The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-12-18

on such night as this?" cried the COB
lin.
Gabriel Grub. Gabriel GrubbT'
screamed wild chorus of voices that
seemed to fill the churchyard.
"What have you got in that bother"
said the goblin.
Hollands, sir" replied the sexton,
trembling more than ever, for he had
bought it Of the smugglers, and he
thought his uuestioner might be in the
excise department of the COLLINS.
''Who drinks Hollands alone and in
a churchyard on such night as this2'
Gabriel Grubb, Gabriel Grub" ex-
claimed the wild voices again.
''And who, then. is our lawful prize?"
exclaimed the goblin.
The invisible chorus replied, Gabriel
Grubb, Gabriel GrubbI"
i The sexton gasped for breath.
"What do you think of this, Ga
briel?" said the goblin.
"Its-it's very curious. sir; very Gu
rious, sir, and very pretty" replied the
sexton, half dead with fright But 1
think I'll go back and finish my work,
sir, If you please"
"Work2" said the goblin. "What
work?" a~
1.-The grave, sir"
"Oh, the grave, eh7 Who makes
graves at a time when other men are
merry and takes a pleasure in it?'
Again the voices replied. Gabriel
Grub, Gabriel Grubbr'
I'm afraid my friends want you.
Gabriel" said the goblin.
"Under favor, sir" replied the hor-
ror stricken sexton. 81 don't think
they can. They don't know me, sir.
l don't think the gentlemen have ever
seen me-
"Oh, yes, they have! We know the
man who struck the boy in the envious
malice of his heart because the boy
could be merry and he could not"
Here the goblin gave a loud. shrilI
laugh which the echoes returned TWEEN
tyfold.
IL am afraid must leave you
sir" said the sexton, making an effort
to move.
Leave us!' said the goblin. 'Ho, no
how
AS the goblin laughed he suddenl,
darted toward Gabriel, laid his hanC
on his collar and sank with hin
through the earth. And when he ha,
had time TO fetch his breath he fount
himself in what appeared to be larg
cavern, surrounded on all sides bV goL
Inns ugly and grim.
"And now," said the king of the got
Inns, seated in the center Of the roor
on an elevated seat-his friend of th
churchyard-"show the man OF miser
and gloom a few of the pictures frol
our great storehouses."
AS the goblin said this cloud role
gradually away and disclosed sma
and scantily furnished but neat apar
ment. Little children were gathere
round a bright fire. clinging to the
!. mothers gown or gamboling round h
= chair. A frugal meal was spread upC
the table, and an elbow chair W;
y placed near the fire. Soon the faith
- entered, and the children ran to me
him. As he sat down to his meal Il
- :, mother sat by his side, and all SCENE
happiness and comfort.
L ''What do you think of thatT ga
- the goblin.
Gabriel murmured something abo
- its being very pretty.
il "Sbow him some more" said t
goblin.
n. Many a time the cloud went a.
h came, and many a lesson it taught
Id Gabriel Grub. He saw that men w
worked hard and earned their scan
Sc bread We're cheerful and happy. A
he came to the conclusion it was
ne very respectable sort of world at
all. One by one the COLLINS faded frC
his sight, and as the last one dis;
cd peared he sank to sleep.
The day had broken when he awe
se and found himself lying on the I
re grayestone, with the wicker bottle en-
ne ty by his side. He got on his feet
Is well as he could and, brushing
frost off his coat, turned his face
~ ward the town.
But he was an altered man. He
learned lessons of gentleness and e
nature by his strange adventures in
COLLINS cavern.-Charles Dickens.