New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-01
HIS NATIVE HEATH
no VIII
BY Joseph c. Lincoln.

tCopyrirht by 4. s Barnes & Co.
never could quite understand why the folks
at Wellmouth made me selectman. spose likely
s'twas on account of Jonadab and me and Peter
Brown making such go OF The Old Home House
and turning NeInnou-h i'psi nom "A sand feas
haradise ilto hospital ,vhra city folks could have
lshe- bank mounts anputated and not suffer moren
" as necessary ANY way, was elected unanimuos
at town meeting, and Peter was mighty anxious for
isne 10 take the cob.
''Barzlla," says Peter. Il jed2e that selectman
IS sort OF dwarf alderman. NOW. I've had friends
yrho'Ne been aldermen, and they its sure
Cling like shaking with your dice. II you're
istraight there's The honor and the advertisements
81 you're crooked there's thu graft Either way the
house wins. Go in, and glory be with YOU
8 SO I finally agreed 10 serve. and the very first
irneeting I went 10. the question Of Asaph Blue
worthy and the poorhousa comes up Zoeth It'd
cit-he was town eerk-he puts il this way:
Gentlemen" he says. eve have here the usual
application crom Asaph Bueworthy for aid from
the town. ! cont knows there's much for me
40 read tits tol.r;be familiar Suffering from
gIurnbaeo and rheumatic yes. out % work
pnl just Respectfully hegs that the board VIII
f-ctceterE and Sc forth Well, gentlemen, what's
your lIea3urc?"
Darius Gcti he speaks tirSr and dr., and drawl-
ang as ever. "Out of work. hey" SAYS Darius.
-1Ir. Chairman. ] should like ask If anybody here
irenernbers the time when Ase was in work.
Nobody did, and Cap'n Benijah Poundberry-he
->as chairman At that tiIns-he feches the table a
welt with his 5tarsoard fist and comes out en-
fhstic
'I'eller members" SAYS he. 81 don't know how
she rest Of you feel. but us my opinion that this
board has cone much for that lazy loafer al
ready. Longs his sister Thankful. lived. we
couldn't say nothing, Of course. If she wanted
80 slave and work sos her brother could live in
sdleness and sloth WHY. that was her business
There amt any law against body's making a
.fo5l of herself. more's the pity. But she's been
dead a year. aid he's done nothing since hut live
ion those thatu him. and ask help from the
ttown. Ee amt sicll-eNCept sick Of work. Now,
ate my adee that longs he's bound TO he a pauper
31e nights well be treated as pauper. Let's send
him 10 The poorhu-se."
/ 'g3ut" says !. me owns his place down there
6s the shore. don't hep
I AL hands laughed-that is. all but Capn Benz
Sah. Gown nothing" says the cap'n 1.-The whole
ifat trap. from the keel maintruck. amt worth
lsnoren three hundred dollars. and I loaned Thank
,su four hundred IL years ago, and the mortgage
!felI due last September Not a cent OF principal
Interest nor rent have l got since. Whether III
lgoes TO the poorhouse not, he goes out Of thai
HOUSE Of mine to-morrer. snte or
lone cheek and maybe I'll turn t'other. but when
after have turned It, he finds fault cause my fac.
hurts his hand then rise up and Quit; you hear
PINE"
: Nobody could help hearing him. unless they wa.
feeefer than the Teller that fell OF the balloon
tend couldn't hear himself strike. all hands
agreed that sending Asaph Noteworthy 20 the poor
ihouse would be & good thing. 'Twould be a lessor
$50 Ase. and would give the poorhouse one more ex
igerors town. and the psupers had died. aftei
.she other, ana no new ones had come. until al
fthere left in the poorhouse was old Betsy Null
Hen who was down with creeping palsy, and De
loOrah Badger. who'd been keeper since hel
husband died
\ The pooThouse property valuable too 'spe
lciaiy for a summer cottage being out on the end
iof Rofoin's Point away from the town. and having
10 hne view right across the bay. Zoeth Tiddit
twas a committee OF one with power from the towr
lso sell the place. but he hadn't found a customer
tHet ana Il ne oid sell II. what 20 DO with Debb,
tens more or less OF question Shed kept poor.
tbouEe for years and had no other home no rela
fron 20 go 20. Everybody liked her too-that &c
Eeverybody but Cap'n Benitah lie was down on no,
oause she Spir4tuaIist and believed in forum,
ttellers and such The capn. bein' deacon OF III,
tCsme-Outer persuasion. was naturally down OF
Ifo,ks who wasn't broad minded enough 10 see tina
Ills particular crack IN the roof was the only wal
No crawl through 20 glory.
! Well we voted 20 send Asaph 10 the poorhouse
and then YVES appointed a delegate 20 see him and
tell him he'd got 90 go. ] wasn't enthusiastic owe
she SOB. but everybody sad was exactly the felle
iGor the place.
ITO tel you the truth" drawls Darius you be
t4ng a stranger. are the only one that Ase coudn'
ltalk He's got a tongue that's buttered OF
rboth sizes and ball bearings. II SHOULD
zee him he'd work my sympathies till Ia lenc
him the last ewo-cent piece in my bRbys bank"
6a. as there want way out OF II, drove dawI
- Asaph's thai afternoon He lived of on sid
iSoed by me shore IN e little. down shanty tina
twas account he When / moored 10!
horse 20 the heavenly wood" by what lef
lot the fence would have bet my sou'wester tha
II caught a glimpse Of Brother Blueworthy peekins
Sound the corner OF the house. But when turned
that corner there was nobody in sight. although
Erle bu'sted washbench. with cranberry prop
lfisg ND its lame end shaking a little as Il
fsonle one had set on IL recent.
knocked the door. but nobody answered
After knocking three four times tried kicking
no the second kick raised. from somewheres inside
n sToan that was as lonesome sound as ever
tAoASd 10 human noise In my exDerienGe come