Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-08-14

'man we will sit down to SUPPER" said he plant
ing himself at the table, and beginning a Wig.
orous onslaught on tho fried chicken, without
invitation to any other person present to assist
him.
= Missis can't sit up at the table" said Tiff.
She's done been sick ever since the baby was
born" And Tiff approached the bed with a
nice morscl Of chicken which he had provident-
ly preserved on plate, and which he now rev.
erently presented on board, as waiter, cover
ed with newspaper
Now do eat, Missis you can't live on look
Ing, no ways You can fix it. Do eat, while Tiff
get ON the baby's night-gown
10 please her old friend, the woman made q
leint of eating, but, while riff's back was turn
cd to the fire, busted herself with distributing
it to the children, who had stood hungrily re-
sardins her, as children will! regard what isput
on to a sick mothers plate.
:" 1t does me good to see them cat" she said,
apologeticaly once, when Tiff, turning round,
detected her in the act
" Ah. missis, may be! but you've got to eat
Tor two now. What dey eat ant going to dis
yer little man, here. Mind dat DR."
Cripps apparently bestowed very small atten-
ton on anything except the important business
before him, which he prosecuted with such de-
votion that very soon, coffee chicken and dodg
srs had all disappeared. Even the homes were
eucked dry, and the gravy wiped from the dish
:" All. that's what call comfortable " said
he, laying back in his chair Tiff, pull off
my boots and hand out that or emiohn.-
Sue, | hope you made IL comfortable meal, !"
said he, incidentally, standing with his back to
her. compounding his potation of whiskey and
water; which being drank, he called up Teddy,
and offered him the sugar at the bottom of the
glass. But Teddy. being forewarned by a mean
ing glance through Tiff's specta'cs, responded
very politcly,
"No. thank you, pa. don, love it -
Come here, then, and take it off like man.
It's good for you," said John Cripps.
The mothers eyes followed the child wish
fully; and she said family, Don't John -
DON'T" And Tiff ended the controversy by
taking the glass unceremoniously out of his
master hand.
-" Laws bless you, massl, can be bodered
with desc yer young ones dis yer time of night
Time dey all in bed and dishes washed up
Here, Tedd, seizing the child, and loosening
The buttons of his slip behind, and drawing out
rough trundlo-bed, "you crawl in dere. and
cu'l up in your nest; and don't yer forget to
say your prars, honey. else maybe you II never
wake up again"
Cripps had now filed pipe with tobacco Of
the most villainous character, with which in
cense he was pe,luming the little apartment.
Laws, massa, dat ar smoke ant good for
nissis,' said Tiff She done been sick to her
stomach all day"
"Oh, let him smoke like to have him en-
joy himself, said the indulgent wife But,
Funny, you had better 60 to bed, dear. Come
here and kiss me, child; good night-good
night -
The mother held on to her long, and looked Il,
her wistfuly; and when she had turned to 70
she 1rew her hack, and kissed her again and
said, -" Good night, dear child, good night"
! Fanny climbed up Il ladder in one corner o
the room, through Il square hole, to the loft
above.
Il say" said Cripps, taking lis pipe out o
his mouth and looking ut Tiff, who was bus,
washing the dishes, g say its kind of peculia
that gal keeps sick So Seemed to have goo'
constitution when married her Im think
ing," said he, without noticing the gatherin,
storm in Tiff's face, " I'm thinking wbethe
steamin' wouldn't do her good. Now got /,
most dreadful cold when | was up to Raleigh
thought l should have given up, and there wa
Il steam doctor there Had little kind of ma
chine with kettle and pipes, and he put me in
bed, put in the pipes, and set it a-going.
thought my soul, should have been Aoa,e
off; but it carried off the cold complete. II
thinking if something of that kind wouldn't b
good for Miss Cripps.'
Laws, massa, don't go for to trying it o
her She is never no better for desc yer thing
you do for her,"
Now" said Clipps, not appearing to motto
the interruption, g these yer stove pipes, an
the tea-kcttle--l shouldn't wonder if we coul
get up steam with them"
" It's my private 'pinion, if you do, she III b
sailing out of de world, said Tiff What
one man meat is another ones pisin, my oil
miss used to say. Very beet thing you can d
for her is to let her alone. Dat ar is my PHI
ion."
John" said the little woman, after fe,
minute Z" | wish you'd come here and sit o
the bed"
There was something positive, and almost a,
thoritativc, in the manner in which this ",
said, which struck John as SO unusua |, that
came with q bcwildered air. sat down, and q
zed at her with bis mouth wide open.
"rm 50 glad you've come home, because
have had things that I've wanted to say to yo,
I've been lying here thinking about it, and
have been turning i. over in my mind. I'm g
ing TO die soon, | know
"Ah bah Dent be bothering fellow wi,
any of your Mysteries
John, John! it isn't Mysteries Look
me Look at my hand! look at my face T.
30 weak, and sometimes I've such coughir