OLD HOMESTEAD 



of industry or morals, applied to father for town help. He gave 

 him a sharp cross-questioning as to his summer and fall work, 

 asking where the proceeds thereof had gone. The questions 

 embarrassed the man, as there was neither work nor its proceeds 

 to be accounted for. Turning on the man, he sharply told him 

 that if he would not work in the summer he need not expect the 

 town to feed him in the winter. The fellow whiningly mentioned 

 the fact that his wife ought not to suffer for his fault. This 

 riled father still worse, and turning upon him he said, ''Your 

 wife! that woman you live with is not your wife, sir." This the 

 man denied. Then he was asked when he was married, which 

 he answered promptly. The next question was, ''What minis- 

 ter or justice married you?" This did not seem to embarrass 

 him the slightest, but his prompt answer was, " We were not 

 married by a minister or a justice, but Philander Smith gave us 

 a permit. ' ' 



THE GULFS 



The gulfs of Lorraine are and always have been an interest- 

 ing feature of the town and this part of the State. 



A large part of the town is underlaid with a most peculiar 

 rock formation, not known to exist to the same extent elsewhere, 

 which is called " Lorraine shale," because here its development 

 and distinguishing features are most marked of any place in the 

 known world. The streams crossing this shale rock have worn 

 down, causing deep gulfs of a most remarkable and interesting 

 character. Their perpendicular banks show clean-cut, regular, 

 perpendicular courses, from two or three inches to three or four 

 feet wide, divided by seams so fine and close that they can 



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