The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-01-26
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the Blue House Lock. is somewhat
lonely and monotonous Her posi- Is
more or less OF a sinecure for but few
barges pass along that bit OF the ca
nal. Indeed, the canal itself, though
winding through the prettiest hit of
country I'm the neighborhood, is only
navignble during a wet season. After
a drouth IL grows so shallow that cows
are wont TO stand derisively In the very
middle OF il, cooling their legs.
Elijah. husband OF Dorcas is la
borer on farm some two miles off.
As the path alongside the canal leads
to nowhere in particular, there is not
much traffic, but hen a barge does
come Dorcas "bustles her about sharp
ish. and there is "A great to do. she
looks upon herself as more or less the
hastess of the occupants OF the barge
They change the weather and pass the
time OF day" their destination and
their business are exhaustively discuss
ed, and when at length stiffness settles
down over the Blue House. when there
Is no sound but the cry OF a peewit or
the rustic OF water rat In the rushes,
Doro1s fetches a chair into the door
way and sinks upon II, exclaiming:
Law what paladuci IL have been,
TO be sure,"
on Sunday mornings Dorcas does not
go TO church, for Elijah do like a bit
o meat of Sunday" and Dorcas l.
good wife first and good churchwo-
man 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 a talk" with one
"Ethni Harman. licensed TO sell beer
and tobacco whose house Of cheer lies
on the outskirts of the town. and where
the very latest clectioneering news Is
To be had. Elijah has been heard 20
express an opinion TO the effect that
there amt no arm In going TO church
twice for them as IL suits. buu once.
along OF my Inissus. be enough for L."
Had 4 been i'm Elijah's nature 10 be
astonashed at anything, he would have
felt some surprise at the amiability
with which Dorcas had lately speeded
him on his way TO The Cat and Com
passes" on Sunday mornings. She had
at one time been rather given TO incon-
ventently suggesting that them peas
want sticking. and the salary be- ready
for banking" when Elijah would rain
have been summing himself upon the
bench outside Ethnl Harman's hosplt-
able 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 a quiet life.
and Dorcas-when annoyed on sunday
was apt TO carry on her domestic du-
ties with unnecessary yigor far into the
night on Monday.
The fact was that ~ late Sunday
mornings had become FOR Dorcas the
cornerstone of her week, and I'm this
wise: IL did not. as a rule, take long
To get Eliiahs dinner underway: this
done. Dorcas would take her chair into
the doorway and read her Bible. She
generally choye the Book OF Revelation,
carefully forming the words with her
lips and following each With gnarled
and workworn forefnger. With Dor
cas-. as with many people whose lives
are somewhat hard and monotonous.
the prospect of a suite OF rooms in one
~ the many mansions was extremely
pleasant Moreover, the Cotteswold
peasant dearly loves any form OF spec
tacle, and, although Dorcas could not
pronounce. far less understand. many
of the words she met with, there was a
sense ~ pageant all around her as she
read, while her apprecis ton OF the city
which has mo need OF the sun, neither
-nf-ihe -ta4a-an- shine in IT," was as
purely sensuous AZ that OF any disciple
OF Wagner himself
And now a little wind and shy
scattered the apple blossoms over the
path and the Sunday silence was brok-
en- by clear child voice To Dorcas
such sound WAS as the skirl OF the pipes
20 Highlander I'm "A far country: her
heart beat quick and her cheeks grew
redder. ard she rushed out 10 see who
was a-comlug:" for Doroas had put
away four I'm the "cemetsarv'' on the
FL. thorough road and one had lived
TO be four years old Besides. 10 lee
any one pass the Blue House without
"givin OF 'em goodday!" was "A thing
she had never done--"not once I'm %
year" So she laid her Bible or the
chair. covering IL with clean white
handkerchief and crossed the few feet
OF garden which lay between her cot
tage and the towing path.
4 sturdy little boy. in REFER coat and
muffin can. with round. fresh little face
and checks pink as the petals of the
apple blossom nearest the calyx danced
with excitement on, the bank as he
watched his father gathering some vel
low Hays which grew at the wa ter's
edge. The attendant father-parents
and such were always a secondary con-
sideration with Dorcas-was not very
successful. as the ground was soft and
slippery.
Is wet down there. dad2-Can
7 come? oh. get that big one tust over
there, Won't muth be pleased What |
dirty boots vou'll have, shall 7 hold
your stick for you 20 cling on tor
Then he noticed Dorcas. GOOD morn |
ing" said he. with gay courtesy isn't |
Il n fine May morning."
1T be that surely. little master"
answered Dorcas. In high deuglst Then |
"the little gentleman's dadnr-he ne.-er |
achieved a separate Identity I'm the |
mind OF Dorcas--scramble up from tho |
swamp in which he had been standing. |
He too. proved rnost approaC liable. |
and she learned that the youthful po- |
tentate in the reafer Jacket had never !
walked SO far before that'tho "scroped |
out old Quarry" Just beyond the Rluc |
House was his destination. and that he |
would probably come again next. sun |
dav.
He came every SUNDAY morning a'l |
through that summer. ond always with /
his dad Some times thev went tam
ping for fossils I'm the disused quarry |
some times thev came with hufterrv |
nets ard caught "T0rtoiseShelis" and /
Wall Browns" and upNn ono great |
occa sion y 'Frtlllarv" Ru, whatever
they sought or whatever thev caught |
Dorcas was alwavs. as who oh ,ii'd sav |
lin At the death" and shared tho ex-
c'eme-t and the t'sumph with thar,
The little gentleman was very
friendls- child Is nuick 20 recognize
an adrirer as any nrettv woman--srd \
~ u possible tha' fhe ptfordan. Father