The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-05-12


tied to stake, than marry for hum -
So Captain Ben went home without
engaging either wife our housekeeper
And the first thing he saw was Cap
tain Jacob Doolittle's old one-eyed horse
eating the apples Loixah Mullers had
strung and festooned from nails against
the house, to dry.
The next thing he saw was, that,
having left a window open, the hens
had flown in and gone to housekeeping
on their own account. But they were
not, like Mrs Davids, as neat as a new
cent, and not, also, such master hands
to save.
"Shoo! shoo Get out. Go long
thare with you !" cried Captain Ben,
waving the dish-cloth and the poker.
81 declare for t | most had MT ought
to have left that bread out on the table.
They've made pretty mess of it, and
it is every spec there is in the house,
too. Well, must make a doc of po-
tatoes for supper, with a bit Of pie and
a mouthful of cake"
Accordingly he went to work build
ing fire that would MT burn. Then,
forgetting the simple matter of damp
ers, the potatoes would MT bake. The
tea-kettle boiled over and cracked the
stove, and after that boiled dry and
cracked itself Finally the potatoes
fell to baking with SO much ardor they
overdid it and burnt up And, last Of
all, the cake7jar and pie-cupboard prov
ed to be entirely empty. Loizah had
left on the eve of baking-day.
"The old cat! Well, I'd just as
soon live on slaPjacks a SPELL" said
Captain Ben, when he made this dis
covery.
But even slapjacks palled on his pal
ate, especially when he had them al
ways to cook for himself.
"'T amt no way to live, this amt"
said he at last "Tm a good mind to
marry as ever / had 10 eat"
So he put on his ha tand walked out.
The first person he met was Miss Persis
Tame, who turned her back and fell to
picking thoroughwort blossoms as he
came up. ..
"Look a here" said he, stopping
short, "Pm dreadful put to It. l can't
get ne'er wife nor ne'er hOusekeep-
er, and am e'enamost starved to death.
| wish you ,Oould 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 smet of the thorougwort
blossoms.
ut comes pretty sudden on me-" she
replied. 81 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 l don't know anybody
that has her ways more than you have.
You are a good deal such built wo-
man, and you have the same hitch to
your shoulders when you walk. You've
got something the same look to your
eyes, too; | noticed it last Sunday
in meeting-time," continued the wild
over, anxiousl y.
81 do feel for you. A man alone is
in a deplorable situation" replied Miss
Tame. "rm sure Id do anything in
my power to help you"
.'Well, marry with me then. That
is what l want. We could be real
comfortable together. I'll go for the
license this minute, and well be mar
red right away," returned the impa-
tient suitor. "YOu go up to Elder
Cranes, and I'll meet you there as soon
as can fetch around"
Then he hurried away, without Civ
ing me chance to say no." said
"she that waS' Persis Tame, afterward.
$50 had to marry with him, as you
might say. But I've never seen cause
to regret 1t. I've got a frstrate of a
hum, and Captain Ben max es first
rate Of husband And no hain't be, /
hope, found cause to regret it," she
added, with a touch of wifely pride;
"though do expect he might have had
his pick among all the single women at
the Point; but out Of them all he chose
ana -