Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-06-30
cOPYF TGHT 1920
IRVING BAcHELLER
CHAPTER NiNE-Continued.

ID
81 amt eggzaclIy used to this kind
Of job, but if you'll look out O. the
winder, I'll have it chopped an split
an corded in a minute" said Mr.
BlenkinsOp.
He got along very well with his
task. When they began eating he re-
marked, I've been loollin' at that pic
tur of a girl with a baby in her arms
Brings the water to my eyes. it's kind
o lifelike and nat'ral. It's an A
number one pictur'-no mistake"
He pointed at a large painting on
the wall.
It's Paulne" said the Shepherd.
"Sure she's one O the saints O.
God" the widow exclaimed. "She's
started a school for the children O.
them Eytalians an Poles. She's tryin'
to make em good Americans"
"TI never forget that night" Mr..
Blenkinsop remarked.
"If We don't forgit it, I'll never mend
another hole in yer pants" the widow
answered.
I've never bIabbed a word about
it to any one but Mr.. Singleton"
Keep that in yer soul, man. It's
yer ticket to Paradise" said the
widow.
"She goes every day to teach the
Poles and Italians, but have her here
with me always" the Shepherd re-
marked. I'm glad when the morn
ing comes so that l can see her
again"
God bless the child! We was
sorry to lose her but we have the
picrur' and the look O her with the
love o. God in her face" said the
Widow Moran.
"NoW light yer pipe and take yer
comfort, man." said the hosptable
widow, after the dishes were cleared
away. Sure it's more like Christmas
to. see man an a pipe in the house.
No, you can't help me with the
dishes, and i wouldn't have you pot
tering around me if you could. Heav-
ems, no! A man in the kitchen is worse
than hole in yer pettcoat."
so Mr.. BlenkinsOp sat with the
Shepherd while the widow went about
her work. With his rumpled hair
,clean-shaven face, long nose and
prominent ears, he was not a hand
some man, but there was something
in his face today that had been alb
sent for so long that it was a new
man that sat at the table of the Widow
Moran, man whom happiness and the
feeling that he had really got back his
Old Self had transformed.
This is the top notch an no mis-
take" he remarked as he lighted his
pipe. "Blenbinsop is happy. He feels
like his Old Self. He has no fault
to find with anything or anybody"
Mr.. Blenllinsop delivered this report
on the state of his feelings with a seri-
Gus look in his gray eyes.
ut kind o reminds me o the time
when used to hang up my stockin'
an look for the reindeer tracks in
the snow on Christmas mOrnin'," he
went on. "Since then, my OF socks
have been full O pain an trouble
every Christmas"
"Those l knit for We left here full
of good Wishes" said the Shepherd.
Say, when I put 'em on this morn
in with the billed shirt an the suit
that Mr.. Bing sent me, my Old Self
came an asked me where | was gOin'
and when | said l was gOin' to Spen
Christmas with a respectable family,
he said, 4 guess I'll go with ye,' so
here we be-"
'The Old Selves of the village have
all been kicked out-Of-doOrs," said the
Shepherd The other day you told
me about the trouble you had with
yours. That night, all the Old Selves
of Bingville got together down in the
garden and talked and talked about
their relatives so | couldn't sleep. II
was kind of Selfland l told Judge
Croker about it and he said that that
was exactly what was going on in the
Town hall the other night at the pub
lie meeting"
THE folks are drunk-as drunk as
I was in Hazelmead last May" said
Mr.. BlenkinsOp. "They have been
drunk with gold and pleasure"
THE fruit of the vine of plenty
said Judge Croker, who had just
come up the stairs. merry Christ
mas" he exclaimed as he shook
hands. "NIr. BlenkinsOp, you look as
if you were enjoying yourself"
"An' why not when yer Self has
been away an just got back?"
"And you've killed the fattet
turkey" said the judge, as he took
out his silver snuff box. "One by one
the prodigals are returning"
They heard footsteps on the stairs
and the merry voice of the Widow Mo
ran. In a moment, Mr.. and Mrs. Bins
stood in the doorway
"Mr. and Mrs. Bling, want to make
you acquainted with my dear friend
Robert Moran" said Judge Croker
There were tears in the Shepherds
eyes as Mrs. Bng stopped and kissed
him Ha looked I'm at the mill owner