The Universalist., 1897-01-30


cred his grandmother, "t' use yer
Bible varses no better'n that An
ye hedn't orter be a-talkin' 80, Siah.
My poor little Car'linel She's ben
studyin' ter the horsepittle ter be a
nuss-"
"A-studyin' ter be nussl A.
studyin' ter be foolw
"She's most doctor! Yes, she is !
She sent me real nice medicine, an
this warm shawl. An do know wat
I'd done 'thout them hot water bags
O hern," persisted the little creature.
"Mebbe she'd du me some good if she
wuz ter see me-it's four long years.
Oh, it'd du me good jes to see her
little face"
"Ye won't never see it, then! i
won't never see her, 80 help me
mighty! l cussed her livin' an
cussed her dyin', ez I'll cuss you
Rilla, of ye mex me go away from yer
mother"
"Oh, who cares fur cussin'!' said
Rilla, not more than half under her
breath. "Yer sight too free 18th it..
Now you've got the baby's eyes wide
open, an put back all my work for
the day! You amt ever he'd the
leastest mite O consarn fur any
body but yourself in this teetotal
worldP' And she slung the baby
over her shoulder and went to the
buttery, feeling herself the most
abused person there.
"Churn, churn, ohurn awayp roared
her father, striding little way after
her. Eyer butter never'll come! Yer
cream'll mould in the panl It'll sour
in the jarl By kingl' cried the old
man, more and more frantic with his
trouble.
"Oh, Siah, Siah!" sobbed his wife,
feeling the real terror Of the impreca-
tion.
Il mean itr he cried again. 81
cl'rred this lam 'ith my own hans.
The very pasturs them COWS feed, l
laid 'em down to grass. An now she
begrutches me a sup Nv their milk
an bit Nv the bread she wouldn't
never hev he'd eff she'd awaited fur
Silas ter grow the grains slower'n
Taunton water"
Il guess" exploded the occupant
of the settee, "you kind-uv furgit-
Silas's-my fatherw
The old man laughed. "Ye little
hop O my thumb" he said, his anger
melting somewhat, 81 shouldn't ex-
pected thet chowder- head Nv Silas
ter hev much more Nv a son'n you
be-"
"Siah! Siah!" came the constant
burden.
'I-don't mind gran 'ma'am Don't
you, said the boy. He's ez fierce
ez a-meatax- he don't-kill
nothin'p
81 hed'nt orter a-said thet, ,Gershom.
Fact is, wen my maids up, don't
rightly know wat be sayin'. Any
way" the melting now becoming an
avalanche, rye knew yer leetle fingers
wuth more to yer old daddy'n hull
b'ilin' Nv children. l wouldn't hev
ye changed fun wat ye be, not ter
see ye ez big ez Goliarl There, there,
now, sonny" and he had lifted the
boy in his arms and was walking like
whirlwind up and down the room,
the long, low, dusky room, full of
the swinging shadows of the green
boughs wrestling in the storm with
out, and the dark beams of whose
ceiling his lofty head almost touched.
"W'y, Gershom, other boys kin git
growed up-let 'em grow, consarn
'em, let 'em growp' he exclaimed.
"But my boy'll allus be suthin'," he
added quickly in quite another tone,
"thet his old grandad kin mex much
on"
"Ye-hurt me-when yer shoutin'
so-yer start mean mex me achew
His grandfather shook up the cal
leo covered pillows with one hand,
and laid him down gently among
them. "Ye see jes how it is, Sary,"
he said, in husky voice. "Rilla looks
twice't ter the crust Nv bread | take
eff ye kin call it bread-the mess she
makes. She never wuz no cook, any
ways; she can't bile water 'thout
burnin NV it. An now this boy sez |
amt no use ter him."
Il didn't. didn't say nothin'-er
the kim! Hope | may die-ef gran'sr
don't make it wus'n tbs! He-ies-
rubs it inl"
81 guess I'd better 60" said the
old man. "It's a-crowdin' the mourn
ers wen that boy turns agin me. The
amt no room fur me ter hum. l do
know ware. won't go to Gusty's
tbouob That'a fati Rut T allua oa;d