The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-04-20
SELECTED STORY.
The Fiddle Told.

II was the close of day in the early
part of December.
The governor sat alone in his private
office. His clerk had just left him.
The Christmas season was busy and
responsible one with him, for he chose
that time to investigate thoroughly the
criminal records of the state, and par
don such prisoners as good conduct or
extenuating circumstances placed with
in the pale of executive clemency.
II questioned as to the selection Of
the holiday season for the exercise of
the "benign prerogative," he was wont
to answer, "Oh, may be helping to
turn the tide in the soul of some Paul,
and have fancy to do 1t when peace
and good will are most likely to be at
the flood; that is all"
Whether this were all, and it was not
in response to some deeper sentiment,
those who knew him best alone could
say.
Tonight, as he looked at the piles OF
mail matter on his desk yet 10 be dis
posed of, he pushed back his chair
with smothered groan and started to
the door, moved by wild impulse to
get outside and turn the key on all.
An obstruction in his path caused
him to stumble, and he saw curious
looking bundle in brown paper, clum-
silly tied with coarse twine string, ly-
ing on the floor at his feet.
He remembered the clerk having
mentioned package from the state
prison-this must be it-and pushed it
impatiently to one side; but as he did
80 something in the coffin-shaped out
lines made him stoop and tear away
part of the cover.
He found, to his amazement, violin,
and appended to it soiled, pencil
written note, evidently an appeal OF
some kind.
Curiosity conquered fatigue. He had
handled many and various petitions,
but never one in shape like this.
Detaching the note from its fasten-
ings, he crossed the room to the win
dow, and by the waning light of the
winters day deciphered the following
illiterate text:
$50 the Gunner: They tell me tibet
yer Hart gifts tender to Prisners at
chrismus time and you listens to what
they has to say. I've been here twenty
years fer KILN a man and I've ben
Sorry every day sense l done it, was
a hot-headed boy of % and the man
called pap Liar and sed things agin
mann. l couldn't nOways stand tibet
and / nocked him down. he was a
pale sickly complicated tender foot and
he never got up agin. never ment
to kill him but my fist was hevy and
sum mad things inside Nv me sicked
me on. they never give me no sort of
Trio, hnf innt mt in HQrp for
Life. his folks was rich and mine was
pore and couldn't pay no lawyer. pap
is gone blind and nam is old and they
amt got nobody to look after them but
Josef. Josef is the gal tibet was goin
to mary me. She left her home when
they sent me Hear and went to look
after the old Folks sames they was
hern. eff 1 could git back to Josef
and the old folks and the mountains Ide
never lif my han agin no man agen
ceptin twas to help him 30 help me God.
They tel me as how you kin make a
Fiddle tax til the children puts down
their Playthings and follers yer. Guv-
ner 1 sends you mine along ur this
what made when was Boy back
in the mountains, the sames as koted
my gal with and played for man and
pap round the tire sunday evenlns.
shes aged along with me but she KEEP
her voice sweet and stiddy yit.
Take her Gunner and set down by
yourself in the still Nv the evenin and
let her tax to you fer me. l amt afreed
she'll forget nuthin, the old home on
the side Nv the mountin and mann and
pap and Josef a settin thar and wait
in these 20 years fer the Boy they
wouldn't let 90 their holt Nv nor quit
lovin no matter what he did. No shell
not fergit nuthin. shes too much like
them women shell be telling you about.
Seems like she knows things as well
as do. Praps caus shes ben lyin agin
my Hart 30 long, and if she cant tell
you nuthin Gunner let her talk to yer
Wife. Its about Wimmin shell tell
mostly. Wimmin and Sorrer. And
Wimmin is quicken men to understan
them things.
That's all. its TUX me 3 weeks to
rite this letter. Goodbye. God go