Litchfield enquirer., 1870-04-21

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 s1 don't need one to come from the dead to show me my own mind," retorted Miss Doolittle, firmly.
 "Well, like enough you're right. said Captain Ben, mildly, putting few stems of barberries in her pail; ma be 'twouldn't be best. don't want to be rash.' And with that he moved eff, on the whole congratulating himself that he had not de- cided to marry Miss Doolittle. @ q thought. after she commenced her i miserable gift of the gab, that Lyddy used to be free to admit she had fiery tongue. for all they were such friends. And I'm all for peace myself. guess on the whole ma be she ain't the one for me, perhaps, and it is as we'll to look further. Why what in the world! We'll, therel what have been thinking of? There is Mrs. Davids. as neat as new cent, and the master hand to save. She is always taking on; aud she will be glad enough to have somebody look out for her,-why, sure enough! And there was right at her house this very : day, and never once thought of her! What an old duncei'
 | But, fortunately this not being a sin o1 commission. it could easily be rectifed and directly Captain Ben had tuned about and was trotting agaiu toward the red house on the beach.
 'Pound for pound of the best white SUI. gar," he heard Miss Tame say as he near ed the door.
 "White sugar!' repeated Mrs. Davids her usual sigh drawn out into a little groan. 'White sugar for cranberries Who ever heard of such thing? I've al ways considered did we'll when had plenty of brown.
 "Poor creeter!" thought Captain Ben 'How she will enjoy getting into my pan try. Lyddy never complained that she didn't have enough of everything to dc with"
 And in the full ardor of his intended be- nevolence, he went right in and opened i the the subject at once Bnt to his aston 1 ishment, Mrs. Davids refused him. She i sighed but she refused him. "I've seen trouble enough already, with out my rushing into more with my eyes wide open," sighed she.
 "Trouble? Why that is just what I wa, meaning to save your' exclaimed the be wildered wldower. ''Pump right in tho house, and stove e'enamost new. Anc Lyddy never knew what it was to want fol a spoonful of sugar or pound of flour And such handy buttery and sink! Lyddy used to say she felt the worst about leav ing her buttery of anything."
 'Should thought she would," answered Mrs. Davids, forgetting to sigh. "Howev CT, I can't say that I feel any hankerine after marrying buttery. I've got butte ry-room enough here, without the trouble of getting set up in Q new place."
 "Just as you say, returned the rejected sI ain't sure as you'd be exactly the one was thinking of looking for somebody { little younger.
 "Well, here is Persis Tame. Why don't you bespeak her? She is younger, and she is in need of good home. I can rec ommend her, too, as the frst>rate of { cook, remarked Mrs. Davids, benevolent ly. ..
 Miss Tame had been sitting 8 little apart by the open window, smiling to her self.
 But now she turned about at once "Hm" said she with contempt. ''I should rather live under an umbrella tied to { stake, than to marry for a hun,."
 So Captain Ben went home without en. gazing wife or housekeeper.
 And the first thing he saw was Captain Jacob Doolittles old one.eyed horse eatine the apples Loizah Mullers had strung anc festooned from nails against the house, tc dry.
 The next thing he saw was, that, having left window open, the hens had flown ir and gone to housekeeping on their own account. But they were not, like Mrs Davids, neat as new cent, and not, also such master hands to save. e.. ''Shoo! shoo! Get out Go along there l with you!' cried Captain Ben. waving the dish-cloth and the poker. ''I declare fort l most hadn't ought to have left that bread out on the table. They've made a pretty mess of it, and it is every spec there is in the house, too. We'll, must make dc of potatoes for supper, with bit of pie and mouthful of cake''
 Accordingly he went to work building g fire that wouldn't burn. Then, forgetting the simple matter of dampers, the potatoes wouldn't bake. The tea kettle boiled over 1 and cracked the stove, and after that boil ed dry and cracked itself Finally the DO tatoes fell to baking with so much ardol they overdid 1t and burnt up. And, las of all. the cake~jar and pie-cupboard prov ed to be entirely empty. Loizah had Jeff on the eve of baking day. &
 "The old cat! Well, I'd just as soon live on slap-jacks spell," said Captain Ben when he made this discovery.
 But even slap jacks palled on his palate especially when he had them always tc cook for himself.
 '"Tain't no way to live, this ain't," said he at last. ''1m good mind to marry as ever had to eat.' So he put on his hat and walked out. The first person he met was Miss Persis Tame, who turn ed her back and fell to picking thoroughwort blossoms as he came up. "Look here," said he stopping short, I'm dreadful put tot. can't get ne'e1 wife nor ne'er a houseKeeper, and I'm e'enamost starved to death I wish you would consent to marry with me, if you feel as if you could bring your mind to it. am sure it would have been Lyddy's wish" :"
 Miss Tame smelt of the thoroughwort blossoms.
 1t comes pretty sudden on me-" she replied. 1T had mt given the subject any thought. But you are to be pitied in your situation"
 "Yes. And I'm dreadful lonesome. I've always been used to having Lyddy to talk over things with, and miss her sight. And don't know anybody that has her ways more than you have. You are good deal such 8 built woman, and you have the same hitch to your shoulders when you walk. You've got something the same