Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-04-14

which had roughened the hands and
bent the backs of their parents. That,
briefly, accounts for the fewness and
the stiffness above referred to-
Early in 1917, the village was
shaken by alarming and astonishing
: news. True, the sinking of the Lust
b tania and our own enlistment in the
! World war and the German successes
on the Russian frontier had, in a way,
prepared the heart and intellect, of
Bingville for shocking events. Still,
these disasters had been remote. The
fact that the GHligan sisters had left
the CrOokers and. accepted an offer of
one hundred and fifty dollars a month
from the wealthy Nixons of Hazel
mead was an event close to the foot
lights, so to speak. It caused the news
of battles to take its rightfu place in
the distant background Men talked
of this event in stores and on the
street corners; 1t was the subject Of
conversation in sewing circles and the
Philomathian Literary club. That
day, the Bings whispered about 1t at
the dinner table between courses until
Susan CrOwder sent in q summons by
Martha Featherstraw with the apple
pie. She would be glad to see Mrs. j.
Patterson Bing in the Kitchen imme-
diately after dinner There was a mo-
ment of silence in the midst of which
Mr.. Bing winked knowingly at his
wife, who turned pale as she put down
her pie fork with a look of determina-
ton and rose and went into the kitch-
en-. Mrs. Crowder regretted that she
and Martha would have to look for
another family unless their wages
were raised from one hundred to one
hundred and fifty dollars a month.
But, Susan, we all made an agree
ment for year" said Mrs. Bing.
Mrs. Crowder was sorry, but she
and Martha could not make out on the
wages they were getting-everything
cost so much. If Mary Gilligan, who
couldn't cook was worth a hundred
dollars a month Mrs. Crowder conSid-
cred herself cheap at twice that figure
MI -. DING, III llCl UlSCI, was III
clined to revolt, but Mr.. Bling settled
the matter by submitting to- the tyr
amy of Susan. With Phyllis and
three of her young friends coming
from school and a party in prospect,
there was nothing else to do.
Maggie Collins, who was too old
and too firmly rooted in the village to
leave it, was satisfied with raise
of ten dollars a month. Even then she
received a third of the. minister's sal
airy. "His wife being swell Teddy
who had no time for wurruk, sure the
boy was no sooner married than he
yelled for help" as Maggie was wont
to say.
All this had a decided effect on the
economic life of the village. Indeed,
Hiram BlenkinSOp, the village drunk
ard, who attended to the lawns and
gardens for a number of people, de-
manded an increase of a dollar a day
in his wages on account of the high
cost of living, although one would say
that it's effect upon him could not haYe
been serious. For years the historic
figure of BlenkinsOp had been the des-
tnation and repository of the cast-off
clothing and the worn and shapelesS
shoes of the leading citizens. For a
decade, the venerable derby hat, which
once belonged to Judge Croker, had
survived all the incidents of his ad-
venturOus career. He was, indeed, as
replete with suggestive memories as
the graveyard to which he was wont to
repair for rest and recuperation in
summer weather There, in the shade
of a locust tree hard by the wall, he
was often discovered with his faithful
gOOd-natured cur-lying beside him,
and the historic derby hat in his hand.
He had persevering pride in that
hat. Mr.. BlenkinsOp showed sur
prisng and commendable industry UNI
der the stimulation Of increased pay.
He worked hard for a month, then
celebrated his prosperity with night
of such noisy, riotous joy that he
landed in the lookup with black eye
and broken nose and an empty pock
ct. AS usual, the dog Christmas went
with him.
When there was a loud yell In the
streets at night Judge Croker used
to say, ITS Hiram again. The poor
fellow is out a-IIiraming"
William Snodgrass, the carpenter,
gave much thought and reflection to
the good fortune of the Gilligan girls.
If a hired girl could earn twenty-five
dollars week and her board, skilled
mechanic, who had to board him
self, ought to earn at least fifty. SO
he put up his prices. Israel Sneed,
the plumber, raised his scale to CORE
spond with that Of the carpenter. The
prices of the butcher and grocer kept
pace with the rise Of wages. A period
of uneXampled prosperity set in.
Some time before, the Old Spirit Of
Bingville had received notice that its
services would no longer be required.
1t had been an Industrious and faith
full Old Spirit. The new generation did
not intend to be hard on it. They
were willing to give it a comfortable