Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-08-18
Uncle Johns Visit.

with the looks of your place" said Uncle
John, as he was walking out with his
nephew one sunshiny morning, "some-
thing is wrong somewhere. Let us look
into the business little"
"The fact is, Uncle, l haven't pros
pered as l ought to" said Fred, with a
drawl. " 1t costs great deal to live
Kate has to have girl most all the
time"
"That's very proper" said Uncle john
ga young mother, with feeble health,
and 50 much work to do, ought to keep
a girl. You would think it hard if she
expected you to reap all your fields, hoe
all your corn and potatoes, and carry on
the whole farm work alone, besides being
up half or all the night with sick baby
two or three times week"
{" don't know how it is" said Fred,
but half the neighbor's wives get along
without hired girl"
"Well, don't half of them have sis
ter, mother or grown up daughter or two
who do more of the work than two hired
girls"
MAY be so, said Fred.
"May be so !" said Uncle John, wrath
fully. =" Knock that consumate pipe out
of your mouth, and hear TO reason."-
The old mans stout cane gave the favor
ite meerschaum rap that sent it flying
into stone heap, The pieces left wern't
worth saving. Fred would have been
angry enough if he had dared but
there were great expectation" from
Uncle John; so he smothered his wrath.
Fred" he said, looking him over, :"
should like to collar you as l did when
you were boy, and shake some sense
into you. 1t would do you good"
Fred moved off pace or two as if he
was afraid he would Try it.
Here you are letting your fences 60
to the bugs, and smoking your pipe
around your fields, loosng, I'll venture,
three days out OF six, as a rule i; and
then laying your want of thrift and pros
perity on your delicate wlte's shoulders
You are meaner than Adam was. From
my obsel walton in the week | have been
here, / should say, if it hadn't been for
your wife the sheriff would have sold you
out long age"
"Uncle john" said Fred, expostula-
tingly.
/ mean it, my boy, and 1 am hearth
ly ashamed of you. All the thrift and
economy here, centers in Katy; and that
is all the thanks she gets for it. She's
more patience with you, shiftless man,
than l have, can tell you. Now, unless
you right about face, and treat your wife
better in the first place, and become more
economical and industrious yourself, you
will never see dollar of Uncle John
money. won't encourage such miser-
able shirk."
z" It's pretty plain talk, anyway"
grumbled Fred
You needed it long ago. You have
blamed your bad luck SO long on your
wife, that you really began to believe
| lie. Before | go l will see that she has
few conveniences in the shape of a
washing machine, wringer and sewing
| machine but not djllar will | help
you to, until | see that you deserve it
There, you may put that in your pipe |
and smoke it, and see how you come |
out.
Uncle John was efectually "riled,
that Fred saw plainly, and he knew that
words would only stir him up more
Secretly he was we'll enough pleased to
have mis- wife praised and appreciated,
even though his uncle was so hard on
him. His inner eyes too, oegan TO be
opened, and he wondered if he had not
been somewhat to blame himself for his
want of success. If he had any suspi
cons of this nature, he had abundant
opportunities of opening his eyes still
wider during Uncle Johns visit. He
spared no pains to enlighten him. Katy,
with a true woman's love, s,ught to
shield and excuse him d" he hadn't be, u
well" and all that, but Uncle John de-
clared that be never would be well until
he gave up poisoning his blood with to-
bacco.
On the whole, the visit did great good
Katy took heart. now that her added con-
veniences saved her so much hard drudg-
cry, and she encouraged the lazy Fred to
turn over a new leaf. When Uncle Johns
next yearly visitation came around, he
found the prospects of the household
greatly improved, and his nephew no
longer slave to the weed Country
Gentlemen.
APPLE JELLY.-Pare, quarter and
completely remove the core of the ap-