The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-12-29
A CURIOUS COUPLE.

FAaA@N Wf 1ANNEt wv h~ - ''fN
nodded.
A most remarkable history is tttsehe
10 Il, be seat On. Not legend. bu,
tact OF thu esn assure you. b. cans
myself bad hsnd in fading IL onL ]
csnitrs rouud cettsib eoople sho live
there The most extraordinary old folk
tbsi ever came Hross | should hk
yoa TO have seeu them. | think yot
woald have admitted them 10 be The ogl
eel pair 10 Eoelsul. as they cei.sinl!
we're The mosl close snd uniriendIy. do
ias the sixteen years that they lived IL
that cottage. they never ooe' ssked !
bsishb, in.iie.
Umpbl Hermits Indeed, observed.
Absolute hermils There wss however
some slight excuse for their eschexing oil
outside company. Each suffered from I
severe physical ibhrmity Tue womsu
wss nearly stone deaf. the man Was dumb.
When they frst cane here iahieen
years ago now, | tbink my uncle, was
then rector, tried TO find cut what be
could shout them. He only lssfat q little
aud that little was nothing out OF the way,
II trsnspired ihs, the man was sn sH-ssil
OF Of the Royal Navy. who had lost his
speech after severe attack OF yellow fever
10 pension, which be drew half yearly
and WHOA my uncle only knew sbout by
the fac, that that the old fellow had come
% him periodically to get his papers sign
ed. The woman was bis sister, so be gave
the neighbors % understand, and so slso
might have been inferred from 9 certain
family likeness which was noticeable be
tween them. S was a moet Ill favored
shrivsiled, unkempt. aud dry beyond
description. Al.hou1h she must have
been nearer 10 tbso q }, her long, touzled
hair was still as black 81 . co.l. and hung
10 hideous untidiness about her havklike
face. uhicb, With dark eyes,snd hooked pro
bosois. was most u0oammonly iorbidding,
The poor people all pronounced her
witch and for that reason gave ber Q
vide berth. Probably the woman eDcour
aged the idea For her great aim and OBJ
I4ct, evidently. was TO be left alone.
Although her brothers pension, amour
log 10 about 70 sbilliugs day, was sm
pie to Keep 40 old folks decsntly, and
even comfortably, 10 that cheapest OF
neig bborboots, these two always gave the
im preston OF being half starved. aud do
not believe that either OF them purchased
new article OF ltthiog oil the time they
lived 10 R. From this people began
to infer that they wtre miserf, and, ss
time went on, many things happened to
strengthen the inierence. All along they
had discovered the greatest anxiety and
apprehension when any one bad tired to
gain access to their bovel Indeed, my
uncle has often told me that tee expres
sion OF the old peoples faces when he
called there, aud one or the other had
peered around the chained door at him.
was reslly quite comicsl 10 its suspicious
trepidation; and the older they grew the
more pronounced did their precautions TO
prevent outsiders entering become.
At frs, they bad sometimes vsntured to 4
lock their house and make an excursion
together into F. the adjoining market {
towp, But by and by they gave up such 1
recklessness entirely. and whenever one c
OF them went out, The other remsined on |
guard at home. /
My uncle was greatly exercised about q
his two strange ps,ishers Many rectors
would have consi iered the mselves OF oil
towards people who not mere 8
ly never attended church, but refused to
even admit their clergyman into their e
house when he called. But that was not b
my uncle's way. Every poor man who q
lived 10 his parish he held to To under bis r
pastoral protection; and be felt himself l.
bound to lcok after his interests |
When succeeded him here, went to
call, now and then. on the old people; Il
meeting bowevet. with the same treatment q
.hst my uncle bad always experienced.
Sometimes they would not open the door n
tall, Ut others t1ey did so with the II
sham up, and conversed with me through
. narrow aperture. G
10 reply to my Inquiries whether ! d
,ouId anything, or give them sny assist "
suee, always bad a negative returned, uD iC
til at las. gave up trying to mske head
way 10 so hopeless direction, and left
he two hermits pretty much to them
selves.
The msn came came 10 me regularly -
svery bali year to get his pension papers =
signed, and / took sdvsntsge OF these op :
oottnni,ies to give him some friendly sd y
oily 10 starving simself and wearing such
q ,dt q1ste clothing 10 The coolest weather. VI
At firs, made him presett Of some old "
,o,,s, o1sers and h,nnel shirts. But | "
gave up that for be never wore them; y
.ud formed the impression that be bad :"
probably converted them into cssh.
10 fact, asked bin one day Whist be e'
!, I'D dooe with them oil. He only looked
'unpibs, Effected stupidity. aud made "
ome urintellisIble signs. Despite bis ="
iuu bness. be could make me unaer.tst d oc
bluss very well II be liked especially 81
Inythins connected With bi. pension % 81
,srs. II ass Only When be did Dot wish 81
, make himself uoderstood tbs, bi. .igrs u
I'D no mssniue 10 them.
10 this mst,er OF comina to have hi. pl
,.per signed, be ys., aI hsve said. sl