The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-02-14
Accepting the Situation.

Mrs. Fascett dropped herself on the
chip basket by the stove.
"If ever saw the best p said she.
Miss Silence Dummie looked up from
the little canary colored frock she was
!. embroidering, raising her black eye
brows like the top of an interrogation
mark, which was good deal for her to
do. So without waiting for any more
positive expression of interest, Mrs. Fas-
set went on:
"While was out spreading that last
batch of berries to dry, / heard the
sound of a horses hoofs coming over the
covered bridge; and says / to myself,
says /, I'll just happen down to the Gu
! cumber vines and see if there are any
cucumbers big enough to pickle Il knetr
there wasn't as we'll as wanted to, for
John he picked them last night, and
John is always pretty thorough about
what he sets out to do). But / went
and stood there fumbling among the
vines just in time to see sight as was
never seen in Meadows before"
Possibly Miss Dummies Curiosity was
net very lively, for Mrs. Fascett was al
ways seeing wonderful and unprece-
dented sights, but the interrogation
mark on her face heightened and deep
ened sensibly, and Mrs. Fascett, rubbing
her nose up and down as though it was
pump handle, went on:
Just as sure as you sit in that chair,
Miss Dummie, it was Isabel Hubbyl-
thorne riding with Mr.. Hamilton, and
not three months since Mrs. Hamilton
was around as we'll as any of rs are to-
day No, it isn't three months, for it is
scarcely two months since she was
buried. / know you can't never tell
where to find these men-persons; but L
trouldn't have thought Isabel Hubbyl-
thorne would do such thing, if it was
only for the speech of people. / did
think she wa. girl of more propriety
and good taste. Now didn't you, Miss
Silence ~
Miss Silence Dummie was something
like funnel excellent to pour into,
but quite unsatisfactory to. dip from;
she listened patiently to whatever one
was pleased to tell her, and then that
was the end of the conversation. So
now her object in life apparently being
show not to" say il, she replied, Isabel
Hubbylthorne and Calvin Hamilton! /
want to kuoww And then she took
fresh piece of braid and began embroid-
ering it upon the gay merinO for the
little Fascetts, who were cooking mud
cakes in a sand oven behind the house,
as complacently as though there was
nothing more which could be said.
"Well, well; bat this isn't making my
pies, is itp exclaimed Mrs. Fascett,
lifting herself up by bracing her hands
against the basket-handles, and going
into the buttery, rolling up her sleeves
as she went. On the way she stopped
to look at the long trail of black grape
vines Miss Dummie had already
left behind her busy fingers on the yel-
low cloth. "Tbat will smarter up the
little tykes. do not like to see them
look spry," said Mrs. Fascett, who had
an eye for color
She had palate as well as an eye, so
she mixed her pie crust, and brought
pans of cinnamon-rolls and sugar GIN
gerbread into being, talking away
meantime as though her tongue was
the motive-power her hands depended
OH. and Miss Silence stitched and
stitched like an improved Wheeler and
Wilson (that is, perfectly noiseless
one, } while Miss Isabel Hubbylthorne,
in quite another part of the village, sat
On the foot of her sisters bed and wor-
ried.
"Now, you needn't laugh at me,
Clara. can take joke as we'll as any
body as q general thing, but in such 4
case rs this it is different; it seems
sacriligious. Calvin isa clear-headed
man, and he ought to have known bet
4 L. 90 10. hut h0f
could dot lie knows l am not well,
and am particularly fond of riding, and
was always IN the habit of going with
him and Julia. And, / suppose, he
can't see why he shouldn't treat me the
same as ever. But he has no more idea
of anything serious than an unweaned
baby, and | wouldn't give OCCASION for
a sighting remark on any considera-
ton. | am actually distressed, for
what can do if he asks me again
How can / refuse without wounding his
feelingsi I've a great mind to tell him
candidly do not think it is proper; but
do you suppose could get up the cour-
age' 1t would reflect 50 on his discern
ment. 1t weuld be a delicate matter.
Now, don't laugh at me, or / am afraid
shall take q dislike to the man, and
that would be pity, fer he is person
value as friend. l shan't like it if
you make fun of me, say. Now, stop
itw
81 am not laughing at you, Isabel.
Look behind yOu," replied Clara.
SO Isabel look, and saw the stout fig
ure of her brother-in-law, Clara's hus-
band, supposed he had q right to 20
wherever Clara went, standing in the
door listening to Isabel's perplexity
with his great mans ears and small
mans sympsthies.
"Why, bless youw he cried, in rough
man fashion, 81 know what you'd either
one of you do-demurely get into the
wagon. l know you womeR as well as
though had made you
Great complacent, foolish man. Isa-
bel didn't get into the wagon the next
time Calvin Hamilton asked her,
though the wagon was an elegant car
riage, aAd the horse was a-spdn. No,
she was so insensible she never budg-
ed an inch, and 50 ungrateful that she
said she'd rather not. There's self-deni-
al for You. She refused also to take the
place of his dead Julia, although be
begged her with tears in his honest blue
eyes.
And so he married the Widow Clancy,
and dropped out of our story.
But before six months was over Mrs.
Fascett had seen another sight.
"Fascett,r said she to her husband,
"what do you think saw down in the
south spring pasture r
Mrs. Fascett's husband was a man
very tall of his age, and very thin for
his height, with face about as anima-
ted and full Of expression as slice OF
broiled pork, and eyes like piece of
light-blue glass.
81 don't know" said he. He usually
didn't know; but then his wife could al
ways tell him, so il did not make much
difference.
"Fassett, as sure as you are sitting in
that chair" (this was Mrs. Fascett's Gus
tomary form of adjurstion), with these
two ewes saw James Hamilton sitting
on maple log, swinging his foot and
chewing shaving, and Isabel Hubbyl.
thorne sitting on the other end of