Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-01-01


swinging to and fro, with such tantalzing un3er-
tainty of purpose, that the poor fellow couldn't sit
lstill-perhaps something might have happened and
having been soemnly cautioned over and over
again, by nobody knows how many we-wishers OF
, the family, to say nothing Of his moher-in law,
never to thwart his young wife, lest he might have
cause to be sorry for it the longest day he had to
live no matter why--he determined to gulp down
the rising bitterness of his heart, and have another
pull at the soothing system But no-the more he
tried-the more she wouldn't be comforted. The
dear child was in its bridal tantrums-and lying
fiat on her face, with her head buried in the pillows
Of low deep couch, and magnificent shawl
wrapped round hcr-and growing worse and worse
every moment
Well thought her husband-there must be
something to pay; and I'd give tri1e to know
what. Jenny Jenny dear"
At this moment, the bell rang, and before Jenny
could right herself, or get Up decent excuse for
flushed cheeks, red eyes, and rumpled dress, the
door opened slowly, and in walked very slowly no
less parsonage than uncle Joe bachelor uncle
stout and free spoken--statey and testy upon
whom all the hopes of the family were fixed.
"I1alloo .-hoty-toty what's in the wind now ~
sung out uncle Joe, he the lady of the house
hurrylng off at one door, while he entered at the
other "An't we ashamed o. yourselves here
Charles, here You great ubber, you! Haven't
we been married long enough to behave like a man
hey !--lNLs LlJ-luI- ZONE mere Jenny. Nnat
are YOU afraid pf?> oh -ho II see-cfylhg hoy !:
Well, well, that's some comfort. Had enough Of
billing and cooing--hey"
"Take a chair uncle"
"'Toke chair, unclep to be sure will. Just
thought of it--pretty time o day. What the
plague have you been quarrelling about"
"Quarrellng, uncle?"
"QHureiing yes, to be sure--quarrelng =
pulling hair. Can't see? Don't know? Haven't
you been married well on to twelve month hey 2"
setting down, his huge knotted cane, if he meant
to force it through the floor, and pulling out large
gold snuff-boX from his byoad -happed waistcoat-
pocket and scattering the gdppee right and left over
the rich carpet as he continued" Come, come,
now-none O. that, if you please. Here you, Jen-
ny stand up there, and take your fingers out of
your mouth and you, you great BOBBY &C., what are
you grinnng at? Look lin the face now, both
of you-what in the plague were you quarreling
about?"
No answer.
Uncle Joe fetched stamp that shook the whole
house.
"What! ASHAMED to tell, hey? Pretty fellow
for husband, amt you?'
Here Charles looked at Jenny
"And you, you jade--pretty fellow for wife,
amt you?"
Here Jenny looked ut Charles
That such children should-dare to get married !
| Upon my life wouldn't trust either of you with
rag baby"
Here both looked at uncle Joe-and after two or
three wry faces, all three burst out laughing to-
gether.
And then the glorious old fellow, who was bit
OF humorst in his way, and very fond of mis-
chlet, giving Jenny pinch, and Charles wink
which brought the color into her cheeks, and made
hun look like slmpleton, flung himself back into
an od-fashoned arm chair they had Just been patch
ing at considerable expense, out of the small saw
ing OF the husband writer in some office, and
upsetting fancy table with lamp on it that was
never lighted and quantity of old china of no
earthly use, fell laughing with all his might and
the chair creaked and trembel in every Joint, and
the poor wife looked at her husband in dismav ex-
pecting every moment to his dear old good for
nothing uncle joe pitching head foremost among
the glitterlng fragments of her china, or sprawling
his whole length upon the floor.
And then there was lull-and then another
boisterous outbreak; and then there was a little
playful questioning and then it turned out that the
marriage promise referred to by the wife, wasabout
swearing; and that when the husband came into
the room and she asked him about the weather, and
he answered, little pettshly perhaps, that it was
a damp cold day, she had mistaken what he had said
Tor something very naughty naughty indeed:
and when she reminded him of the promise made
to her literally on her marriage day and not before
In the season OF courtship-and she found not only
that he had forgotten that PROMISE but that he was
inclined to Jest with it, and turn the whole off with
laugh - no wonder she had swelling of the heart
and lost her patience and threw herself upon her
face and wrapped herself up in whatever happened
to be nearest-and forgot her feet, and her hus-
band.
This affair settled and another long and hearty
laugh another yet, and yet another being over
uncle Joe turned suddenly upon his nephew and
asked him, with the look of thoughtful man of
business, if he had made up his mind to insure.
The nephew seemed puzzled for a moment-and
then he answered-no He liked the plan but
really-uucle Joe must excuse him.
"But uncle Joe won't excuse you. You have no
right to run such risks. What is to become of your
,Oie and children-if you should have any and
happen to die In hurry, as young men always do ~
Here Jenny caught her husbands hands between
hers, and sat gazing into his eyes, with a look of
unutterable tenderness. "Don't, uncle. don't
can't bear it," she whispered.
"liold your tongue chid-youre goose. You
don't know what you're talking about. | want
Charles to ncure his liie-its all the property he's
got or is likely to have"
"Life--property don't understand you uncle
joe"
81 dare say not. Allow me to make myself
clear. People insure their ships, and houses, and
prohts-and leave what is more valuable to them
Selves to their families, and to their creditors I'M
lnsured-that is their lives Life is not only prop.
erty, bat always the best property a man has-will
not man give all that he has for his life ?"
! YES, mcle-but to assure ones life seems to me
! to be wicked, uncle joe our life is in the hands OF
our Maker-qnd 1t is for him to assure it."
Nonsense. are not our ships and houses in the
hands of our Maker? our crops? our health our
happiness why not leave him to take the whole
care Of these off our hands? why sow why reap !;
why take medicine' why provide for the morrow /?
why for our families 2"
a." see, uncle-you don't mean to prevent death,
by insurng against DEATH"
Certainly not when we insure a ship, we don't
say that she cannot go to the bottom-we only say,
that II she does, wen pay for her, and the owner
shall not go to the bottom with her. ruined and
discouraged man. So with fire, we don't saw that
| if you insure, houses won't burn-but simply, that
if they do burn we will pay for them and save the
owners from ruin. So--by insurng life, we do
not mean to say that men shall not debut only
that iohen they die, their families shall not die with
! Lhnn--hn scnIInrnd 10 The four winds Of hnnunr