Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-09-21
! The Blue House Lock



keeps the Blue House lock, is
somewhat lonely and monotonous.
Her post is more or less of sinecure,
for but few barges pass along that bit
of the canal. Indeed, the canal itself,
though winding through the prettiest
bit of country in the neighborhood, is
only navigable during wet season.
After a drought it grows so shallow
that COWS are wont to stand derisively
in the very middle of it, cooling their
legs.
Elijah, husband of Dorcas, is labor
er on a farm some two miles off.
AS the path alongside the canal leads
to nowhere in particular, there is not
much traffic, but when barge does
come Dorcas "bustles her about sharp
ish," and there is a great TODD. She
looks upon herself as more or less the
hostess of the occupants of the barge.
''They change the weather and pass the
time of day." their destination and their
business are eXhaustively discussed,
and when at length stiffness settles
down over the Blue House, when there
is no sound but the cry of peewit or
the rustic of water rat in the rushes,
Dorcas fetches q chair into the door
way and sinks upon it, eXclaiming:
Law! what a palladium it have been,
to be sure!"
On Sunday mornings Dorcas does rot
20 to church, for elijah do Ike bit
o. meat of a Sunday" and Dorcas is a
good wife first and a good church
woman second. She therefore defers
her attendance until evening, when
Elijah accompanies her. While the bit
O. meat is in course of preparation he
strolls round for "a bit of talk" with
one "Ethni HarInan, licensed to sell
beer and tobacco" whose house of cheer
lies on the outskirts of the town, and
where the very latest electioneering
news is TO be had. Elijah has been
heard to express an opinion to the eff
feet that there amt no arm in going
to church twice for them as it suits,
but once, along of my missus, be enough
for l."
Had it been in Elijah's nature to be
astonished at anything, he would have
felt some surprise at the amiability
with which Dorcas had lately speeded
him on his way to 1.-THE Cat and Com
passes" on Sunday mornings. She had
at one time been rather given to in
conveniently suggesting chat 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 hos
pitablc door, a mug of cider and like
minded friend beside him. He usually
fell in with his wife's suggestions, for
he was a man who loved 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, as a rule, take long
to get Elijah's dinner under way; this
done, Dorcas would take her chair into
the doorway and read her Bible. She
generally chose the Book of Revelation,
carefully forming the words with her
lips and following each with gnarled
and worliworn forefinger. With Dor
cas-, as with many people whose lives
are somewhat hard and monotonous,
the prospect Of q suite of rooms in one
of the many mansions was extremely
pleasant. Moreover, the Cotteswold
peasant dearly loves any form of spec
iacle, and, although Dorcas could no
pronounce, far less understand, many
of the words she met with, there was s
sense of pageant all around her as sh'
read; while her appreciation of the city
which has mo need of the sun, neithe,
of the moon to shine in it." was as pure
ly sensuous as that of any disciple o
Wagner himself.
"And now a little wind and shy
! SCdtGSISu IhS oPPAS DAO''''O4A'
the path, and the Sunday silence
was broken by clear child voice
To Dorcas such sound was as thu
skirl of the pipes to o Highlands
in a far country; her heart bea
quick and her cheeks grew redder, an(
she rushed out to see who "was aeon
ing;" for Dorcas had put away four
in the "cemetrary" on the Fletborougl
road, and one had lived to be four year
old. Besides, to let anyone pass th'
Blue House without "givin' of zen
good dayl" was a thing she had neve.
done-"not once in 20 years" So sh'
laid her Bible on the chair, covering j
with a clean white handkerchief, ant
crossed the few feet of garden which
lay between her cottage and the towing
path.
A sturdy little boy, in REFER coat ant