siRsoo, hlo opShcu tho D"Sh uOol
toftly. He was in his robe de mutt.
That did not matter. The air wa cool
but not frosty, and no rain was falling.
. was at the back of the house-the
yposite side to that at which the
Ter was set up, and where he had
rve' the legs. He knew where
n ladder. He wen.
barefooted to the spot, removed tho
ladder planted at the back of the
house. climbed up it without causing
the smallest noise, and succeeded in
making his way cautiously up the tiles
i'll he reached the ridge of his fathers
oof. Holding to the ridge tiles, he
,eaved himself up by both hands
,reast high above the ridge-piece.
Then he saw what was beingdone on
ihe further side.
Two men were there. One was on a
adder and held another by the ankles
who had scrambled onto the roof.
The latter was lifting tile after tile and
ceiling under each, obviously expect
ng to find and carry of the farrier's
ytpre of savings
Joseph Samuel ardley did not hes
tate for q moment what to do. With
perfect presence of mind, and great
energy al well as courage, he said,
"Gol"
The robbers were staggered. They
looked up, saw q seni-white figure ris.
lug above the roof, glowering at them.
Their nerve gave way, Hewho wasoD
the ladder let go the ankles of the man
OF the roof; the latter slid down, and
fell on the man with his feet on the
ladder rungs and both wore precipi-
lated to the bottom.
Joseph Samuel now aroused IT,
houses and the, BURGLARS were arrestedN