Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-28

Mrs. Grays idea of ALPHABETICALLY brothcrn-law's rule
A little turn in the yard.-Who laughed i-Stylish
sleigh-bels.-Fleet steed-Mrs. G.s churchmanship.-
Picking pockets.-The Parson-Sightly jealOus.-Orgi-
nal remarks.
WE had a snow-storm at Hillside, one night,
and the next morning, while at breakfast,
proposed to Mrs. Gray a slegh-ride l am
happy to state that my proposal met with her
entire appreciation. " 1t is 50 nice, Mr.. g."
said she, to 60 bounding over the Aeecy snow,
behind fleet steed, well wrapped up in buff
falo robes, hearkening to the merry notes of
sleigh-bells, and breathing an atmosphere,
which, though cold, is yet delightful" 1t
struck me that my wifes remark was slightly
poetical | was in the act of raising cup of
coffee to my lips when she commenced speaking
but paused with the cup in mid-air, till she
had finished. Even after she had concluded,
remained the same position, regarding her with
astonishment. paused SO long she reminded
me that not only was my oofee-Nooladg, bat l
was spilling it on the table-cloth Replacing
the cup carefully by the side of my plate, and
leaning slightly forward, begged Mrs. Gray to
repeat what she had just uttered in regard to
" aeecy snow Her only rrpy was, that Ger.
tainly was the most provoking man she ever
met. Most persons who know me will conclude,
from this, that Mrs. G. has met but few men in
her life. This, however, l have strong reasons
for thinking is not the case.
In private letter, written unknown to his
wife, which received u few days since, from
my brother-in-law, who lives " out west" he
remarked, he had, early in his married life,
adopted the rule of never replying to, nor con-
tradicting his wife, my respected sister, when
she CHANGED to make assertions of nature to
cause him unpleasant feelings | know that
my brother-in-law makes very good husband
therefore, in many instances, choose to adopt
his rules as my own, and by so doing | reap
benefit.
Instead, then, Of replying to Mrs. Barry's
last ungenerous remarks, as some husbands
would have done, / contented myself with
praising the coffee, at the same time handing to
her my cup to be reflled. 1t issurprising how
susceptible to praise or blame, in the matter Of
Coffee is the excellent Mrs. G. In the present
instance, what said brought to her face one Of
the sunny smiles which, when Twas u bachelor,
had SO great on attraction for me. ! really
thought my second cup, sweetened, as it was,
by her smile, surpassed any former one of Mrs.
!, Gray preparing | mentioned to her as mnch.
} She replied that it was all my immagination ;
for she knew it was neither better nor worse
than that she usually gave me. am inclined
. to think, notwithstanding this assertion, that
| there was an extra egg used to settle the coffee
in question.
, In resuming the subject of sleigh-rde, my
wife asked me where We, should go, replid l
$ thought the village as good as anywhere. She
said she thought SO, too. This point being
: settled, I ordered the little black boy, whom
: | suspect of sucking eggs, to harness the sor-
rel to the cutter. "And," added, "put some
n straw into the bottom of the sleigh; and bring
;, out the buffalo robes and don't forget to put
= the bells on the horse" The little black boy
Y gave me to understand that he would faithfully
+ attend to my Instructions. When he had reti.
red, l told Mrs. Gray my suspections in regerd
: to him. She had herself, she remarked, no.
|. tced the small number of eggs the boy brought
= in from the hennery; but she supposed that il
70 was owing to some of the hens ceasing to lay
"If the egg crop should fail entirely, Mrs
!. GRAY" said, it would be q very bad thing. ;
r. She replied that she guessed | would think
v SO, if there were none to settle the cofie,
# with. resolved thenceforth to watch that lit
% tie black boy very closely. felt that it woult
10 be very wrong for us to be without eggs
II Somehow, too, was sorry that the " old red
n was dead. Not that connected him, exactly
n with the "egg troubles" but because
4 thought that on farm one ought to have al
If " old red "
Q. Being ready few minutes before Mrs, Gray
l thought would take a turn in the yard witt
4 the horse and Sleigh before starting for tn
I'd village. Our yard is good yard for the kind
but there are two or three old stumps standing
here and there, within the enclosure. sug
70 gested, several times during thepast summer, tt
|, Mrs. G. that it would be well to eradicate thes
III aged stumps from the lawn, as they disfgure,