Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-07-29
Doubtful Joshua.
BY EZRA OLIVER WENDELL.

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it is not contraband to tell at once
Joshua badger had had fall from
a haycock when he was very young,
and it bumped his head some, and
made him feel otherwise unpleasant;
| but no serious consequences were
supposed to have occurred to him
at the time, as his pretty face was
not marred, and he ate heartily, and
his sleep was sound Immediately af-
terwards. But as he grew up his
grandfather said that that fall had
made him oyer-cautious and withal
undecided. His grandmother died /;
and when his parents followed suit,
Joshua thought he could do no bet
ter than to hire out to Farmer Daisy,
who had a wife and two daughters.
Lena was two years older than
Joshua, and Fatima was two young
er; and one day when Joshua was
twenty, he leaned upon his hoe by
the pigsty, and thus considered;
Let me see. / am a pretty fell
low, and which do | love best, Lena
or Fatima? have lived for several
years in this small family, and am a
likely young man, as | am likely to
live one year longer, and then be'21.
But | have my doubts l0hjch | ought
to marry OF course, L could have
either, but which? Lena is older
and leaner, and Fatima is younger
, and fatter. But here | am in doubt.
Should a wife be older or younger
than her husband? If she is older,
doesn't she have more experience ?
| If she is Younger isn't she likely to
mind him better? This is one set
of doubts-then here comes another
r set. A wife ought to be healthy, as
it costs less. But which promises
most health, fat or lean ? Some say
lean, some say fat. For my part |
have a leaning towards fat, which
would be Fatty. But then it is a
doubt whether Fatty, in four years,
wouldn't be as lean as Lena-per-
haps leaner. Time tries all. And
again Lena might pick up and grow
fat again; and then again she might
not be so well off as she is now
They are about equal in other re-
spects. am much troubled to choose
!, between these two Daisys. But per
/ haps love is the main thing, and |
guess III wait and have the one who
loves me best. But how shall go
to work to find that out? | must
plan a plan"
When next the doubtful swain
r found them together, he told them
, in confidence that he was going to
4 get married, but would not say to
whom, and he watched the effect
on them. .,atima
! Lena looked grave, aped him q
laughed at him. Thi3e felt voxed
new set of doubts, o
at both. work than farmino
This Is hag girls mean? Perhaps
What do.5 sour because she's jeal-
Lena .Ich shows she loves me. And
ouiaps Fatty laughs, and pretcnds
5 lie don't care, in order to hide her
love. And perhaps she snickered |
because she thinks | am going to
have her. | fought to be very care |
Iful, however. | mustn't be rash, or
| may take the wrong one. | wish
one would die, and then there would |
be no bother. But which one? l /
can't say. | wish | wasn't in love.
But which do | love best ? for that
amounts to something. | don't know
I shan't understand myself till l
understand them. And then, per-
haps, the one l loved would give me
the mitten as soon as | showed love.
And t'other might love me better.-
And perhaps the one that loved me
most wouldn't be the best for me-
And perhaps the one who said she
loved me would only say SO to take
the shine off her sister, and SO Id
be deceived. This love is a very
piece of business and al
ready it has placed me in a state Of
most doubtful uncertainty. | have
tried one p and am in more i
doubt than ever. But Joshua Dad h
ger, keep on! You'll get at the
rights of it at last. Plan another
plan"
The effects Of the haycock, ac-
cording to his grandmother's prOph-
ecy, became more and more visible
in the cautious proceedings of the
doubtful Joshua. His. next expert I
ment was to ascertain which of the !
two sisters had the soundest, steadi-
est mind, so that she would be the ,
less liable to change after he had !
accepted her. /
His idea was ingenious in its phi '
Iosophy. He made each the present /
Of a kitten, that each pet might test |
-he affection of their natures. He {
the about equal degrees of
'ondness bestowed upon the animal, {