Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-02-08
TALE OF THE oLDEN TIME.

'The devil choke thee wi unP A,
Master Giles, the Yeoman, said this, he
banged down q hand in size and color
like ham, on the oldfashoned oak table
Il do say, the devil choke thee wi un !
The dame made no reply; she was
choking with passion and fowls liver
the original cause of the dispute. A
great deal has been said and sung of the
advantage of congenial tastes amongst
married people, but true it is, the varian-
ces of our Kentish couple arose from this
very coincidence in gusto. They were
both fond of the little delicacy in ques-
tion, but the dame had managed to secure
the morsel for herself, and this was sutli-
cient to cause storm of very high words
which, properly understood, signifies
very low language. Their meal times
seldom passed over without contention Of
some sort; as sure as the knives and
forks clashed, so did tbey-being, in fact,
equally greedy and disagreedy; and
when they da"rld44tJa quarrel, they pick
ed it to the bone.
1t was reported that, on some occa-
siops. they had not even contented them
selves with hard speeches, but that they
had come to scutll,ng-he taking to box
ing, and she to pinching-though in
far less amicable manner than is prac,ic-
ed by snuff takers On the present di'-
ference, however, they were satisfied with
wishing each other dead, with all their
hearts ; and there seemed little doubt Of
the sincerity Of the piration on boxing
at their malignant faces-for they made
a horrible picture in this frame Of mind.
Now it happened that .his quarrel took
place on the morning Of St. Mark-a
saint who was supposed on that festival
to favor his votaries with peep into the
book Of fate. For it was the popular
belief in those days, that if q person
should keep watch toward midnight be-
side the church, the apparitious oi all
those Of the parish who were to be taken
by death before the next anniversary I
would be seen entering the porch. The
yeoman, Ike most of his neiglbors, be-
Eevcd most devouIy in this superstition
and in the very moment that he breath /
ed the unsecmly aspiration aforesaid, itI
occurred to him that the even was at
hand, when, by observing The rte Of ST.
Mark he might know to certainty
whether this unchristian wish was to be
one Of those that bear fruit Accord
ingly, a little before midnight, he stole
quietly out of the house, and in some
thing of sexton-Iike spirit set forth on
his way to the church.
In the mean time, the dame called to
mind the same ceremonial; and having
the like motive for curiosity with her
husband, she also put on her cloak and
caIash and set out, though by different
path, on the same errand.
The night of the Saint was as dark and
chill as the mysteries he was supposed to
reveal, the moon throwing but short,
occasional glance, as the sluggish massss
Of cloud were driven slowly across iar
face. Thus it fell out that our two ad-
venturers were quite unconscious Of be-
ing in company, till sudden glimpse Of
moonlight showed them TO each other
only few rods apart; both, through a
natural panic, as pale as ghosts, and both
making eagerly towards the church porch.
Much as they had just wished for this
vision, they could not help quakiCg and
stopping on the spot, as if turned to
pair of tomb stones. In this position,
the dark again threw sudden curtain
over them, and they disappeared from
each other.
1t will be supposed the two came only
to one conclusion, each conceiving that
St. Mark had marked the other to him
self With this comfortable knowledge, {
the widow and widower elect hied home
again by the roads they came and as (
their custom was to sit apart after a quar- ,
rel, they repaired, each ignorant Of the (
others excursion to separate chambers.
By-and-bye, being called to supper,
instead of sulking as aforetime, they /
came down together, each being secretly
in the best humor, though mutually sus-
pected of the worst; and amongst other
things on the table, there was a calls
sweet-bread, being one of those very
dainties that had often set them together
by the ears. The dame looked and
longed, but she reirained from its appro- /
priation, thinking within herself that she d
could give up sweetbreads for one year h
and the farmer with q similar reflection. t
After pushing the dish to and o several a
times, by a common impulse they divided ]