Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-10-02

nlshed timber and boards from my own farm -
In the meantime, the war came on and as it is
an i'll wiHd that blows nobody good, the mum
Der of wagons passing this way increased every
day, because the produce could not 90 round by
sea. sold all the produce of my land at my
door, except the wheat If that was high, /
could afford to send tie flour to market. and if
not, cut it into shorts to feed the waeoners'
horses. By the time my house was finished. it
was paid for; and now l don't know what |
shall build next, for my part. am forty three
years old. have twelve hundred acres of as
fine bottom as any in Virginia-a good Qrist and
saw-mill, a tolerably good wife, if | could only
make q fine lady out Of her-but she sticks to
the old chest of clothes like a moth-a decent
house over my head and owe no man a shil-
ling, except tom, who, by now and then raising
little grain, shooting deer, and waiting on
travellers, has, in my hands, enough to buy his
freedom. But he is free already, for that mat
ter, and knows he can go where lie pleases."
"Pray," said |, ..dld you ever get dis
count 2"
"a discount! what's that?" seid the Dutch
man.
ibid you ever borrow money of a bank, and
mortgage your land for t?'
''No, no." said he, 81 wasn't such fool as
that. Ny poor neighbor, whose house you see
over the river yonder, with the windows broke,
and no smoke to the chimney, played trick of
that kind but his farm is soon to be sold at
vendue, and | think of buying it. His family
were in great distress, though we helped them
on little to get to the back country, where,
hear, they are doing pretty well again."
| will not trouble you with the moral of this
story, but conclude by bidding you beware Of
discounts.
Blue Monday-A Sketch for Housekeepers.
Clouds just as gray as lead. | warrant it will
rain-it always rains on Monday-I wish there
wasn't any such day in the calendar. believe
it was only invented to punish Eve for eating
that miserable apple! Now, here are those
trowsers to be mended-a good half hours work,
and Mr.. Sage hurrying me the whole time till
Pn so nervous | don't know whether l have got
a needle or crowbar. He never finds out that
anything wants doing except on Monday morn
ings-the very day l'ln hurried and worried to
death. He don't see why Monday is worse than
the rest of the week, he says-I wish he had to
stay at home and superintend the washing for
| once!
s'Starch is all gone, mum!" Of course it is,
that's just Irish calculation. Why could not
you have told me of it on Saturday, Biddy2 p
Now l wonder what Pm to do! For mercy
sake what's all that screaming? Tommy fallen
down stairs and bumped his head My children
otaodys select Monday mornings to tumble down
stairs in! Where's the camphor bottle2 Who's
that knocking as if he meant to burst the base
ment door in2 The ice man? Tell him I'm
busy, iii pay him tomorrow. He won't wait.
| 0, dear me, now there's got to be search for
my portemonnaie. Does anybody know where
it sg What's that, Tommy2 The last you saw
of it, the baby was trying to swallow its O,
here it is under the cradle. what will PLACE
| to order for dinner9' Goodness gracious l
believe / shall go distracted! don't care if we
never have any dinner. Beef and greens, sup
pose; they're the least trouble of anything
What does make the baby so fretful? 1t seems
as if be knew it was blue Monday There isn't
no bread, mum, and the baker hasn't been here
this morning' l declare, 1 will discharge that
man he's no business to fail Us on Monday
| morning. What's the trouble now? Biddy and
| Norah have quarreled about the soap down
stairs, and Biddy says she won't stay in the
house another minute. Was ever poor crea
ture so beset with troubles before2 Now I've
just got to lay everything aside, and go down to
play cook myself, while baby swallows buttons
and needles and such things, and Tommy raises
bedlam generally. Perhaps can keep him qui-
ct for few minutes, with a bowl of bread and
milk The cat has knocked the milk pitcher
over: wen, lUdL corresponds Will Cu0 resi- OF
the day charmingly. Raining hard might
have prophesied it, and all the fine clothes ont
on the lines. Mercy on us, two o'clock Why
where has the day slipped to? Mr.. Sage will
be here in fifteen minutes, clamoring for his din
ner, and every thing is behind-hand!
There, that's just like you, Sage! l suppose
you think it's manly and generous to snarl like
cross dog, because there's nothing but beef
and greens for dinner. You never did like 'em 2
Sage, don't believe you know what you do
like on Mondays. You wish Mondays were a.
bolished9 So do !, Sage; and wish cross hus-
bands were too! You seem to suppose l have
DO trials! There, he's gone; and know I've
been pettish and lost my temper-but who could
help it, I'd like to know. Pm always half era
zy on Mondays. Poor, dear Sage; know he
can't eat greens-he shall have something hot
for supper, if have to cook it myself lfthere's
any one thing that tries q womans temper more
than another, it's blue Monday!