The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-11-29

der and strobe on.
'They be all alike" muttered Joe to
himself; ''they be stony-hearted lot.
| Not one among 'em nd gle man a
helpin' hand. Dang EN- all" cried Joe,
and he thumped upon the gate.
He turned and shuttied toward the
house, pushing open the door. \ little
old woman was sitting, propped up by
pillows, in an armchair near the hearth.
She was almost crippled by rheumatism,
yet managed in some meXplicable way
| to preserve a tolerable appearance OF
neatness and cleanliness. both in her
| own person and in such of her surround
lngs as came within reach of her poor,
distorted fingers. The hearth was tidy,
for instance, and the kitchen utensils
and crockery Oh the little dresser behind
her chair We're bright and clean 1t
must be supposed that her husband.
who would have been much the better
for a share of her attention, kept him
self Systematically out of reach.
"Well:' she inquired. eagerly looking
up as he entered.
"Well, faint bit O use They'll
none o them do a thing for me-
Mrs Frisby sighed. Come, sitdown.
any how" she said. ">upper's ready,
an the teas draWed beautiful"
Joe shambled over and sat down. His
wife, leaning painfully forward in her
chair, moved the little brown teapot
from the hob to the table. and them
STOPPING AGAIN with vet more difficulty
took up a plateful of dry toast and
protfered it to the Old man
'Therer she said Il made We that
for d bit o a change The fire was
burnin' up so clear an nice, list
thought I'd do it. Twill be nice
change for 'ee. Joseph-twil, sure"
She spoke in high. Quavering voice,
peerlng anXiously the While at her
spouse.
He took piece of toast and turned
1t over; then broke off a Bit and flung it
on the table.
IT'S as hard as flint, woman he
said, Indignantly. "Where dye think
| can find teeth to bite en-
NAY, now, It's not so ard as that
comes to- urged she Il can bite Ell,
an | liant got single tooth left. Sop
| i'll yer tea, do zee now. an it'll slip
| down nice
slip down, indeed, 1t nd want a
bit o butter, or a bit o graise for that
| But here us be-two old ancient folks
as has lived i'll this parish man an wife
for tifty-tWo years an they'll not so
much as g us a tater''
Yes, a later nd be nice. sure"
quavered the old woman. 1T nd be
very nice
"Or a bit o green stuff nd be nice, ="
went on Frisby emphatically. Il could
eat this bread if they'd gle l bit O
green to put tot. But DO, It's Go
away, Eve nothin' for ee all around
Theirs every man an bwoy in the place
workin' up at the 'lotments' gettn the
taters into the ground as fast as ever
they can stick EN-. If they was to gle
us half dozen each they'd never miss
planted up But no, they be all took
up wi theirSelveS-never thought for
We.''
Mrs. Frisby rubbed her shrivelled
hands together, and sighed
'Ah, it's hard she said; ''tis hard,
sure
And then silence fell between the old
couple, and each consumed his meagre
fare without any great appetite.
Presently Joseph set down his cup,
pushed back his chair and stood up.
"Where be goin'?" asked his wife,
ENORMOUSLY. Il never seed such fidget
of man.
Pm goin' up to the 'lotments,'" he
responded CURLY.
Lave me pail O. water first, do, so
as | can be washin' up. l reckoned
! ye'd ha' helped me bit to-night-rheu.
MATES is terrible bad
Joseph took up pail without word
and went out: presently an eXcruciat-
ing creaking and squeaking was heard as
he turned the rusty handle of the wind
lass. After some time be hobbled back,
I % for, Loo III
ing bucket at every step
Dear. what mess the mar. d.
make" groaned Mrs. Frisby. Garry
it study, for the Lard's sake Now sit
down, do ee', and gle me hand"
"Nay, I'm Off, responded her lord in
surly tones; and in another moment
the garden gate creaked ON its hinges
and his departing steps fell heavily on
the lane outside
| This somewhat clrcultous path led
first past horsepond, then skirted the
beautifully kept churchyard, with the
ancient ivy grown edifice in the centre
Then it darted off at an abrupt angle,
apparently to avoid encroaching OH the
farm premises in the rear of the church,
where the picturesque building which
had once been 1.-THE barn was now de-
voted to humber purposes. The lane
| ceased at its junction with the high
| road, but, crossing the latter and fol-
lowing the footpath for a little way,
Joseph came to another lane, which,
after a few hundred yards, became a
steep ascent.
The blackthorn was still in flower
here and there in the hedges, which
accounted, as the country folk would
have said, for the peculiarly keen and
chilly quality of the evening blast; but
the twisted twigs of the more genial
hawthorn were powdered, as it were
with delicate dust of green. Trailing
tendrils of honeysuckle were already in
full leaf, and young saplings of elder
stretched out slender bare limbs tufted at
the ends with crimson. Downy catkins,
moreover, on many a willow bough gave
further promise Of the rapid approach
of the Sweet O the Year." and there
were violets on the banks, and here and
there a patch of primroses and glory
of dandeliOns all around
| But poor old Joe Frisby, as he toiled