Year: 1869

After the Woolen Factory was built
at Bog Falls, that aforetime obscure
and somewhat poverty-stricken locali
ty began to pick up. In time two
stores were put up, and stocked with
goods; twenty new dwellings went up
within half as many years: and, alto
gether, the place came to wear busy
and thriving aspect. The WATERPROOF
er, before only used to drive ricke-
ty old saw.mill, proved to be a good
one, the stream afording water enough
to carry all the machinery even dur
ing the dryest months.


Among the original settlers had
been Job Gamlit. His father mad
squatted on a little triangular piece
of land, between the highway and the
river on two sides, and bounded on
the other by strip of sand which had
filled into what must once have been
a bed of the stream. At all events,
when the Mill company came to buy,
none of the old deeds contained any
bounds dispossessing Job; so he was
suffered to hold his two or three acres
of sandy level by right of occupation,
and it was also evident that he would
never be disturbed.


Job was not very smart man, but
he was a good-hearted man; he tried
to keep his word he could work, and
he could be faithful to those who
trusted him. By far the most impor
tant part of Jobs establishment was
indoors, in the person of his wife,
Ruth Gamlit was a shrewd, calculat-
ing, hard-working woman; and, for a
wonder, she had the good sense to un-
derstand that, if she would be peace
full and happy, she must not cross her
husband. So she bore with all his
weaknesses, overlooked his faults, and
in every way endeavored to make the
best of him.


People wondered how it was that
Job lived so well, even before the
time of the Factory; and even he him
self did not quite understand it. But
here it was: Whenever Job earned
any money, Ruth either persuaded him
to let her have the larger share of it,
or else she got him to buy flour and
corn, or whatever might be most need
ed at the time. And then the little
piece of land she cultivated to the
best advantage, getting as much work
from Job as possible. They had four
daughters, but no sons; but Ruth
found work for the girls to do when
they grew strong enough. She kept
COW; and she always managed to
raise more pork than she needed but
her chief source of income was her
poultry. She not only had the choic-
est flock Of hens in the county, but she
raised the latest and the tenderest
turkeys that were taken to that mar
ket. Ruth Gam!it'S turkeys were al
ways sure to be engaged, months be.
fore killing-time came and hardly a
citizen of the town came TO the vii
lage store for eggs that he did not
preface his errand with, "Has Aunt
Ruth brought in any eggs to-day ?"-
She fed her hens freely she was care
full in selecting and keeping the best
layers; the result of which was that
they produced eggs much larger than
the pinched and chalky looking things
that generally answer to the name.


And one thing more: In all that
town there lived not a man or woman
whose credit was better than Aunt
Ruth's. She was sure pay, and eve
rybody knew just where her bank
was, and knew that her draft would
be honored to any amount she chose
to pledge her name for. So Job had
lived on very easily.


After the Woolen Factory had been
put into operation, Job Gamlit was
hit upon as just the man to watch by
night, and to perform such labor of
cleaning machinery, attending the dye
pots, working up wood, and so on, as
might be necessary to keep him awake
He was recommended as an homes
mana man who would sooner starvt
than steal and he was hired to oc
cupy the post. He went into the mil
at six o'clock in the evening, and came
out at six in the morning; only occa
sionally, when he wanted part of al
evening to his own use, he found {
friend to take his place for few
hours. And for this labor Job receiv
ed ten dollars week, which sum b,
paid over to his wife as soon as h'
got it. He had opportunities for do
ing odd jobs in the day that fur
nished him with an ample sufficienc!
of pocket-money.


Now it so happened that there wer,
three or four old codgers at work il
and around the mill who fancied tha
they should be the gamers, if they
could only persuade Job to keep ant
expend his own money. They knew
he loved his pipe, and they knew how
well he loved his beer, and they de
sired that he should join their club.


"Long life to the FREE MEMS CLUB 7
cried Roony Pipkin, tipping up hi'
pewter tankard till the bottom wa.
directly over his nose.


1t was Friday evening, and a few
kindred spirits had assembled a
Woods store. Job was there, having
got one of the day hands to hold ovel
for him until ten o'clock.


"Them's 'um ]" exclaimed Hi Jud
kins, another man of Pipkin's OWL
stamp-both workmen in the mill
"Give me the FREE MEMS CLUBr'


"Eggs-zactlyr' p echoed Sebe Yves
son, raising his beer-pot to his lips
and draining it. "Here! Hold on
Them as ant Free Men, an can't keeE
their own money, can't be expected
to do noth'n lords this yer kind of
eni'yment: but | amt Quite so noo,