Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-12-26

1900
ledge and earth as evenly covered as
by moonlight. There was no thaw.
Only where the line of factories fol
lowed the big bend of the frozen river,
their distant chimneys like exclama-
tion points on blank page, was there
first threat against the supreme
whiteness. The wind passed quickly
and on high, the shouting of the school
children had ceased at 9 o'clock with
pitiful suddenness, no sleigh bells
laughed out on the air, and the muf-
fling of the thoroughfares wrought an
unaccustomed peace like that of Sun
day. This was the phenomenon which
afforded the opening of the morning
debate of the sages in the wide win
dows of the National House.
Only such unfortunates as have so
far failed to visit Canaan do not know
that the National House is on the
Main street side of the Courthouse
square and has the advantage of being
within two minutes walk of the rail-
road station, which is in plain sight of
the windows, an inestimable benefit to
the conversation of the aged men who
occupied these windows on this white
morning even as they were wont in
summer to hold against all Corners the
cane seated chairs on the pavement
outside.
Mail time had come to mean that
bright hour when they all got their
feet on the brass rod which protected
the sills of the two big windows, with
the steam radiators sizzling like kettles
against the side wall. Mr.. Jonas Tabor,
who had sold his hardware business
magnifcently not magnificently for
his nephew, the purchaser) some ten
years before, was, usually, in spite of
the fact that he remained bachelor at
seventy nine, the last to settle down
with the others, though often the first
to reach the hotel, which he always en-
tered by a side door, because he did
not believe in the treating system. And
twas Mr.. Eskew Arp, only seventy-fiye,
but already thoroughly capable Gym
lie, who almost invariably Opened the
argument" and it was he who discoy-
cred the sinister intention behind the
weather of this particular morning.
The malevolenee of his voice and
manner when he shook his finger at the
town beyond the windows and exclaim-
ed. with bitter laugh, "Look at it!'
was no surprise to his companions.
"Jest look at it! l tell you the devil
is mighty smart! Ia, hal Mighty
smartr'
Through custom it was the duty of
Squire Buckalew Justice of the peace
In 1859 to be the first to take up Mr.
Arp The others looked to him for it.
Therefore he asked sharply:
whats the devil got to do with
snowy
Everything to do with it, sir" Mr..
Arp retorted. ITS plain as day to
anybody with eyes and sense"
''Then I wish you'd pint it out"
said Buckalew, IF you've got either"
by the Almighty, squire''-Mr. Arp
turned ia his chair with sudden heat
If I'd lived as long as you
s'You have" interrupted the Other,
stung. Twelve years ago."
IF I'd lived as long as you" Mr.. Arp
repeated unwincingly in louder voice.
sand had folIered Satan's trail as long
as you have and yet couldn't recognize
It when I see it I'd git converted and
vote Prohibitionist."
II don't see it," interjected Uncle
Joe Davey in his querulous voice. Gle
was the patriarch of them all) 81 can't
find no cloven hoof prints in the
snow"
"All over 1t, STRIP cried the cynic.
aAll over It'll Old Satan loves tricks
like this. Here's town that's jest one
squirmin' mass of lies and envy and
vice and wickedness and corruption"-
'.Hold oni' exclaimed Colonel Fit
croft. 'sThat's SANDER upon our
hearths and our government. Why,
when was in the counci1''-
ut wasn't bit worse them" Mr.
Arp returned unreasonable "Jest you
look how the devil fools us. He drops
down this here virgin mantle on Ca
naan and makes it look as good as you
pretend you think 1t is-as good as
the Sunday school room of a country
church, though that'-he went of on a
tangent venomously lis generally
only another whited sepulcher, and the
superintendent mighty apt to have
bottle Of whisky hid behind the organ
and
s.Look here, Eskew," said Jonas Ia
Dor, ethat's got nothin' to do with
sWhy amt it? Answer meF' cried
Mr.. Arp, continuing without pause:
"Why amt it? Can't you wait till /
cit through? You listen to me, and
when I'm ready I'll listen to-
ssSee here" began the colonel, MAX
ing himself heard over three others, II
want to ask you
mo, siri" Mr.. Arp pounded the
floor frascibly with his hickory stick.
sDon't you ask me anything How can
you tell that I'm not going to answer
vour auesfion without your asking 1t