The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-05-13
SELECTED STORY,
Deacon TbOrnapple,

meadow at the rear of the house; the
teakettle was singing on the newly
BACKED stove; the Maltese kitten, Lady
Jane Grey, was purring among the
Turkey-red cushions of the rocking
chair; but none of these cheering
sounds had any effect on Mrs. Deacon
Thornapple.
She was a tall, spare woman, with
sandy hair, and peaked face thickly
sprinkled over with brown spots. Her
eyes were dull, her mouth dropped at the
corners, and her manner as she walked
across the floor was listless and for
lorn.
Mrs. Thornapple was of lugubrious
nature, as her photograph, taken by q
travelling photographer, plainly dis
closed.
That was three seasons ago. But
now, on this particular May morning,
Mrs. Thornapple was, as she herself
expressed it, " enjoying an extra spell
of poor health"
"Dear mel" she exclaimed languidly,
as she took up a faded brown coat,
Dear mel 1 do feel bad enough to go
to bed. But I've got all this mendin'
to do. l never did see such man as
the deacon is for bursting off buttonsl
And he seems to think that can al.
ways find some to match. These Gin
brown ones are so odd l don't
believe l can find single one in the
button-box. No. wonder if he hasn't
any in his pocket Sometimes he's
thoughtful enough to put 'em there
when they've come off, or he's seen 'em
danglin' by one thread. Let's see."
Mrs. Thornapple thrust her fingers
into the side-pocket of the coat. There
was no button there. But she felt a
little rustic of paper.
"Therel" she exclaimed, with tri-
umphant expression, as she drew forth
a crumpled envelope. "Therel III
bet cooky that's the receipt for box
rent at the post-office, that the deacon
was fretting about last week."
The brown coat slid from her lap as
she spread the paper out upon her knee.
1t was curious to watch the changing
expressions on her countenance as she
read. Perplexity, establishment, in
credulity, wrath, swept over it. A dull
red brick color obliterated the liver
spots, and this gave place to pallor
that pinched her features into still
sharper outlines.
She leaned back in her chair with
little fainting gasp.
81 can't believe it'll / won't believe
it'll" she exclaimed, in a voice of so high
pitch that Lady Jane Grey, thinking
herself addressed, sprang from her
comfortable chair and fled under the
stove. 81 won't believe it'll" Mrs.
Thorndike continued. "An' yet"
she lowered her voice to whisper
Fan yet the deacon has acted kinder
queer lately! He's been away evenin's
when it want prayer-meetin' night.
He's acted sheepish, too, an once or
twice he's asked me if 1 didn't think
he was gettin' too much flesh, an if I'd
ever heard that apoplexy was in his
family. Asked me, GRIMM silly.like,
the wretch!-if l thought he didn't
look kinder young fur his age. An
now 1 come to think of it, he /as dret-
full uneasy in his sleep last night.
Turned and tossed at a great rate, an
groaned an muttered somethin'. If
I'd known about this '-pointing with
a trembling finger toward the paper
upon her knee" wouldn't l have
listened, though"
"Listened to what, Alviry?" said
sprightly voice.
Mrs. Thornapple glanced up, with
start.
"Oh, it's you, is it, Thankful" she
exclaimed, with an air of relief, as her
fearful eyes rested on the newcomer,
her cousin and nearest neighbor, who
had just run over " cross lots for a
morning call.
eyes, it's me-" rejoined Miss Thank
full Betsinger, short, chubby spinster,
with red cheeks and black eyes. " And
l say, Alviry," laying aside her " slat
sunbonnet," "what's the matter with
you? Is it your stomach, or your back,
or that old pain in your left side? You
amt feverish, be ye? Seems though
your cheeks is kinder flushed, an
why, you're all of tremble!"
81 guess anybody'd be ali of trem-
BILE if they had sech troubles as that! "
pointing to the paper upon her knee.
"Why, the deacon hain't Endorsed
for no one, has he? 'Tain't no sub.
pGny, or habers corpus or mandamus,
or any other of them law-papers that
makes trouble for folks, is it?" said
Miss Thankful, anxiously.
"It's worse'n theml" groaned Mrs.
Thornapple. Read it, Thankful. /
suppose you might as well, though it's
agin my principles. I've always main
tanned that body shouldn't let no out
slider mix in with a body's domestic
troubles; but, land! if ever a person
needed help and sympathy, Pm that
person, Cousin Thankful, so READ it,"
Fairly ablaze with curiosity, Miss
Thankful took the paper, and with
an "Oh, dear mel" and For pity
sakes" read as follows:
ErianJ D;oI.- uova ~ noiauD raady for m a
this evening. would like to take her to
Briarville. Had an awful nice time when
we went to the lake, Saturday, only the
road was too rough. / dare say you are
laughing at the giddiness Of one as old as
am, but-well, you know how it is yourself
I am as charmed with Daisy" as II were
boy OF twenty. Goodness knows what my
wife'd say If she found it out; 80 don'tIgive
me away, old boy. Yours
j. ID. THoRNAPPLE.
p. 81 won't go before 7; 80, or when it's
just getting dusk. / don't want all creation
seeing me make fool of myself. There'd