The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1900-03-29
JOSHUA BAKERS DOWNFALL.

TIE siestloa Of somcn 10 the sotool board
ln the little Msssaehnsetts bill iosG slsf
be lived be t,a tulsa silb = fSa q itof
fipoo The aalaekY day shea hs sss Get
10 teprsscHt di.lnc, 10 the Legislature
Ths ass hs isto3eolios into pseli
llis, sbd Il ciest d 90 iasaiishle srrs it
ioi etise.
lie hsi been hfs, selectmsr sni easi
msu Of The school botri 10 mote year
,taa se Joassef orls eoold remember
aud 10 lolb cppSeilies rode roashstoi o
- tit compsbiobs IN tfii's Ibere sss
masuslic power sboui TIE mso, or b
sould noi have been teeleeiei ye.r siie
year. BE wss 80 ,ticieIi aud isithin
public sefssui. bot sssocls,iou With BIN
10 TIE ,dmit.siutiob Of town ,asirs va
AZ unpleasant tax, which few orsyed
Tue noyelty OF placing Sortn on tb'
school bosri strongly sppesled to lh'
people OF the town We will call II hids'
vile. The hnt yesr The plsb Sss sdop'
81, Mw, Abel Ayres aud Mns ssmanlhs
D1ck became J5sbos Bakers psituefs IL
Office Toe iofmer possessed a doe edue'
uoa end great eultare culture. bnt wa
to'sily lacking 10 lighting sbIiiiy. ihi'
dedclercy wss mere than mace ur, boS
ever BY Miss s msutbs VITO hsd very
a .ttruin q mird OF her oHp, aud erloyed
| nothing b, tier than iilt With her neigh
bors. When the result Of the election
w.s Known. every body realized that war
was ineyitsbls, aud its beginning was
awaited With keen expectancy. II cme
eVen soccer tbsn sss spprehended
Joshu, Bsktr itosned and bemned
sud hswed when be resd, one morning .
week later, noie be bad last taken from
tie otoiiiee.
Dear Sir, 1t began, We. tie underslsn
ei, beg lesvs 10 Inform you ihst there
will be o meeting Of the school board TO
morrow evening, 10 the selsctmen's room
Tor orgsnizi,iou and tie transaction OF
routipe bnsiness. Add it was sigued by
dts. Abel Ayres and Miss Stmsnlha
Dock. IL vas written 10 Miss Ssmantbas
nervous hand. aud tve,y letter brestbed
d. lancs.
The poslofIi,e vas filled With idlers.
Joshua's face betrayed bis yexati)n. aud
Ia responfe to query as to the cause oi
II, he read the ote aloud, in clear delib
crate voice which, nevertheless, attempted
40 COT ceslmelt Of his disgust That was
hi. first mistake.
Wall, I'll be blowedl calculated Silss
Wigeaus, the village blacksmith. Pretty
besds,ropg, aiL't they? Takin the reins
right into their own hands,
Indeed they gre. sir Bot they viii
6nd they Gao gain no advantage over me
by such course. IsbalI not attend their
meeting.
Ye'd best rot stay away, ventured MI
Wigsiue after short pause. They'd be
electlpg one OF themselves chairman, and
nobody knows whs, other ponsense'
Pears to m yed ought to be there, for the
safety OF the public. il for no other reason.
This was a new thought to Joshua. he
hemmed ard ttowned more violent than
before.
I believe you are right. Mr.. Wigeius, be
SAID, at last. Yes, you are certainly night.
My otliaa ions tc the public cannot be
laid aside. ! will attend the meeting and,
raising bis voice my good friende, / invite
you ali TO be present
That ives Joshus's eecond binder. 1t
was CUSTOMARY in those days for the meet
10 az Of the echool board to be open to the
public, bu the privilege was seldom tab
en advantage Of. Ga this occasion, bow
ever, The selec,men's room was crowded
Mrs Abel and Miss Samantha were at
first surprised, then veIed, when they 90
ders,ood that Joshua had especially invit
ed the crowd to witness their defeat Sa
msutha's black eyes snapped dangerously
We may rs we'll begin at once, sbe
sois, a. Joshua, the last oil the three, 90
tered the room. Well ballot for char
min hut
The O. mnil,e women and the lone com
m mtteemsn seated themselves atthe looe
tsole aud prepared their ballots SamSn
TIA eoon,ed them, calmly iasios this re
.ponsibility upon herself. There was one
yo,e for each OF the three bers Josh
ua's face vas q sioiy. He bad never serl
ously doubted thai be would be elected
Al once. AZ be had been for Sd many
' .ars. The two women exchanged sisnii
can't elsnces.
The result was net changed by the sec
oud ballot, nor by The third. Finally,
when. alter The bipth ballot, Miss Ssmsn
tn, aunouucfd tbs, s,iii there was 30
ele eciioo. she beld up her hsnd to stay
Joshua, VITO was sllesdy prepsrins bis
ns1t vtt'.
Oae N meat. MIR B.kef, she said. grim
~. | guess this has gone about Tar
We msy as well uudtrstand each
other right now. Neither Mrs AJres Dor
I want to tie chsirmsu. We've baen voting
each for ibe other right along, aud we
c.n keep II np 9 spell longer II need be.
Th., shows thsi you have beeo voting tor
yonrself,
Yes. msjam eIel,imed the nov !orions
Jo.bu.. have been voting for myself,
and 4 shall ecrtiuoe to do 20, becsuse ]
believe that sn The only member OF The
oo,td capable " performing the duties Of
chairman - they sbould be performed.
r.s.tg - M iutrffupted Samantha I