The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1870-12-01

"And it's q remarkable orderin' OF
Providence that l should have six boys
and you six gals" :.
Eyes" said Mrs. Skinner, breaking of
needleful of gray yarn; "but my gals
has all done well. Malindy she's mar
ried, and lives in Burlington, and So
phrony is teachin' school cross the lake,
and Sarah's at the factories in Lowell
and Althea,s lived to Squire Halls these
two year, and Kate's doin' well at the
millinery business, and Ruth, she kind
O. makes herself generally useful to hum
Ruth amt like the others; she amt
good for much"
The deacon hitched his chair, with a
grating noise, across the hearth, to get a
better view at the little figure bending
over the pan of apples.
"She's geod to look pretty, anyhow
he said, with cumbrous attempt at a
joke.
Humph !" said Mrs. Skinner, whose
respect for the merely ornamental was
extremely limited.
al s'pose Sarah and Sophrony's comm
home to Thanksgivin' Z" hazarded Mr.
Carey.
Mrs. Skinner nodded briefly.
"Wall, that's sort O Providential, too,"
said the deacon, somewhat embarrassed
"Bein' you've got SO many gals, mebbe
you'd spare one"
"Spare one!"
"We hain't no women folks to our
house since Hepsibah Duckett stole the
spoons and went to Canady; and l set
my foot down not to have no more hired
help, and it aoaS sort o forlorn last
Thanksgivin' Day, and the boys, why
they missed the turkey, and SO l kind O
thought if Miss Ruth wouldn't object to
come over and ginerally hev an eye to
things, it would be sight o accommo-
dation."
I'm willin', if Ruth is" said Mrs.
Skinner, composedly.
We've got as fine Il turkey as ever
squawked," went on the deacon, "and
Jared he fetched in punkin off side
hill lot, bigger'n half-barrel, and 1
brought peck O cranberriesfr from Hubby
Simons, so there amt no lack o things
to do with. What dye say, Miss
Ruth Z"
Ruth hung her head, and blushed
like the pink checked apple she had just
taken up.
al haven't any objection, if mother
thinks it proper"
"Proper" echoed Mrs. Skinner.
"Why on airth shouldn't it be proper:
Of course it's proper"
"Wall," said the deacon, rising to his
lanky fullness of height. "Im sure I'm
much obliged to you, Miss Ruth, and to
you, too, marm."
Don't be in u hurry said Mrs.
Skinner, Hospitality.
al guess I'd better be go;n'," decided
Mr.. Carey "There amt no tellin' what
mischief the boys may be gittin' into
afore 1 get back. Boys will be boys,
and they need q dreadful sight o
watchin'."
Dear dear" sighed the widow.
Jared he wants to wear his Sunday
clothes to singin' school, and John wants
spendin' money OF his own, and Josey he
sticks out fort he's got right to burn
candle arter ten at night eff he's a-mind
to, and Lewis he buys pictur-papers
every week, as ef money growed on
blackberry bushes, and 1 do feel to get
most discouraged sometimes. There
amt nobody but father knows what
fathers trials is, Mrs. Skinner"
And the deacon went out with a
groan.
1.-THE deacon don't seem to realize
that his boys is men crowd" said Mrs.
Skinner, as she rose to light candle.
Amt you most through with them ap-
pies, Ruth 7"
And Deacon Obed, plodding home
ward through the deepening dusk, with
the dead leaves rustling under his feet,
and the raw air biting like the stings Of
a million infinitesimal gnats, thought of
Ruth SINNERS rosebud face, and won
dered how it would seem to have her at
the Carey farmhouse for perpetual
blossoming Of brightness.
81 amt so very old, arter all, P" thought
Deacon Carey, "and there amt no law
against mans marryin' again, as ever
heerd on. But she's young and
skeery, and 1 must drive kind O. slow at
first. 1t was good idea, that o mine,
borrowin' her for Thanksgivin. Ruth,
Ruth, it's the prettiest name goiu', and
she's the prettiest gal! 1 couldn't think
o nothin' but the little strawberry ap-
Piles on the gnarly tree by the well,
every time looked at her cheeks. Be-
sides, she is savin' creeter know, for l
watched her parin' them apples, and she
never wasted grain, and she's worn
that brown caliEer ever since last
March"
And the deacon ehuckled as these
thrifty meditations passed through his
brain. .
1t was THANKSGIVING morning, chill
and raw, with the SUBMITS of the Adj
rondacks vailed i'll slowly drifting snow
flakes, and Lake Champlain shining up
with steely glimmer where the bend Of
the valley revealed its far-away surface.
The leailess trees seemed to stand shud-
dering in the blast-the pines and hem
locks, their needlelike foliage trans
formed into thousand moaning wind
harps, tossed their green crests to and
fro, like anguished human creatures
cropping blindly for help in some awful
strait Nature was chanting her Niser-
ere, and the grand mountains seemed to
listen in silence.
But the Carey homestead was all
alive with warmth and cheerfulness and
red freight. 1t was huge, old-fash-
ioned house, with great smoke Drowned
rafters crossing and recrossing overhead,
and curious wooden wainscotings half
way up the walls, and odd little three
IA n