The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-06-22

made me selectman. Anyway,
was elected unanimous at
town meeting, and Peter was mighty
anxious for me to take-the job.
Barzilla," says Peter, Il jedge that
a selectman is sort Of dwarf alder
man. Now, I've had friends who've
been aldermen, and they say it's sure
thing, like shaking with your own
dice. If you're straight there's the
honor and the advertisement; If you're
crooked there's the graft Either way
the house wins. Go In, and glory be
with you
So finally agreed to serve, and the
very first meeting i went to the ques-
| ton of Asaph Blueworthy and the
poorhouse comes up. Zoeth Tiddit Che
was town clerk he puts 1t this way:
Gentlemen" he says, 1--WE have here
the usual application from Asaph
Blueworthy for aid from the town.
don't knows there's much use for me
to read Tits toIerable familiar. 'Suf-
fering from lumbago and rheumatic :
UNI, yes. Out of work -um, just so.
Respectfully begs that the board VIII
-etcetery and so forth. Well, gentle
men, what's your pleasure?"
Darius Gott, he speaks first, and
dry and drawing as ever. "Out Of
work, hey?' says Darius. "Mr. Chair
man, should like to ask If anybody
here remembers the time when Ase
was in work.
Nobody did, and Cap'n Benijah
Poundberry Che was chairman at that
time) he fetches the table a welt with
his starboard fist and comes out en-
phatic.
.Feller members" says he, 81 don't
know how the rest Of you feel, but
it's my opinion that this board has
done too much for that lazy loafer
already"
Now, it's my idea that, long IS he's
bound to be pauper. he might s
well be treated as a pauper. Let's
send him to the poorhouse."
But" says l, "he owns his place
down there by the shore. don't he?"
All hands laughed-that is, all but
Cap'n Benijah. "Own nothing!' says
the cap'n. 'The whole rat trap, from
the keel to main truck, amt worth
more n $500, and loaned his sister
Thankful $4O0 on it years ago, and
the mortgage fell due last September.
Not cent of principal, interest nor
rent have | got since. Whether be
goes to the poorhouse or not, he goes
out Of that house of mine tomorrer.
A man can smite me on one cheek
and maybe I'll turn t'other, but when.
after l have turned it, he finds fault
cause my face hurts his hand, then
rise up and quit. You hear me?"
Nobody could help hearing him I'M
less they was deefer than the Teller
that fell out of the balloon and couldn't
hear himself strike, so all hands
agreed that sending Asaph Blueworthy
to the poorhouse would be a good
thing. Twould be a lesson to -Ase
and would give the poorhouse one
more excuse for being on earth. Well
mouth s a fairly prosperous town. and
the paupers had died, one after the
other and no new ones had come, I'M
til all there was left In the poorhouse
was old Betsy Mullen, who was down
with creeping palsy, and Deborah
Badger, who'd been keeper ever since
her husband died.
The poorhouse property was valua-
BILE. too, specially for summer cot
tage, being out on the end Of Robbin's
point, away from the town, and hav-
ing a fine view right across the bay
Zoeth Tiddit was committee of one
with power from the town to sell the
place, but he hadn't found customer
yet. And, IL he did sell it, what to do
with Debby was more or less of a
question. She'd kept poorhouse for
years and had no other home nor no
relations to go to.
Well. we voted to send Asaph to the
poorheuse, and then | was appointed
delegate to see him and tell him he'd
got to go. wasn't enthusiastic over
the job, but everybody said was ex-
actly the Teller for the place.
ITO tell you the TRUTH" drawls Da-
Illus, JOu, DCAuS SlAduS6Es dI6 Lie
only one that Ase couldn't talk over
So, as there want no way out Of It,
I drove down to Asaph's that after
noon. He lived off on side road by
the shore, in a little rundown shan
ty that was as no account as he. was
When moored my horse to the 'heav-
enly wood" tree by what was left of
the fence, would have bet my SOU
Wester that caught glimpse Of
Brother Blueworthy peeking round the
corner of the house. But when turn
ed that corner there was nobody In
sight.
knocked on the door, but nobody
answered. After knocking three or
four times tried kicking, and the
second kick raised from somewheres
inside groan that was as lonesome a
sound as ever heard No human
noise in my experience come within a
mile of it for dead, downright misery
unless. maybe. it's Cap'n Jonadab
trying to sing in meeting SUNDAYS.