Year: 1867

;, Just then there came a cracklino
and loosening of timbers; and we


that stood nearest had only time to


Jump out of the way, when down came
the steeple crashing to the ground,


with Jedwort in it.


4 4 hope it killed the cuss,' said one


of the village story-tellers.


s'Worse than that, replied my friend;
1T just cracked his skull-not enough


to put an end to his miserable life, but


only to take away what little sense


he had. We got the doctors to him,


and they patched up his broken head;


and, by George, it made me mad to


see the fuss the women-folks made


over him. 1t would have been nv


way to let him die, but they were as


anxious and attentive to him as if he


had been the kindest husband and


most indulgent father that ever lived;


for that's women's style; they're un-


reasoning creatures.


along towards morning we per-


suaded Mrs. Jedwort, who had been


up all night, to lie down a spell and


catch little rest, while Maria and I


sat up and watched with the old man.


All was still except our whispers and


his heavy breathings; there was a


lamp burning in the other room; when


all of a sudden, a light shown in at


the windows, and about the same time


we heard a roaring, cracking sound.


We looked out, and saw the night


lighted up, as if by some great fire


As it happened to be on the other


side of the house, we ran to the door,


and there what did we see but the


old meeting house all in fames.-


Some fellows had set fire to it to spite


Jedwort. 1t must have been burning


some time inside, for when we looked


out the flames had burst through the


roof.


AS the night was perfectly still, ex-


cept light wind blowing from the
buildings, we raised no alarm, but
just stood in the door and saw it burn.


And glad sight it was to US you may


be sure. just held Maria close to


my side and told her all was well-it


was the best thing that could happen.
| % yes, says she, lit seems to me as


though kind Providence was burn


ing up his sin and shame out of our
sight.


i had never yet said anything to
her about marriage-for the time to
come at that had never hardly seemed
, to arrive; but there's nothing like a


little excitement to bring such things
, to focus. You've seen water in a
| tumbler, just at the freezing point, but
not exactly able to make up its mind
to freeze, when little jar will set the
crystals forming and in minute what
I; was liquid is ice. 1t was the shock
h of events that touched my life that
:. night into crystals-not of ice gentle


men, by any manner of means.
y After the fire had got along so far
i that the meeting house was gone
d case, an alarm was given, probably by
n the same fellows that set it, and a
d hundred people were on the spot be-
r fore the thing had done burning.
o 'Of course these things put an end
IS to the breaking up of the family
7. Dave was sent for and came home.
s Then, as soon as we saw that the old
it mans brain was injured so that he
n wasn't likely to recover his mind, the


boys and | went to work and put thai
1t farm through course of improve
k ment it would have done your eyes
ID good to see. The children were sent
1T to school, and Mrs. Jedwort had al
in the money she wanted now to ciotht
a them and to provide the house Will


comforts, without stealing her owl
le butter. Jedwort was a burden; bu
r. in spite of him, that was just abou
y; the happiest family for the next fou
Of years that ever lived on this planet.
O.; 'Jedwort soon got his bodily health
ar but | don't think he knew one of u


again after he was hurt. As near a
u | could get at his state of mind, h
I'M thought he had been changed int
,w some sort of an animal. He SCENE
lat inclined to take me for master, an
Till for tour years followed me aroun
to like dog. During that time he ne
les er spoke a word, but only whined an


growIed. When I said Lie dowr
the he'd lie down, and when | whistles
en- he'd come.


an Il used sometimes to make hi


work; and certain simple things ne
tty do very well, as long as | was BY
the One day l had a jag of hay to get il
= and as the boys were away, l thoug
W 7 I'd have him load it, pitched it on
ng- the wagon about where it ought
ing lie, and looked to him only to pack


down. There turned out to be b
few ger load than / had expected, a
it; the higher it got the worse the sha
said of it. till finally, as | was starting
lch. towards the barn, off it rolled, a
own the old man with it, head foremos


He struck stone heap, and TO
int moment thought he was killed. /
no. he jumped up and spoke for the f
He time. .Tll blo,o it, says he, finishi
inc the sentence he had begun four ye'
Germ before, when he called for the horn
me be passed up to him. ~
ived Il couldn't have been much more
! ra tonished if one of the horses had $
firm ken. But I at once saw that th
loot. was an expression in Jedwort's t
cow that hadn't been there since his t
. BILE in the belfry; and / knew, as
;mh wits had been knocked out Of him
m one blow on the head SO another b
and had knocked them in again.
w where's Bob p says he, looking