Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-12-04
VERMONT PHGNIX


garbage to be had for the carrying away,
and the other children took turns in hug
ging the pig and examining his curly tail,
his funny snub nose, and his little pink
ears, much to his pigship's annoyance.
Mrs. Malone laid plans for buying in the
fall pork in which the pig, by that
time grown to be hog, should take up his
winter quarters, thence to be transferred
in small portions to Malone mouths through
the long and hungry winter. There was
not a member of the Malone household who
did not hail the advent of the pig as piece
of good fortune, the very greatest that a
bounteous Providence, represented by the
Road, had in its power to bestow.
But can't think why the shuperintin-
dent was unwilin' for us to name the peeg
for him. Shure, I'd be proud to honor so
foine jintleman," said Mrs. Malone.
Let's name it for the Road )" said Dinny
So the j., o., and K, shortened to Jok-
kie, the pig became, and fine pig he was
indeed. He grew apace, and developed an
appetite which kept small Terry and his
soap box cart forever foraging Moreover,
he was possessed of an intelligence far
above the most of his kind No amount of
fencing had power to restrain his rowing
spirit. Be free he would, yet he never was
known to stray beyond the limits of the
train-yard; nor, amid all the confusion of
incoming and outgoing trains and engines
backing and shifting and running hither
and thither, did he ever take the smallest
injury. Truly he was a wonderful pig.
can, shure," said Mrs. Malone, 1.-THE
peeg takes to railroadin' by nacher. Cause
whyl 1t belongs to the Road"
Jerry O'Toole, who was sometimes en-
ployed on odd jobs around the yard, con-
tinued to make vindictive remarks concern
ing the Malone family, and had even been
known to throw stones-which never hit
at Jokkie, but the cause of his i'll will was
well known, being jealousy of Dinny's SUI
perior situation, and his course was univer-
sally frowned down by the other men, for
all trainmen and station-men, section hands
| and job-hands united in a kindly DISPOSE
tion toward the Malone family, and in a
| disposition to overlook such a small irregu-
larity as the keeping of pig in the train
yard,
So the summer passed and the fall came.
Jokkie had attained a size and rotundity
which were beautiful to see, and the entire
Malone household was filed with anticipa-
tions of a well-fed winter. Mrs Malone
had bought her porkbarrel and had laid in
a supply of salt.
"Well be afther KILN the peeg to-mor-
| rer, DlnnV, she said.
But the morrow brought grief to the Ma
lone household. Lying beside his trough,
his two paws crossed over his stomach as if
in pain, was the pig, motionless-dead
"Alack the day" cried Mrs Malone,
| rocking herself backward and forward in
the self-same manner in which she had
mourned for Terence.
ITS that Jerry O'Toolel" cried Dinny,
Indignantly. And all the young Malones
set up wailing and mourning which were
| pitiful to hear.
'Howiver'll 1 be film these siven
mouths all the could and dreary winterl"
walled Mrs Malone
At which the youngest pair of twins,
who always spoke at once and said the
same thing, piped up in repetition of the
oft-told story:
1--WE belong to the Road, mither. The
Road'll niver see US starve."
Mrs Malone caught her darlings to her
| bosom.
''Rlessins on we, me childer!" she ex-
claimed. That | should be afther forget
tin that, me that's got everythin' to be
thankful for! An shure, twas the Road
STINT us this peeg, an it can sind us another
if it loikes"
Nevertheless Mrs. Malone's heart was
days washing. Dinny forgot to whistle as
he went to his work, and the little children
sat about sadly, as if oppressed by the fam
lily trouble. 1t was a long and lonely day.
Small Terry's soap-box cart stood idle, and
the children went to bed at night missing
sadly Jokkies dozy grunting in his bed un-
der the car, which had been their bedtime
lullaby.
Early next morning Dinny was Weakened
by familiar sound. He put his head out
the car window, and there, hungrily root
ing in Jokkie's trough, was a nice fat pig,
larger by half than the lamented Jokkie.
Get up, mither The Road has sent us
pig" he cried.
Mrs. Malone started up and put out her
head
1.-THE saints be praised" she said, devolt-
ly. "Dinny, me by, make haste wild we
an loight the fire an pit the kittle on.
Wen pit him in the barrel afore that Jerry
O'Toole has chanst at him."
Immediately there was hustle and excite
ment in the Malone household. Mrs. Ma
lone and Dinny rushed about preparing for
the slaughter, and the little children hung
around admiring the pig. Scarcely was the
mother able to persuade them to come in to
breakfast, and indeed they had hardly be-
gun when the youngest pair of twins,
moved by one impulse, slipped out again to
look at the pig. On the instant came a
cry "Oh, mither, come quick! The Road
has sent us another pig!"
Mrs. Malone rushed out Sure enough,
there, roofing among the weeds under the
car, was another pig, larger and fatter
than the frst and, behold, while they stood
staring, around the corner of the car
sauntered the third pig, which, in lieu of
breakfast, began Familiarity to devour the
apron of one of the smallest twins.
Mrs. Malone held up her hands and gazed
at the sky.
"Howly mither!,do it be rainin' peegs9"
she cried
Just then a man came hurrying by, and
as he passed he called:
"Pit 'em in the barrel, wildly, as fasht
as We can. The townll be full of 'em soon.
There hog-thrain wrecked iist down be-
yant the crossin'."
At the word the whole Malone family
sprang to action. The fire burned. the wa
ter boiled, and Mrs. Malone, her sleeves
rolled up and glory on her brow, slaugh-
tered and scalded and scraped throughout
the livelong day.
Weary but blissful, they sought their
beds when the work was done. Three
empty pork-barreIs stood in row at one
end of the car, waiting to be filled on the
morrow. Three stark carcasses hung,
head downward, on the outside of the car
in the later stages of their transition from
pig to pork.
me childer," said Mrs. Malone raising
her nightcapped head and gazing around