New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-16
AT BLUE HOUSE LOCK.


Blue House Lock, is somewhat lonely and mo-
,o,orous Her most is more or less OF a sine
cure. for but few barges pass along that bit OF
the canal Indeed the canal itself though
vind,rg through the prettiest bit OF country IN
tho neebborhood, is only navigable during a
wet season. After a drouth It grows so shallow
that cows are wont to stand derislVey III the
very middle Of it, cooling their legs
Elijah, husband OF Dorcas' Is d iaoo'e "
farm some two miles of.
As tho nath alongside the canal leads to no
where IN particular there Is not much traffic;
nm, vben a barge does come Dorcas "bustlcs
her about sharpish." and there is great TO 90
Sho looks upon herself as more or less the
hostess of the occupants of the barge. Ihey
change the weather and pass the time or day.
their destination and their business are eX-
haustively discussed, and when at length Sui
ness settles down over the Blue House, when
there ia no sound but the cry Of peewit or the
rnstle OF water rat in the PUSHES, Dorcas
fetches a chair into the doorway and sinks upon
n exclaiming: Law what palladium 1t nave
been. to be sure!"
on Sunday mornings Dorcas does not go 10
church. for Elijah do like bit o meat OF
Sunday" and Dorcas Is a good wife hrst ana
a good churchw oman second. She therefore ue-
fers her attendance until evening. when El1ah
accompanies her. While the bit o meat Is III
course OF preparation ne stroils rouhu lot
bit OF a talk" with one "Ethni Hartman, licensed
to sell beer and tobacco" whose house of cheer
IS on the outskirts of the town, and where
the very latest electioneering news Is to be mad.
Elijah has been heard to express an opinion
20 the effect that there amt no arm in going
70 church twice for them it suits but once,
along Of my missus be enough for l."
Had It been in Elijah's nature TO be aston
ishcd at anything he would have felt some
surprise at the amabty with which Dorcas
had lately speeded him on his way to THE Cat
and Compasses' Sunday mornings. She had
Mt one time been rather given to incOnveniently
suggesting that them peas want sticking, and
the salery be ready for banking" when Elijah
would fain have been summing himself upon the
bench outside Ethni Harman's hospitabe door,
a mug OF cider and n likcminded friend beside
him. He usually fell in with his wife's sug-
gcstions for he was man who loved a quiet
life. and Dorcas- when annoyed on Sunday
was apt to carry on her domestic duties with
Unnecessary vigor far into the night on Monday.
The fact was that OF late Sunday mornings
had become for Dorcas the cornerstone OF her
week and In this wise: 1t did not a rule
done. Dorcas would take her chair into the
doorway and read her Bible She generally
chose the Book of Revelation, carefully form
ing the words with her lips and following each
with gnarled and workworn forefnger With
Dorcas. with many people whose lives are
somewhat hard and monotonous. the prospect
or q suite Of rooms in one Of the many mansions
was extremely pleasant Moreover. the Cottes
VIZ of
tacle, and. although Dorcas could not pro
nounce, far less understand, many of the words
she met with, there sense of pageant
all around her as she read; while her apprecia-
ton OF the city which has no need OF the
sun, neither of the moon to shine in it,
Us purely sensuous as that of any disciple OF
Wagner himself.
"And now "A little wind and shy" scattered the
apple blossoms over the path, and the Sunday
Sill nee broken by clear child voice. To
DOrcas such sound the skirl OF the pipes
TO a Highlander in far country; her heart beat
quick and her checks grew redder, and she
rushed out to see who was a-coming'; for
DOrcas had put away four in the "cemetrary" |
Oh the Peterborough Road. and one had lived to
be four years Old. Besides 10 let any one pass
the Blue House without "gyn of 'em good
day" thing she had never done-"not /
orcc in twenty year" So she laid her Bible on /
the chair. covering it with clean white hand /
kerchef and crossed the few feet of garden |
Which lay between her cottage and the towing /
path.
A sturdy little boy, in REFER coat and muffin .
cap, with round, fresh little face and checks .
pink as the petals Of the apple blossom nearest
The calyx danced with excitement on the bank
IS he watched his father gathering some yell
low flags" which grew at the waters edge.
The attendant father-parents and such
pways Q secondary consideration with Dorcas