Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-03-07
The Light in the Clearing
Continued from page two)

the SermOnS-in them little seats over
It the choolhouse-ayes" Aunt Deel
added by way of justifying his COM
plant. "There wouldn't be so much
wear in ten-mile walk-now
The chicken pie was baking and the
Strawberries were ready for the short
cake.
give been wallerin' since the dew
was off gittin' them berries an VIZ
lets-ayes !" said Aunt Deel, now busy
with her work at the stove.
"Aunt, you look as young as ever"
remarked.
She slapped my arm and said with
mock severity:
"stop thatl W'yl You know better
-ayesw
How vigorously she stirred the fire
then.
Il can't return the complimentary
soul how you've changed-ayes !" she
remarked.
u hope you amt fit no more, Bart.
l can't bear to think O. you hyln at
| folks an poundin' of 'em. Don't seem
right-nO, it don't"
"Why, Aunt Deel, what in the world
do you mean?' asked.
cts Purvis' brain that does the
poundin', L guess" said my uncle.
Its kind O. got the habit. It's a reg
lar beetle brain. To hear him talk
ye'd think he an you could clean out
the hull Mexican natlon-barrin' acct
dents. Why anybody would suppose
that yer enemies go to climbln' trees
as soon as they see We comm an that
you pull the trees up by the roots to
git at EN-"
"A certain amount of such deviltry
is necessary to the comfort of Mr..
Purvis," l remarked. "If there is no.
body else to take the responsibility
for 1t he assumes it himself. His mag
nation has an intense craving for
blood and violence. It's that type of
American who, egged on by the slave
power, is hurrying us into trouble
with Mexico"
Purvis came in presently with a
look in his face which betrayed his
knowledge Of the fact that all the cob
webs spun by his fancy were now to
be brushed away. Still he enjoyed
them while they lasted and there was
a kind Of tacit claim in his manner
that they were subjects regarding
which no honest man could be expect.
ed to tell the truth.
AS we ate our dinner they told me
that an escaped slave had come into
a neighbOriing county and excited the
people with stories of the auction
block and of negroes driven like yOked
oxen on plantations in South Carolina,
whence he had escaped on steam.
boat.
Il b'lieye I'm gOin' to vote for abo.
lition," said Uncle Peabody 81 won.
der what Sile Wright will say to that"
Hell probably advise against it; the
time isn't ripe for so great change"
was my answer. "He thinks that the
whole matter should be left to the gla.
clal action of times forces"
Indeed had spoken the view OF
the sOunder men of the North. The
subject filled them with dread alarm.
But the attitude of Uncle Peabody
was significant. The sentiment in ia.
vOr Of change was growing 1t was
now to be reckoned with, for the abO.
lition party was said to hold the bal.
ance Of power in New York and New
England and was behaving itself like
bull in china shop.
After dinner l tried to put on some
Of my old clothes, but found that my
nakedness had so expanded that they
would not cover it, so 1 hitched my
white mare on the spring wagon and
drove to the village for my trunk.
Every week day after that 1 worked
in the fields until the senator arrived
In Canton about the middle of August,
On one of those happy days I received
letter from old Kate, dated to my
surprise, in Saratoga. 1t said:
"Dear Barton Baynes: 1 thought ]
would let you know that my father Is
dead. have come here to rest and
have found some work to do. 1 am bet.
ter now. Have seen Sally. She is very
beautiful and kind. She does not know
that l am the old witch, have changed
so. The others do not know--it Ia
better that way. 1 think 1t was the
Lord that brought me here. He has q
way Of taking care of some people.
my boy. Do you remember when be-
gan to call you my boy-you were very
little. 1t is long, long ago since first
saw you in your fathers dooryard-
you said you were going to mill on a
butterfys back. You looked just as ]
thought my boy would look. You gave
me kiss. What a wonderful gift II
was to me then! began to love you,
/ have no one else to think of now. I
hope you won't mind my thinking SO
much Of you.
"God bless you,
KATE FULLERTON"