Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-12-28

wandered in and fallen asleep where
there would have been less proba-
bility of finding him until he had
slept too long. BY his side was a
bunch of holly and a book The
Waterman aroused him, led him away
and saw that he was made comfort
able for the night. When he awoke
late on the following morning he was
at first unable TO give any definite &C
count of himself, and presently OBJ
served in a cheerful, convincing man
ner, 81 have moments like this; Just
now | canot speak my own name, but
| shall remember it in course Of time"
In the mean while the description
spread abroad had come to our relief,
Found asleep on the steps of the
gateway at Greenwood. an old man
with blue eyes, white hair and beard"
Faith and went to bring him
home. He was quite himself again
when we reached him and full Of
solicitude on account of the anxiety
caused by his absence. He said that
a desire had fallen upon him the after
noon before to place bit OF holly on
Hopes grave. and also to make ar
rangements for his own burial; not
that he was expecting to dle-quite
the contrary he was feeling unusually
well; but IL was always best TO attend
to such things while in health. 1t
saved so much trouble for ones
friends. Being late when he ar
rived the gate was closed He had
therefore been obliged to abandon the
first part OF his project, and had sat
down to rest. He was a little tired,
having stopped on the way over to
visit an acquaintance who dealt in old
books. and on whose shelves he had
discovered one needing to be repaired
and OF a nature which interested him.
Accordingly he had taken 1t off with
him, and was having a peep into it
when he had fallen asleep.
With such explanation he put in my
hands a worn volume entitled THE
American Young Mans Best Compan-
ion," the object OF which, so the pre-
face stated. was to lead the reader by
easy stages through the difficulties of
spelling, reading, writing and arith-
metic. not to mention short distances
in the sciences of geography and
astronomy; to make him acquainted
with the methods of carpenters, join
ers, sawyers, bricklayers, masons,
GLACIERS and painters; to show him
what to do in his garden during the
different seasons, and with what dyes
to produce a sad color" and other
shades. and to teach him the art of
letter writing, series of letters being
inserted as models. dated 1887, and
signed by such names as Timothy
Timely, Daniel Diligent, Henry
Hearty, George Grateful and Peter
Pitiful. AS | read these names
aloud. Daddy remarked pleasantly
tnat, with the exception of Peter
PiuIul. he might have been all these
young men himself, that he consider
ed the various instructions exceeding
ly entertaining. and that he had been
studying how TO set up sundial
when he had fallen asleep.
And so we brought the little old
man home and hung the evergreen
from New England around the por-
traits on the wall. not forgetting a
sprig for the Van Amberg tiger, and
Toasted on the layer cake and ate the
Merry Christmas" written in the
pink sugar.
Before the week ended Daddy had
fallen into a deeper sleep than that of
Christmas Eve. and rom it no one
could wake him, unless indeed It
might be some Waterman at the Gate
where all the highways and byways
of this world meet. and beyond is that
country of which He who was the
Christ Child has given assurance and
promise, and of which there is reason
for believing that within its borders
the beginnings, the half accomplished
efforts, the seeming failures, the prob
lens of human life shall find perfect
The low basement room was put
into Sunday dress. There were flow
ers on Daddy's table and no one sat
in his chair, although all the other
chairs were occupied and also those
borrowed from the neighbors, and
people were standing by the doorways
and in the hall. The clergyman came,
and, having read the prayers of the
church, spoke few thoughtful words
upon the text. "Your labor is not in
vain in the Lord" The dog that had
bounded out to meet Daddy on that
October day came likewise. but so
quietly that he was not observed until
he had established himself on the
floor in that part of the. room where
the Jack of Twelve Trades lay with
folded hands.