Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-06-20
Selttt storp.
HARD TIMES.
ny tuGUSrN LNRNEp.

Mrs. Fairman WAS = proud woman. It
She did enjoy misery; and she had NO in
tention ol letting Miss lIenslow know
that the family lived on canaillc bread.
Obed had been kicked in the chest by
Black Bill, who WAS trying to run with
The cart, aud now he lay on the bed in
the family bedroom. and Salome was
with him. Mrs Fairnmn had told the
men folks. more than hundred times
that they ought 10 sell Black Bill, but
she wasn't anybody to be considered, ana
no heed WAS paid to what She said
There was one satisfaction though; things
had turned out exactly - She had pre-.
dicted they would, and that was the
worst possible.
Now as she stepped away from the
stove where She had been carfully cover
ing up her little gray loaves with crash
towel, she glanced out ut the spring past
urcs that were perishing for want oi rain.
and here the cattle could scarcely nib
ble a moulhiul; and beyond to the hard
looking plowed fields, that showed ocly
the taintc>t simmer oi side green oats.
The wells were giving out. and the
springs that had never hci"rc hcen known
To- fail
Mrs Fairman'S face lad "a cut water
outline II WAS rhcuny and pinclrd NJ
the no>lrll>. anil tucked down Al the cor.
nrrs OF the mouth. Now, ~ she looked
at the cold. blcas, brown fields, taken
i'm connection with the canaillc loares be
hind the stove. il seemed plain to her
mind that there was a judgment upon
them, and in vague way She connected
the Judgment with Obcd, "who had new
cr been under conviction since she mat
ried him." and who had seldom stepped
/ his foot into the meeting. house at the cor
ncrs. She had read in the newspapers
/ that the drought extended over large
portion of the Western States. bu. it did
not occur to her that Providence was go
ing considerably out of its way to punish
Obed Tor his obStinacy and spiritual
/ blindness.
A man had ridden early in the morn
ing over from Salisbury with Whtcomb's
bill. and had threatened TO levy on some
ol the farm implements, and order
sherifl7s sale, unless it was paid IN ten
days. Mrs Fairman knew that Obed
was drained" of money, and the pros
pect of being sold out OF house and
home. a thing she had often predicted
would happen, seemed dismally near.
| Miss Henslow lived across the road in
a little house that appeared to be always
in sulks. Now she left her goose heat
l inc. and took section of Deacon Brode-
rips coat over her arm, with her big tail.
or's shears at her side. and went stoop.
ing, across the way. She had crooked
back. and hooked nose, with Il mouth
that hid itself in the big cavity of her
face, and which. some way. gave one the
impression OF gigantic owl. She ap.
peared to have three story throat, and
to speak out of the basement door. She
stepped over one of Salome's flower
beds. where the "stur;ions" could push
their heads through the caked soil. and
she gave sharp peck on the window
name with her steel thimble.
II got the iidgets setting alone" she
began, as Mis-. Fairman admitted her,
and sat down, aud let her poke bonnet
fall back. showing ring of snufiy brown
hair each side of her lace, done up with
n bio pin. "You sec dreamed of rats
last night, and it's always n bad sign
Tho last time it happened was just be-
fore Aunt Dolby Strong died. Seth Bar
naby and his cousin went up to watch
the last night. and they said Miss Pratt,
who'd been hired to stay there, set the
scantiest supper that ever was. Did you
hear about Hiram Walkers wife? She
was Aunt Debby's niece, and Is coming
to the property; and just as soon as She
got back from the grave, she went TO
counting over the things. and what do