Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-02-23
Don't Tell Betsey Jane,

ana Tor your iiie don't tell BetSey
Jane r
Mr.. Nichodemus Harding. having
uttered this caution in a low, earnest
tone of voice, alighted from Concord
wagon in front of his own farmhouse
door, and stood there few moments
in brown study, watching the figure
Of his brother in-iaw and lawyer rs he
drove back toward the village Of W,
whence the two men had just come
Don't tell Betsey Jane
Now, Betsey Jane was Mr.. Nico-
demus Harding's wife-a stirring. no.
table soul, who made more butter and
cheese. and took more eggs and fowl to
market in the course of the season,
than any other woman for miles
around. Strong, healthy, and hearty,
she ''made the housework fly" TO use
her own energetic expression and if
Nicodemus Harding owned his farm
that day, and was a well-to-do, in fact,
rich man to boot, II was owing in no
small measure to the skill and energy.
and economy and general goaheada-
tivencss of his Betsey Jane. What was
it. then, that the ungrateiu man was
not about TO tell her:
1t would never do. never :" thought
NicodeInus 10 himself, shaking his
head. shed be wanting new carpet.
or new silk gown, or the house all
painted over, or some such nonsense.
No, the woman is the weaker vessel,
| and It won't do to trust one too far.
Their heads won't bear it"
- Mr.. Nicodemus passed through
the house and out toward the barn with
the preoccupied air of hen who has
All egg to lay, and don't know where
she can hide it from the eyes of man
kind 10 the best advantage. The kitch-
en- was empty and silent rs he went
through it. But OH if he could but
have seen the buxom. good Hooking fe-
male who stole silently out of the pan
try. and as silently followed him on
his way toward the barn.
Mrs Harding came back in about
twenty minutes or 50, with a face red
with suppressed laughter.
Don't tell Bctsey Jane" she said,
glgging into her glngham apron. You
are very smart man, Nicodemus, and
my brother, Tom Moves. is another,
and lawyer in the bargain. Don't
tell Betsey Jane, indeed Two wretches
You deserve all You'll get pretty soon
Betsey Jane said no more, but bided
her time. \ week passed away, and
!
again 10 the door, and \icodemus
stepped into it, and was off TO the VII
lase once more. Betsey Jane had ashe,,,
IN vain 10 90. Nicodcmus was bound
ON ohlsIness-'. business which wnmnn
| could not understand, he lottily eX-
| claimed. lie, lord, and master, we'll
out OF sight. Bctsey Jane went about
derstand, with a merry twinkle in her
bright black eyes.
/ Al four p. NJ, Nicodemus returned
home again, lookin. quite as important
as. before. He tip-toed along through
/ the kitchen, Betsev Jane watching him
I from the corner of her eve the while lie
/ passed out into the she'd. \ fragrant
smell OF smoke came forward to greet
/ hln-Au odor Of burnin. corn and grad
uallv curing ham.
/ Nicodemu, turned lcathly pale, and
ran irantically forward 10 "A large fire
snouldsIins in the ash house, and Il
large ham or two covered over by bIan-
/ kct,, hanging placidly there. The yell
nc gave brought Betsey Jane from the
. house instanier, 10 find Nicodemus
grovcllln. before the ash house door.
weeping and wailing and tearing Ills
hair, and uttcring yell aficr yell ot de
-pair.
why, bless me, what, the matter
are YOU III nit: Let me run for the
cainphor. ,hrieked Betsey Jane
''Camphor. Bring arsenic. Bring poi
son OF some kind, poison-poi>on. r.
yelled Nicodemu-, tranticaIly Wom-
All, you've ruined me. Twelve thousand
dollars. in government bonds did put
IN that ashholc for safety, just week
ago, and you've gone and burnt them
To cook that cussed bacon. Pisom.
fison. Pisoa. Aud lot me out Of Til,
drcary wortd.
,Oh-so that was what YOU were not
going TO tell Betsev jane Aren't YOU
ashamed oi yourself, Nicodemu. Hard
irsE
->iSodcIuus Couiu not answer. lie
laid pro- trate iii the ashes and howled
Get up-and don't be a fool. :" said
Bctsey Jane. amiablv. II heard YOU
and brother Tim conspiring At the door
that day, and watched vou 20 10 the
ASH hole, and soon found cut what YOU
had hid away there, Woman is the
weaker vessel, no doubt, but she don't
put twelve thousand dollars where the
hat
il up, Here are the bonds, Nicodemus
for ten Thousand. I've Kept two for
my honesty"
Poor Nicodemus, lie gathered him
self up out OF the ashes, aud took his
bond--what was left OF them He
rather thinks it pays best, oil the whole,
now to tell Betsey Jane