The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-04-04

spoons or juvenile wlnuplpes.- -
There was but one objection, Mis-
Peters assured me; Mehetabel had
MT been used to living out much
and might feel above it. The fam
lily were as poor as Jobs turkey {
have since consulted Kitto's com
mentarics, but find no mention O
Jobs keeping poultry but in spit,
of their poverty they were "big
feeling, stuck.up, and proud"
sighed and remarked with pa
thos that l had already suffered
deeply from the arrogance of f"Amer
ican help" and if the character o
the incompatible Miss Wilcox wal
such as represented l should des
pair Of securing her services.
Miss Peters soothed me by tn,
assurance that she didn't believ,
but Mehetabel would come for
while any how, just to accommo
date; and with this hope l left my
kind neighbor and betook myself
to the "leather .colored house be
hind the laylock bushes" 1t was
quito unlike the habitations tc
which had usually been directed
and had, so to speak, q cultivated
air. A well bred lady in widows
cap met me at the door and invited
me to enter. 1 inquired for Mis-:
Mehetabel, and my hostess going
to call her did not again return.
While left alone l had time to
look about me and observe the ap.
pointments of the room, which
were in harmony with the taste
and refinement so evident in the
grounds. The books scattered
over the comfortable were such as
one sees in any family of culture;
the engravings and paintings on
the walls, though somewhat cheap
ly framed, had been admirably Sc
lected; there was even piano in
the room, with abundance of the
best sheet music. / found myself
so we'll entertained by somo stereo-
scopic views that l had nearly for.
gotten my errand when Miss Will
cox entered. I can hardly say /
was surprised to see a graceful,
well dressed young lady, for her
surroundings had prepared me to
expect it; but 1 certainly had not
looked for such queenliness of man
ner. | muttered an inward protest
against Miss Peters who had d.
rocted me to this piece of elegance,
and another against my thought.
less Caddy who had allowed me to
leave the house with such a shabby
coat. During the reign Of Eliza
beth I had scarcely given a thought
to my outside apparel, for that ex.
cellent woman had had general
oversight of my gear; and it now
occurred to me as a new idea that
l was allowing myself to fall TO
wreck and ruin. l felt an inclina-
tion to seize my hat and run, but,
summoning all my manhood, re.
solved to brave it out and make
myself as agreeable us possible.
Miss Wilcox, with true polite
ness, soon set me at ease, and in
the course of half an hour | was
conversing with her as unrestrain.
edly as if we were old acquaint-
ances and I had come for social
call. She had known my late wife,
she said, had seen her graduate
with high honors at the Academy
Herself q mere child, she had been
brought out of several small troubles
by Miss Vennebal's kindness, and
remembered her with gratitude as
a peace maker. Yes, it was sc
Characteristic of Elizabeth to be
friend the little ones. At length
asked Miss Wilcox to play for me
and found her music as charming
as her conversation. In short,
owned to myself. that l had mo-
spent so delightful an evening fol
years.
Tho time came when / must ro
luctantly take my leave, yet al
this while | had not once remem
mered my errand, When | die
think of it, it was with q swelling
at the throat. would surely bC
felicity to have such an accomplish
ed creature to preside over my
house, if only "for a while, just to
accommodate" as my neighbor hat
expressed il; but how could l asl
such favor? l reviewed Miss Pc
ters's words: "Mebetabel hadn'
been used to living out much" 81
it seemed she had occasionally
done so.. There was no accounting
for the democracy in small coun
try places. Those white hand'
not only made the bread at home
but did it, on occasion, in the
houses of others. Probably Mis-
Mehetabel, with all her refinement
had in her composition a tincturt
ofthe strong-minded. And why,
asked myself, should not a lady dC
kitchen work for distracted fami
lies as well as write poetry fol
thankless editors 1t is the minc
that dignifies the employment
"Act we'll thy part, there all th'
honor lies" -
Fortifying myself with these re
Elections, | began with the meek
ness of Tom Pinch to describe tn,
desolation and anarchy of my
h ono. l told Miss Wilcox / haC
always supposed children were q
easily trained as pea-vines, and no
liable to send out tendrils in AM
perverse or inconvenient directions
but found myself utterly mista
ken. Now "there was no king il
Israel, and evory child did tina
which was right in his own eyes.