Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-07-31

derated, and everybody said, How well
Beulah Howard has made out ! and Be-
ulah Howard thought so too.
Poor, charming, deceived, happy Be
ulah She surrounded in her fancy the
earth-worm, her husband, with the halo
we see in old pictures of the saints. She
carried to him the freshness OF romantic
affection, and a wealth of truth and trust
that he could no more appreciate than
can a clam in the river yonder the deli
ciousness of your vase of perfumed ro.
ses.
The old story of Beauty and the Beast,
you will say. Not so. jonathan never
turned out to be an enchanted prince, as
poor Beulah soon discovered. From the
moment of her marriage her slavery be-
gan. She bore it bravely for time ;
spinning what was termed "a maids day 5
work. doing her dairy work and ordina-
ry housekeeping besides, and adding
nearly every year some new maternal
care TO her duties with Jonathan over
seer, counting every thread she spun and
looking out for waste with lynx's eye
And the proud churlish man would never
allow her to visit Dolly, her sister, who
married Jesse Dale, and lived bali mile
away no, nor TO speak to her. Hard
work she would not complain of,-but
listen.
'As you don't know how to weave, Be-
ulah, you must do extra spinning enough
to pay for the weaving. If you only had
the capability Of Mrs. Love, you foolish
thing, we might be able to buy out the
whole town.
'Beulah BeuIah your dye tub has
been too near the fire do you see how
the wood is scorched That tub is near.
ly spoiled. Beulah, that's the way our
property goes. l believe you would waste
more than a man could earn, if you
weren't looked AFTER
These and the like reproofs were Be-
ulah's constant portion, while her sister,
who married below herself was petted
like queen, by kind hearted, self.lor-
getting Jesse Dale.
Year by year, Jonathan Lance grew
more niggardIy and more exacting to-
wards his wife and children. Strong
drink and tobacco, which he afforded to
himself, were partly answerable for this.
Mrs. Lance was patient. She loved her
children to idolatry, and for their sakes
she endured privation and reproach with
out a murmur. Her husbands whole
idea of duty 10 God and man was this !:
To observe what he considered strict JUS
tice and honesty towards men; all the
while scraping together by hard labor
and boarding by all manner of meanness-
es of which | have no patience to tell
you, as much worldly gear as possible.
With respect to his ideas of equity, l
give one instance for illustration. 1t was
a point with him to allow no more meals
to be eaten at his table by his neighbors,
than, he, or some one of bis family, took
abroad, keeping a regular account Of the
same through the year; and be was
equally strict to give in return the exact
number Of meals received from home
Il Declare he would say, looking at his
account book, I'VE have eaten one meal
too many out Of the house this year, and
he would urge the next neighbor that hap
pened in near the reCreshment hour to
stay and partake of his fare, taking no
denial.
But of his smallness in trade, in home
economy, in watchfulness against en-
croachment in the smallest degree on his
rights, have, as l said before, no pa
tience to speak in detail. One incident
under this head / must relate, however,
it belongs so fully to the story. His sons
and daughters had grown up around him,
and the five boys were now men, though
still treated by their father as unreason-
ing children, when John, one of the elder
sons, through exposure and labor which
was beyond his strength, fell sick of a
fever. He was about to die. The sharp
ache in the mothers heart bad no allevi-
alton. She could not expect, she could
not receive, the slightest comfort from
her husband Mr.. Lance went to the
village, some miles away, for indispensa-
BILE purchases. While be was absent the
dark shadow fell across the threshold, and
John was gone. The neighbors came in
to prepare the body for the coffin. A
board was wanted on which to lay it, and
none suitable being found, David, the
brother next in years, sawed to a desira-
BILE length one which he procured from
his fathers barn. For this unwarranta-
BILE liberty ard upprecedepted waste his