The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-11-24
raE RETURN or THE pRoDIGAL

life such as never eotefed the mind OF
ploddins John.
The dsys, the weeks. the months. rolled
ou around lha spool OF time. aud, win
each bright, bfeskiog sun. more and more
aisconiented spd dissatisfied did become
the restless Will N. His days we're cen
lures long. There WAS always shioine
before bis eyes the stsr Of ambition, which
be was a mind 10 follow more than once.
lie detestei The sorry life Of the farm Win
the homely environment, the old. old
rou,ine, day 10, day ont, snd hoslly after
several years OF uucomplsinins service he
determined TO rup away.
Hewss eighteen then. For two years
be bad saved every penny. every nickie'
every dime that bad fallen 10 his way and
ere long noted that the dollars we're taking
care OF themselves 10 . little company oil
their own. There we're tory tvo OF them
10 the stone i,r on the shelf at the bead oil
bis bed.
The sun was sinking behind the west
ern borison on the fsteful night OF VII
iisms departure. There, by the little win
dow 10 the store room where be slept with
the peaceful, sweet coutebted John. be sat
on cane seated chair beside the bed, bis
forty two dollars spread ont on the quilt
before him.
will do it he exclaimed to himself IN
tbe dim darkness. | will do it,
His thoughts were broken IN upon ny
the cry OF a woman down below, at the
foo, OF the stairs.
William, William, it, time to go fer the
milk.
nAb, me, murmured the boy TO himself,
another night has come, but it shall be the
last. For msny years it has been my duty
to 20 down the dusty old road TO Green's
for The evening milk. cannot see why
father does not mairtain dairy or, al
least, one COW OF bis own Bat. no. l
m ust trudee. hudge on through snow'
through Sunshine and through rain to
that old farmhouse, nearly two miles down
the turnpike, for milk. But this shall be
my lasi walk -
William, william. siu't yew ever goin
fur that milk
Again the feminine voice from the foot
OF the stairway.
Yes, mother, I'm comm now.
The boy dropped all the forty two dol
lars In bis trousers pockets and, alter
placing the stone jar back on the she'll at
the head OF the bed, slowly shsmbled
down the stairs.
There's tn pail. William. ssid his moth
er, pointing toward the table drawn up
by the kitchen window.
William took it and passed out into the
deepening darkness.
He was alone on the road. The stone
walls on either aide showed iDdistinctly
yellow gray in the fast gathering darkness,
Now and then William would stoop and
pick up a stone and fling IL idly toward b
bush, whence came a note oil snightbird
CRYING to is mtt,. He stumbled once or
twice and m murmured something under his
breath each time. As he walked down
thst road the whole eighteen years oil his
mopotopous existence, called Lille, unroll
ed themselves before his minds eyes. He
remembered the old swimming hole. the
eager hunt for birds nests IL the days
seone, the "stone bruise" be carried to
school With him sll one spring and the
be, ch Whistles he used to make at recess.
And the squirrel hunts and the games oil
youth, all the different scenes oil bis lille
we're enacted again for him 10 the play
bonse OF his memory. AT the end be SAID
to himself, Well, ii is over now, for u
uisbt shall go away. Never sgsin viii
Willsm take home the nights milk.
This is my last walk
His mind was set, dete. mined: lie
stumbled along the io,ky path to the
milk house on Green's farm and stood by.
silettlr, while the hired man filled his
pail then be tfudeed back over the coun
try rosi. Toe moon was shining. A.
resdy soft. silvery light Aecked the fol
i.se OF the woods on the left aud cart shin
merine shadows on the stone wallis.
And Willism dreamed OF ihs wealth oi
the Indies, ths. would ooe day be bis, oil
the fame, the glory and the great. good
name that awaited him out in the world,
beyond the ken Of life Oh the WhiIiiesJ
farm.
Suddenly the boy stopped so sudden
~, indeed, thst the ircthiDe milk stopped
over the pail snd iell 10 two spssbe', ou'
on the road, the other on bis ,fou ers.
shall bot 40 home shall leave nov
be erred.
He walked to the edge Of the road aac
peered ipto the white lighted woods
mat hide the pail. hs said, bot where'
Fors momen, be stood 10 the sbados
, thisting.
renemb.rl be eIcl.ined. The olC
blasted tree uabk viii put the PAL
!, there
He aalked lew rods farther nr thl
r5sa and then sheersd % into the soods
ny and by be c.me on, into The mooslish
.ssio. He bad carried oct The plsn ths
} bad Suggested itself 10 hi' mind, To
,aik pail b.d been placed 10 the old t't
truck.
For moment be besitsted. lie took ol
his cap snd stood bsrehesdei nader tb
sky, the ts,s oi the moon bsihibg bin Il