Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1905-12-29
HIS THEORY TESTED.

did you take in the terup'runce lee
ture over to Wanehope Branch?" asked
the storekeeper of Marvin Parsons
They tell me it was a powerful fine
lecture an done right smart O. good"
ut didn't do me no good" replied
Marvin. 1--WE ben too busy huskin'
out my corn to take in temprunce lee
tures.'
Il was there" volunteered Washing
ton Hancock, pausing in the scraping
of carrot which he had taken from a
convenient basket. 1T was a powerful
fine lecture, as Rufe says, but it was
discouragin to a man 'thout helpin'
him any. Reason don't feaze Teller
if liquor gets holt on him. If it did
the rumsellers would have had TO close
up long ago. You've got to reform a
teller in one of two ways-religion or
main stren'th an awk ardness. That
was Dominic Walkers theory an he
had a right smart o. success. Member
the dominic? He was the goldarndest
two-fsted, rawboned six-foot-two Of
grit an ginger an boss sense | ever
seen wrapped up in black broadcloth.
Well one evenin' he was down to
TarkiO tradin' an he seen Nose Brrn-
smit reposin in the alley back o. Grip
pens slOon with the rain drppin'
down on him from the caves of the
woOdshed. Nose was jest about the
crnariest mis'able low-down no-ac-
count drunken loafer that ever stepped
We'll, the dominic stood there in
the rain lookin at him a while an
flnly he says: There's a man some
where in that lump. Religion may
bring 1t out, an main stren'th an awk-
wardness may do it. 'Smilyer similibus
kewranter Greek for one nail
drives out another
He had little spring wagon he'd
drove to town in an he backs the wag-
on up in the alley an heaves Nose in
an drives off with him. When Nose
woke up he found himself lynn on d
heap O. straw in the dominie's barn
an he was some s'prised. After a
while he got up an tried to open the
GOor to peek out He didn't want to
do no mOre'n peek out because he
wasn't dressed for comp'ny All the
costume he had was a horse blanket
that was lynn on the grain chest.
Well, the door was locked. He began
to holler, but nobody come. Then he
pounded on the door with the handle
of hay fork an suddenly the door
opened an the dominic walked in.
He didn't take no notice o. Nose
just barred the door inside and begun
tc shake down hay for his OF boss.
where's my clo'es, an what dye
mean by lockin' me up in your con
sarned oil barn?' says Nose.
Dominic Walker never said word
an Nose started for the door. He
hadn't no more'n began to unbar it
when the dominic caught him by the
neck an threw him down on the straw
He started up fightin mad an the
dominic jest knocked him down again.
Didn't say nOthin' only jest landed him
on the jaw an down he went. Then
Nose begun to cry an beg to be let
out. The dominic didn't say nothin'-
just finished feedin' his boss an went
/ cut. After a while Nose got crazy
( thirsty, an yelled for water an pound
/ ed the door. Back comes the dominic
with jug an bowl of oatmeal an
| puts EN- down on the grain chest an
goes out Nose took long swig at
/ the jug an then stopped an tasted.
Blame me II 1t amt half whisky!
he says.
1T must have been clost to noon. as
he felt sorter holler. He took a spoon
full of the oatmeal, tasted it, an then
went to work an cleaned out the bowl
ky, he says, smilin' happily; I've
struck it rich.
HE rolled up in the blanket an went
TO sleep again. Bout supper time in
comes the dominic with a plate o
bread an meat, barred the door, tend
ed to his boss an went out thout say
IN a word. leavin' the grub behind
After a while Nose got up an sampled
it an blame if both the bread an meal
wasn't strong o. whisky.
We'll, that's the way it went righr
along. Never word was said TO him
an everything he ate or drank was fui
of whisky. He got mad when the
dominic wouldn't speak to him an
fought, but all he got by that was (
llckin'. The whisky flavor tasted gooC
TO him for a time, but pretty soon h;
got sort O. tired of 1t. Then he go
plum sick of it an fin'ly the smell o
i; turned his stummuck an he begaI
to stop eatin' altogether. Then thu
dominic gave him plain food for ;
while an then rhe first thing he knew
he'd be getting whisky again.
For heavens sake. dominic say'
Nose for the hundredth time, quit Civ
in me that blame liquor I'm clear
turned agin it, An treat me like 1
man an not like a dog. Say suthin!
don't care what it is, but say suthn,
The dominic didn't answer hin
then biit the upvt OOruin he came in