Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-09-23


for all those hired men, tell ye: 30
now clear out o. my way
with n grleved, hopeless look the
old man turned and staggered dreamy
out of the house through the wood
shed, and on across the sunny field 10
the oak grove beyond II. Here he sat
down on STUMP In the fiickering
shadows OF the trees TO while away
his time as best he could, Backward
flew his thoughts TO the day when ne,
n young man Of 81. first took up the
land. Jane Moore the sweetest and
smartest girl In the whole neigh
borhood. had promised TO be his wire
as soon as he had home ready Tor
her; and how he had worked to pre-
pare Il! And how sweet the labor
was! How the little home gradually
became reality, and how proud he
was the night he brought JAMIE to be
it's mistress!
Then the children came, five OF
them, and together they loved
watched, and trained them, sacrificing
themselves in every way that the chill
dren might be happy. One by one they
had grown up, married, made homes OF
their own, and gone out from his life.
Then jamie went-home-above: ana
he, old and feeble with falling sight
and hearing, could no longer run the
farm or care for himself. and so had
turned the place over to his son James
in return for the home and care which
he needed and hoped to receive from
James and Lavinia. But he found,
when too late, that he had thrown
away his only hope of comfort In this
world for both his son and his wife
were engrossed In money getting, ana
looked upon the old father only as an
incumbrance TO be showed out OF the
way whenever possible and upon
whose comfort and pleasure they
wasted no thought.
IF | only had something TO do he
thought, as he sat there, idly plucking
and nibbling the young leaves OF the
checkerberry; anything. almost, to
pass away the time and give me feel
ing that am still Of some use In the
world. There's plenty Of things that
could do for 'em IL James and Layiny
only would think So"
So the old man fretted on In hope
less way until tired nature mercifully
asserted herself and he settled back
into the nook between two tall tree
trunks behind his stump, and slept
peacefully until the sun, having nearly
reached the zenith, shot a beam direct
~ down across his closed eyes, and
walked him.
Mercy, mel" he exclaimed, rubbing
his eyes, It's nigh noontime, sure, and
Laviny'll be powerful mad ef ] amt
there when dinners ready I'll hev TO
hurry eff don't want to ketch it,"
So, with trembling steps, he hasten
ed back across the burning fields, now
fairly pulsating with heat from the
MONDAY sun, to the kitchen door.
There a sight met his eyes which
him TO stagger backward in as
constituent Seated on the floor, with
shoes and stockings off was his sons
wife, while around her, spread in every
direction, were the constituents of
boiled dinner"--corned beef, potatoes,
cabbage. turnips-all swimming in
water and grease. while the heavy iron
pot which had held them lay on its
side near by The table was not set
for dinner, the fire was out in the stove,
and Lavlnia herself, with pale, drawn
face, quivering lips. and streaming
eyes, looked despairingly up at him.
20 Grantherl" she groaned, why
amt YOU ever round when you're
wanted? Pears as eff might have a
little good out o. you once in a while!
Here rye been settin' for an hour or
more, hollerin' an screamin' TO you,
IN you way off out O. hearin' som'ers.
You're no more use than that cat!"
why, Lavlny." the old man quaver-
"a. as soon as he could find his voice,
what's happened to ye? Be we hurt?'
Hurt? OF course I'm hurt Why
Use would be settin here in this con-
iition, I'd like to know! l was liftin'
he kettle full O. bilin' dinner off the
ire to put some more wood under it,
when the handle slipped out o its
,lace an let the whole mess. kettle an
ILL., down on my two feet, an here be
With both feet scalt an one Of EN- at
east, broken from the weight o the
ull pot on it. I've ben a-tryin' an
.-tryin to get up, but / can't bear my
weight on either foot You'll have TO
ret some one 10 lift me UP on the sofy /
m to get the doctor for me, but who is (
o get the dinner beats me to say" /
Gran'ther wasted no words, either of ,
for her suffering or of re- .
roach for her fault-inding, but set .
If at once for the fields in search OF .
lis son; and when he had found him
nd seen him start for home after .
ending another man for the doctor,
70 hurried back, ready TO help in every
ossible way. 1t was his hands which
rought pillows and arranged the ach-
ng feet in the most comfortable posi-
ion possible while waiting for the
octor. 1t was he who scraped up the
ness on the floor, rebuilt the fire, and
ct out the table with cold lunch for
he hungry men, Neighbor Bascoms
fife, who had come over at the first
ummons, stayed to get a hot supper
DR. them, but she could not wait to eat
!, and so Gran'ther cleared it away,
,ashed the dishes, strained the milk,
nd washed and scalded the milk pals.
In the morning poor Lavinia was in
high fever and suffering intensely
rom the pain in her feet. No nurse
ould be found, and no servant at so
hort notice, and so all day Gran'ther
rept about, doing what he could to
clip James had several tons Of hay
n the ground and rain threatened;
nd as neither he nor Lavinia wished
} run the risk Of losing it ALL he
pent most of the day in the fields and
1T affairs in the house to get on as
ell as they could without him.
Days went by. and still no woman
ould be found for nurse and house
aeper. The doctor came once day