Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-09-13

Il
time for this spell to be over and ] must
take him his hat-he'll be 20 mortified
wen be comes to-and he's the BEST, oh,
he's the very best husband any woman
has W EN- he's all himself
"There, Mis- Lavender, don't now,
don't get so. as 1may say, excited He's
a-leanin on to the gate now-yes, quite
quiet. Yes, and you needn't-thst 10 to
say you needn't worry none. won't
do nothin 'thout your-your co-opera-
tion As longs you can-yes, control
him
Mostly can manage, she said, her
fingers shaking SO she could not tic her
bonnet strings. Hes really rcally-
oh, he's fond Of mel"
Eyes, know-yes, said NJ. Hodge.
taking up his hat and pouring ont the
bandanna To mop his face. But don't
you-yes--don' you think you would
be happier. as you may say, safer-that
Is, yes, easier every way, ef be was
took care off,
"Oh, oh, oh!" suddenly cried the lit.
tie woman, covering her face with her
hands. through which the tears spurt.
ed II cant bear another word! The
dear Lord knows what I've borne al
ready-we en first found IL out-and
couldn't believe i'll thought ] was
teched myself-but " EN- I'd wake up
in the night with his hands at my throat
and the baby. oh. the baby!'
by graciousl" cried the startled
Mr.. Hodge And he would have said
"By gracious!' again IL he could have
made up his mind In season, when she
took down her hands, wiped her eyes
and with scarcely trace OF her tears
10 iked cut the door and smiled His
exclamation had restored her self con-
troll.
IL shall have to leave you to lock
up," she said, turning to Mr.. Hodge
with a pretty dignity, and as II nothing
had been said before. 1--WE was goin to
take q walk together. my husban and
me-.
well" said Mr.. Hodge when he
went into Mrs. Mathers fore room,
room resplendent with picture Of Cap
tain Mather's three master, the Man OF
Null, under full sail and in q gilt
frame, and with a portrait Of the late
captain himself that looked much as IL
the figurehead of his schooner might
have sat for 1t. and where the pretty
black eyed mistress always braided her
mats in the afternoons. well. I'm
free-yes, free to confess never, as You
may say
"You mag say jest wat you please,
Mr.. Hodge, cried Mrs Mather, "and
I'll say IL after you. For ef ever see
sufferin saint put upon and no way to
hinder and enough to make you doubt
the ways Of God TO man
"Cr-or woman either. as 1t were
yes, " said Mr.. Hodge.
(which is jest wat mean. She's
done everything she knowed how to keep
il from gettin out And W ZEN mes right
az in she acts jest's though everybody'd
forget it, Forgot il My land l can
look right into their house, ccd wen ]
! see him fiOurishin the TX rccn that ba-
| By a-settin N the floor and loo kin up and
laughin into his face till he dropped 1t,
or a-seizin Sally by the l.ir OF her
head and bendin her head back, and she
a.lookin at him with them great still
eyes o. bern, patient as dumb critter $,
and nothin but spark OF the old love
left in the midst Of all his fury sayin
her from destruction. and nothin bein
done
"But, Mis- Mather-yes, Mis- Mather
-ther's nothin to do. She don't want
him took up And that all-yes, that's
all the selec men are mpowered-yes,
as | may say, empowered to do. 1t
yes, il looks to ME, Mis- Mather, rs If
you was-yes, as it were. ble.sn the
Lord more than the selec' men. yes.
81 dunno hut be- But dunno how
the Lord can look Sally Lavender in the
face. There-Iye said it.
mis- Mather. IL shan't, so to say,
yes, repeat W at you've said. lt-yes-
in one point Of view il does credit to
Your feelin's But the Lord be-yes, as
you may say, he rules the world his
own way-yes.
81 dunno w'ether he does or not.
Humphrey Lavender amt the first OF
his people on the mothers side that's
ben Leside themselves, and be wouldn't
a been the last Of Polly'd been spared.
To look at that dear baby. with her lit
tie rosy. smilin face, a-squinnyin mp
her sweet eyes, laughin and showin her
pretty white beads Of teeth, and to think
she's got to 20 through the same thing
-waal, ef there's anything makes you
doubt jestice"-
"There amt" said Mr.. Hodge, tax
ing up his hat and looking into 1t, lift
ing out the length Of his handkerchief
and putting it carefully back-"there-
there amt. don't want no better-yes,
argument for another life than the
way-yes, the way Sally Lavender's bein
trained for it, as you may say. And ct 1t
amt the sperit Of the Lord that makes
her keep that madman from doin her
mischief, then there ain: no speris OF
the Lord. And there is, Mis- Mather-
yes as You may say, there Isl"
Mrs. Mather was silent, the strips OF
her rug braiding hanging Imply over
her fingers. II don't myself, began
Mr.. Hodge again-"I don't-that Is to
say, myself, believe in 10 evil princer-
pie. It's contrary-yes, to my idee OF
the power of God. Yes But amt
never spoke Of it before, SO to say, as
1t might be thought-yes, little-yes,
little irreg lar in deacon. But bein
as we was talkin kind Of intimate
"You can say jest wat you like here,
Mr.. Hodge. 1t won't never go no fur
ther I'm real pleased to hev you speak
your mind. snapped Mrs. Mather.
| "Well, then, as / was a-sayin-yes,
a-sayin, it may seem-yes, 1t may seem
sing lar, but ef you allow the doctrine
Of free will. Mis- Mather, then Hum
phre, Lavender's gran 'thers are respon-
sible--yes, In one way or another, for
his-yes, his spells. But the reason he
don't kill that baby wen he's a-four.
ishin his AK, or don't-yes, as you may
say, put an end to Sally wen he's-yes,
wen he's got her by the hair Of the
head, il that the sperit Of the Lord Is
In him, and is-yes, il too much for the
gran 'thers. Yes"
"MY. Hodge," said Mrs. Mather.
leaning forward q little breathlessly,
"you are good man."
| "Yes-that is to say" replied Mr..
Hodge, growing quite red and plunging
for his handkerchief, I'll try to he. I"
/ Il krA ~w,sk nv~a-