The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-10-06
Farmer SeyMOur's Mistake.

Farmer iSeyMOtIr's Mistake.
" The washing must be done to-day.
my dear" SAID Mrs. Seymour TO her hus-
band, one morning. Il, he appeared TO be
leaving home but We have no wafer
what shall we do -
"What::can YOU do!' answered her hus-
band, rather gruiily, what can YOU do
That more than | can tell Water. wa
ter, ii always water when am in; :, hur-
ry TO 90 10 work
d" But, my dear" returned Mrs $ mild
lv, Il mentioned last evening that we
should need water this morning. You
know that YOU wish the washing done on
Monday; but | put ii oil one day because
saw YOU were too much engaged 10 fetch
any"
ENGAGED :" said the husband. "I'm
driven half out INV senses. and then the
cry Is wafer, or some other want. Why
didn't yon catch water yesterday! the
ram ran like 4 mill race
"Wc did our best" replied Mrs &.
''but the casks were too dry to hold.
and
Where were all Your tubs Why
didn't YOU pat them ont ;"
I've did. but YOU know We have only
Two, and one of them is quite small, Our
large wa-hin@ in harvest time cannot be
done with the wafer of only two tubs
WAS there ever a mam 50 plagued
Far weather, gram ripe. "ra~' down, men
and teams al ready. AMI now every wheel
must stop TO @ct wafer lou can't wash
with it. ii We Get it."
Ny dear" said Mrs. :. her eyes fill
ing II his unkindnc>>. - regretted tc
mention the subject, for was sensible Won
were quite engaged. hut | did not well
! know what to do
"WcIl. well. if we must. we must
Here. James, stop that team. put the hogs
heads into the cart, and fetch some water. g
But James had caught the spirit of the
master. and stopped the team with i
wrathtul stroke over the ewes OF the halt
ing beasts.
"Thcrc. stop. will We" The ca>k
was iumbed along with rough kicks. ana
more speed than dry c.l-h should have
been, and before il reached the cart tho
slaves hadc farewell TO tee hoops. ana
fell tn"cthcr iii a heap.
There. you-" Mr.. :. w.s on thc
point OF calling him some ugly maine, but
like 4 wise man. he bit his lips. and s;lid
only. for he began to reflect upon himself.
Next time he more careful"
"Weli,' retortei James. quite unbc
comin@ly,- but he had had Il bad exam
pie that morning" the hog>head was o
no use: il wouldn't hold water any NOR,
than basket"
so get Il barrel" said Mr. Seymour
in a somewhat >oitcncd tone.
y barrel" answered james "Ther,
isn't a barrel fiji tn put water in. ii
take thc >caidin" tub iiut there. now
its up aloit. where :; body can't get il un
der half a day
Mrs. Seymour had passed into tin
house. but window beng open, she ha'
heard the conversation. and feeling n sym
pathy. quite natural 10 Il woman's heart
for husband generally kind but thought
less. and now perplcxed, she approaches
the window and said,-
"IIu>banL. I'll put the washing of IN
other day. This will accommodate yol
. the hest. and she would have added
''perhaps you'll by and by have a ci>tern.
Whether the husband coniectured wha
was in her thoughts or not, he determine
once more, for the hundredth time, t,
build one. For thirty years, like som
Others. he had made Use OF casks of on
kind and another-ilsually Il hog>head o
twO-to catch wafer, and generally sui
ticient quantity for the washing days hat
been obtained. But in the summer month
that busy period of the year-there wa
often deficiency. which must be supplies
from nei ghboring stream. This w,
comparatively hard during the dry sea
, son, and sometimes impure; but, it Wa
preferable to the wafer of the well. TIL
subject of Il cistern had often been discuss
/ ed, but that was all; the article had nev
, er been provided. The incident relate
, has more than once occurred at Mr.. Sey
mour's Similar incidents are commo
| in hundreds of families, because they ar
destitute of those conveniences necessar
, to their comfort
: In those parts OF the United State
. where the water OF the wells is unfit 10
, washing. perhaps not one family in fou
has Z ci>tern, and yet three out of four Q
, such families As contain five or six mem
bers mi ght have this important article
, Often the well is at some distance from
the house. The female part of the famil,
bring nine-tcnths of the water used in TIN
t family. Many a mother dates her feebl
health, and ultimately broken constitu
ton, to services of this kind, which tn