Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-04-01

7
he rightly concluded were on the same
mission as himself. Most Of them wore
new store clothes, and shoes that
squeaked. They didn't appear any more
comfortable than Jed felt, and he enjoyed
their uneasiness, silently.
Finally, about eight o'clock, after fully
three hours of roaming the streets, Jed got
q substantial breakfast. He had quite q
tussle with thick-skinned orange at the
start, and for time gave up trying to
master 1t with the dull silver fruit knife
aud delicate spoon the waitress brought
him, but he happened to think OF bis
iackknife and soon had the morsel at his
mercy. He ate so long and heartily, to
the evident anxiety of the proprietor,
who kept an eye on him, that he enjoyed
a chuckle over it as he departed.
"Guess it's jest as well 1 didn't eat q
sample meal before we fixed up tn price
fer board here. Ell got tew pay fer a
whole weeks board, by goshi I'm goin'
tew hev 1t, ef hev tew eat it all to
once"
He went back to his room after his
"dockiments" then.
"Must be sure an take tn aid bill
deown this norma. Presume it'll be
law before night, he unused as be thrust
the manuscript into an inside pocket.
The assembly convened at ten O'Clock,
, bat long before that time members
! trooped into the capitol like boys the FIRST
J day Of school. Like the same boys, it
followed that they were never so prompt
again during the session. Practically all
] were strangers to each other and as yet
} quite short of being able to greet one an
] other. Jed found one or two acquain-
tances only in the nearly three hundred
4
I from Hudson once at a Grange meeting
and was glad to see him here. He had
bought a road machine for the town of
: the member from Elliott, and they talked
D it over in the coat room. Other than
e these he knew not one soul in what
0 seemed to him a great throng, and when
e be had gone upstairs and taken a temper
' AIRY seat in Representatives hall be felt as
timid and as near a cipher as he ever did
in his life. There wasn't thrill of pride
e in it for him. He looked about upon the
q sea of faces and his heart began to fail.
: What could he, a plain, dull farmer,
n INBRED to such things, hope to accom-
S plish in such q swirl of activity He be-
s gan to wish Doc Fales or Eph Daniels
e had won and left him " here he could feel
at home. One thing he determined
e come W hat might, he wouldn't present
h that bill that day. Kingston would have
d to wait at least another twenty-four hours
e before she got state aid for her cloud
J. bursted highways.
d By this time there was a eommotior
down front and an impressive looking
z, parsonage walked up to the speakers
Ii desk and dropped the gavel.
It "Is-is that tn gov'nor?" asked. JED
L of q member near him.
en- Secretary q, state -
g That official called the assembly to or
" der and announced the inevitable prayer
''Takes pile o. prayini tew run poll
tics, /" ruminated Jed as he arose with tn
IL others.
r. Then there was another general gettinl
m up to receive the oath OF ONCE. Eacl
member-elect held his right hand in al
a. and mentally subscribed to what the pre-
n siding officer read
th Next followed the election of speaker
n. Benjamin Knowles had q clear field, an
n after he had been extolled by numerou
speakers everybody voted "Ayep to tn
ne question il he should be elected. MI
,e- Knowles, g rudy, pleasant faced man
I'd duly appeared at the desk, received a sa
AT vo OF applause and made a warm aC
ds acknowledgement OF the honor done him.
es Then came the election Of clerk, owe
Id which there was no contest. Jed ha
ks about come to the conclusion that il va
n. q pretty tame affair when the House too
10. up the election of chaplain. Immediatel
av there were numerous candidates pr'
We posed, with hot speeches setting fort
their respective virtues, especially the
I ability to frame short, spicy prayer
IN pleasing alike to Divinity and hurryin
humanity.
"Pootty good o. these parsons tew |
Ie- willin' to leave their bizness an hon
fer us, amt it3'' queried Jed of his sea
I'd. mate.
me eyes, but they're thinkin' about Il
lo- three dollars per day comm to zen
ter same's We are. - was the reply.
"Dew they git that much3 What de
they do tew earn it?'
ar aPray once q day; shorter the better,
ter Each candidate was on the ground ar
lis had canvassed the situation PERSONAL
he Their anxious faces could be seen sbo
the hall as the voting proceeded. 1t too
lad three ballots to elect the Rev. Emmett
= a Friesbie as chaplain. He was Jed's choi
ide and Jed joined in the demonstration tn
his followed.
Ie- Then somebody proposed the ''custoV
aid airy resolution providing each memh
with two daily newspapers and one wee
,es- ly during the session at the states e
he pense. Jed voted strongly for It and
.9s passed unanimously. Jed instantly deci
riv ed on the Youths Companion for
the weekly-he could probably have it Sc
home to the "kids.
IN Having worked hard till almost noe
ork the House then adjourned for dinner.
the The seat lottery in the afternoon of
nv first days session interested Jed not
tie. The clerk cut up bits Of paper, ca
containing the name Of q town. Th'
were placed in a hat and an assists
lied reached in and drew forth one slip a
first time, when the clerk read the VIC
stiff thereon. The representative Of the to-
we'd called stepped about briskly, found
into seat to his liking into which he dropI
,ant and read the seat number to the Gle
-ial. who placed him accordingly on the o
no. cial chart IT was "first called, Fl
hat served" all depending on how early
san. the process ones town was drawn fr
hat the hat.
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