News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-04-13
By u%aMN
COPYRIGHT 1920
aRviN0 BAcHELLER
BY IRWIN MYERS.

Liner success nau wrought curl
GUS devastation in the village and
countryside. The young moved out
heading for the paths of glory. Many
"a sturdy, stupid person who might
have made an excellent plumber, or
carpenter, or farmer, or cook, armed
with university degree and sense
of superiority, had gone forth in quest
of fame and fortune prepared for
nothing in particular and achieving
firm possession of it. Somehow the
elective system had enabled them ito
get by" in state of mind that re-
sembled the Mojave desert. If they
did not care for Latin or mathematics
they could take course in HerOlOgy
or in The Tanning of the Wild Chick
-adee or in some such easy skating,
Bingville was like many places. The
young had fled from the irksome tasks
which had roughened the hands and
bent the backs of their parents That
Briefly, accounts for the fewness and
the sniffin9ss above referred to.
Early in 1917, the village was
shaken by alarming and astonishing
news. True, the sinking of the Lust
fania 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 Gilligan 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. 1t caused the news
sof battles to take its rightful place in
ahe distant background. Men talked
of this event in stores and on the
street corners; it was the subject of
conversation in sewing circles and the
Philomathian Literary club. That
day, the Bings whispered about it at
the dinner table between courses until
Susan CrOwder sent in a summons by
Martha Featherstraw with the apple
pie. She would be glad to see Mrs. ].
Patterson Bing in the kitchen imme-
diately after dinner. There was mo-
illGlI VI SiltHNt III tIlC lulAlSl VI NlllCll
Mr.. Bing winked knowingly at his
wife, who turned pale as she put down
her pie fork with a look of determine
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
We're raised from one hundred to one
hundred and fifty dollars a month.
But, Susan, we all made an agree
rnent for q 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 hundred !
dollars a month Mrs. Crowder cOnsid- |
cred herself cheap at twice that figure. !
Mrs. Bing, in her anger, was in /
clined to revolt, but MI. Bing 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
Nhere was nothing else to do.
Maggie Collins, who wlsN too old
and too firmly rooted in the village to
leave it, was satisfied with a raise
OF ten dollars Il month. Even then she
received Il fhird of the minister's sal
AIRY. Ills wife being n 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 Il 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 4
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 have
been serious. For years the historic
figure of BlenkinsOp had been the des-
tination and repository of the cast-off
and the worn and shapeless
shoes of the leading citizens. For
decade, the venerable derby bat, which
once belonged to Judge Croker. had
survived all the incidents of his adj
venturous career He was, indeed as
Tepete with suggestive memories as
thp graveyard to which he was wont to
r pair for rest and recuperatiOn in
summer weather There, in the shade
Of q locust tree hard by the wall, he
yns often discovered with his faithful
d, Christmas-a' yellow, mongrel,
Z uatured cur-lying beside him,
and be historic derby hat in>his hand.
He. mad Il perseveripg pride in that
hat. Mr. Blenkinsop showed a sur
prising and commenda0le industry I'M
der the stimulation of increased pay.
lie worked hard for month, then
his prosperity with a night
of such noisy, riotOus Joy that he
landed in the lookup with black eye
and broken nose and an empty peck
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