The Portland daily press., 1864-03-05

an uOuT d terWaiuS a. NC was gluln through
the front gate, did you forgit that wood%
NO, says he. but must go to the village
right off. Moxon was to pay me some money
to-day, an want to git there afore he slips
away with it; tell George George was found
with an ak on his shoulder, and said father
had sent him to drive the cows outn the
buckwheat an put the fence up; where was
Jim? Jim as independent as most boys o
fifteen, coolly told her he was goln. nshln
Billy would cut the wood When Billy, the
Youngest o. her step sons, was hunted up, an
told what was required of him, he jes' stuck
the knuckles of his tico fore fingers into his
ewes an whined out, Il can't split them big
sticks mother, an you know l can't, an she
did know it. l telled Judy, If he an them
boys hated sin an Satan as bad as they seemed
to the AK aud beetle, they was all sure O.
Heaven, even if they icds foreordained for
tother place. The next day when she got
her basket out, such a messi 1t was dog
days, We see, an the calker clo'es was all sour
an smet like baby's dirty apron, an a
couple o. new fine shirts was kivered all over
with little fine red specks, as eff they was jes'
comm down with the measles; an everything
else of the same Sort That winter she took
her death, tending week old baby in cold
room-lired only three days. The baby
wouldn't feed, an died in week. Now, as l
told the Elder, when he was takin' on, hope
there want nobody to blame. No. says he,
Roxy, it's the hand of Providence, but it's
dreflui hard. The hand of Providence
umph wanted to give him a piece of my
mind but that wouldn't, for the critter felt
bad enough Strange he couldn't see. l
never wanted to go there alter that, an so l
never knew his last wife, the Deacon's mother,
nor whether she died the nat'ral way or froze
to death; but one thing l do know, nobody
ever cal'lated to go there in any O. the months
that had an r in 'em, for what with cold
weather, a cold house, an cold stoves, you
might as well plan pleasure trip to the poles
in January. AN one thing
'Auntie auntie, aren't you getting little
excited2 I'm afraid you'll wanttwo .fetty
pills" tonight instead of one to sleep on
No shant nuther, an one thing will say
eff the devil don't take such men, there amt
no use hayin' one, that's ALL
Cough makes the hero of one of his mimi
table yarns keep saying, zone thing always
puts me in mind OF another and this said
Mrs. Wilson, reminds me of something |
should have hardly thought of again, because
didn't more than half believe it at the time.
You know that Streeter girl, who worked for
the Deacon last summer, and used often to
come and borrow my magazine? Well, she,
of her own accord, told me of this little Incl
dent, saying 1T was too good to keep One
day Mrs. Mosely told her husband she was
out of wood. 1t was haying time = you re-
member what Catching weather we had and
how late all the farmers were - and he told
her he couldn't stop then she must pick up
something. She did so for two or three days,
even to sending Maggie upthe roadside fence,
but on receiving the same answer second
time, she very deliberately put the fish and
potatoes into kettle over cold stove, and in
due time called the men to breakfast. The
Deacon said shorter grace than usual, as he
was in hurry that morning, and proceeded
to wait upon the table. Once, twice, thrice,
he essayed to thrust his fork into a potato !;
another and another was tried with no better
success he's rather a dull man, YOU know,
but at last a suspicion dawned on him. He
leaned toward the offending tubers with a
puzzled, scrutinizing look on his face, de-
cidedly comical to the beholders, who by this
time, having guessed the truth, were making
desperate efforts to subdne certain nervous
twitchings about the mouth. The deacon,
however, was blind TO everything but the
mystery before him, only once glancing up to
his wife, who was dreamily dealing cream and
sugar into the huge coffee cups before her.
Suddenly, to make sure, he grasped one of
the cold, wet things in his broad hand, but
dropped it a great deal quicker than if it had
been hot, and seizing his hat, fed the room.
l think from the description his fight could
lessened, by the ''gutiaws" which followed,
and il he did not, as they say in the military
department, retreat in good order he GER
tainly did in good earnest. Mrs. Mosely, with
very red, but very good-natured face.
brought on some pitchers of new milk, and
the cold meat and vegetables from yesterdays
dinner, with strawberry pie and nutcakes,
made quite a comfortable meal. The deacon
didn't join the boys that forenoon, but the
and a 81
ing viands at dinner attested, and, enjoying
good joke at any time, he wisely laughed with
them at his own expense, but bribed them to
silence with treat all round, and the promise
which the boys exacted, of new silk dress
for "the lady" when the next load of cheese
went to market"
"Bully for her." exclaimed Wilson, pity
there wasn't some of the Macomber spunk in
Mary; thered be lively times"
But, seriously, husband, after what has
been said here tonight, conclude this evil is
hereditary, and makes clear that passage
The sins of the fathers shall be visited upon
the children, &c. That being the case. Willie
Thornton can't draw our Alice to school on
his sled again this winter, and she can carry
her own books, too; so he needn't call for
them"
Mr.. Wilson laughed at what he called her
premature fears, reminding her that the chill
cren were only ten and seven respectively.
and BESIDES he added, for all you can do to
hinder, Alice may marry the king of the Con-
go Islands, or some missionary to Komkac-
teeboochee, and go where she'll never see a
comfortable fire, or good meal OF victuals
again as long IA she lives.'
well, in the latter case-improbable as il
Is, especially the name-it would be some con-
ISOLATION to know that she expected these tri-
ais; should hope, too, she would be sustained
by higher than earthly power, and perhaps
be remembered long years after death as one
who sacrificed much for His sake; but to set
tie down here with all the surroundings of
wealth and die martyr TO poor wood. is
another affair altogether"
,,, ihere was no controyerting that, SO Mr..
Wilson gazed at the Goals, wondering if match
es were made in heaven or If "Huldahp some
body's theory was correct, that Everybody
was shook up in bag together, and some
Dody ohndiolded picked out two" or if the
whole thlng were not lottery on a grand
scale. Incllnlng TO the latter view. he con-
graduated himself ON drawing lucky num-
Der, but remembered that for every one of
these there were, alas, how many unlucky
ones. look around you, friend; how is it in
your neighborhood? One TO ten? twenty?
lhirtys iorty? Pshaw, never mind, don't try
TO answer it. Twill give you the blues.
"But come wife. he said at length adon,,
brood over the future; get your book and let's
nave the rest OF Hannah Thurston,"
mus we leave them to their happiness, af-
Ter brlei acquaintance. But not so with
you, my gentle lady reader; | haven't done
win you yet. L propose to make you, nolens
yoiens, for day at least mistress of one of
those establishments of which Mary Thurston's
is only a picture in water colors. Whatever
your real position may be, you will now form