Iron County register., 1899-08-31
Tie Blue House Lock

'THEIfe of Dorcas Heaven. who
kess the Blue House lock, is
-sOmewht lonely and monotonous.
Her pos is more or less of a sinecure.
for but wv barges pass along that bit
of the caal. Indeed. the canal itself.
though vnding through the prettiest
bit of coctry in the neighborhOod. Is
Only nayhble during a wet season.
After Ought it grows so shallow
that cOwsre wont 10 stand derisively
in the ver1middle of il. cooling their
legs.
Elijah. hIland of DOrcas, is labor
er on a farnome two miles off.
As the pat4longside the canal leads
to nowhere particular. there is not
much traffic. ut when barge does
ccIne Dorcas 'ustles her about sharp
ish.'' and theirs a great to-do. She
looks upon herlf as more or less the
hostess of the ot1pants of the barge.
-sThey change thveather and pass the
time of day" theiestination and their
business are exhstiveIy discussed.
and when at lena stiffness settles
down over the BluIouse. when there
is no sound but thry o: a peewit or
the rustic of watrat in the rushes.
Dorcas fetches a CIR into the door
wav and sinks up'it. excIaiming:
Law, what a palan it have been,
to be sure.
On Sunday morninDorcas does not
90 to church, for ''kh do like bit
n meat of a Sunday. I'D Dorcas is a
GOOD wife first and -ood church
woman second She refore defers
her attendance until ming. when
Elijah accompanies heTyhile the bit
q meat is in course OF paration he
strolls round for "a bit talk" with
one "Ethni Harman, heed to sell
beer and tobacco, whose Sc of cheer
lies on the outskirts OF town. and
where the very latest pioneering
,a,vs is to be had. Ehlaas been
heard TO express an opinico the eff
feet that there amt no ain going
+c church twice for them Il suits.
hut once. along of my enough
fer |"
Had it been in Elijah's ma to be
astonished at anything, he WI have
felt some surprise at the ability
,-;tb which Dorcas had latelXeded
him on his way to The Cat a'on-
,aSses" On Sunday mornings had
M one time been rather give in
conveniently suggesting thatem
meas want sticking, and the sa be
ready for banking. when EhJanld
f.iu have been summing hlmselbb IN
-. bench outside Ethni Harman
,,;table door. a mug of cider ana
minded friend beside him. He us
feu in with his wife's suggestions
ba was a man who loved quiet lie.
Dorcas-when annoyed on Sund;
,xas ant to carry on her domestic du
with unnecessary vigor far INTO
night on Monday.
The fact was that OF late Gun
mornings had become for Dorcas
cornerstone of her week. and in
wise: II did not, as rule take
~ qet fcIiiah's dinner under way
aone Dorcas would take her char
+ba doorway and read her Bible
generally chose the Book OF Reveia'
carefully forming the words with
Inns and following each with gna
ord wurkworn forefinger- With
cas-. as with many people whose
are somewhat hard and monoton
the prospect of suite of rooms IN
of the many mansions was extrei
nleasant. Moreover. the eottes'
neasant dearly loves any form OF
tacle. and, although Dorcas could
nronounce. far less understand, N
af the words she met with, there
sense of pageant all around her as
read: while her appreciation OF the
which has mo need of the sun, mel
of the moon to shine in il, was as