Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-07-05
The Leisure Hour.
EZEKJEE'S C.sLCTL.sTxO.ys
CHAPTER /.

81 calk late ii means something" said
Ezekiel; and when calk' late, there's gin
orally a foundation for calk'lating."
Ezekiel touched up his grays as he spoke
and sat erect. The landscape spread out
before him was one of remarkable beauty,
but he seemed unconscious of its charms.
Ezekiel Pratt, owner of the finest farm, the
best horses, and the biggest barns in all the
country round, was calculating. This ia
vorite mental exercise absorbed him. Eze-
kiel was short in stature and thick set His
small, keen eyes glanced shrewdly from
beneath shaggy brows, and his small ears
were overshadowed by bushy locks OF
black, abundant hair. Ezekiel's features
were harmonious. He was accounted a
good looking man. He owed no man a
penny. By his neigbbors he was consid-
erod rich.
Ezekiel had been twice married. His
mother was at present keeping house for
him, and taking care of his children.
They were expecting company at Ezeki-
els house. Ezekiel was hurrying to meet
the train this bright, still morning in early
summer. Ezekiel's thoughts were busy.
"She never would have quit teaching and
come up here if she hadn't particular
idee, l calk'late. She amt the girl TO act
without a motive" and he refined the grays
around the curve of the river road, and at
the light touch of the whip they sped on
towards the Ossegatche depot.
Ezekiel was on his way 10 meet his pret-
ty young sistcr-in-law, Prissilla, who had
81, to 10 Il
be convenient 10 them TO have her come
and stay with them awhile. She had closed
her school, and if they did not write TO the
contrary, she would come and spend a lit
tie time among the hills. She wanted to
see the children and the old place. To-day
was the time appointed for her coming.
Ezekiel had done great deal Of calculat-
abstract of these calculations as he drove
along the rivers winding course.
"Just eleven months next week it will
be since Ellen died. Priscilla came and
took care of her then. Prissy showed her
self n powerful worker at that time, con-
sidoring the genteel way she has. She new
er shirked particle. She said she didn't
nough she wouldn't have come if she had
known there was so much to do. Still
Prissy was always willing. Prissy is one
of the willin' kind"
"Whoa there, whoa! Silas. Frisk cree
tur, amt you? Want a tight rein? Guess
Ezekiel Pratt can give you that. Guess
there isn't much he has control of that he
can't rein in
"Now Ellen was just about as frisky as
that ere colt, when / got acquainted with
her. She was pretty girl; always smil-
ing and saying smart word always ready
to go or TO come, to laugh or to cry. My
sakes, what spirit she had She had a
power of working, too ; l calk'lated on that.
We had not been married two years before
wasn't better working woman anywhere
in the county, If do say it.. She had sick
spells, but she worked right on, summer
and winter. She was the best wife in these
parts anywhere around. Steady at busi-
ness day and night, cooking, and mending,
and dairying, and tending babies, and ev-
erything looked as neat and slick as whis-
el sighed.
"Mother she's come to stay, but she's
getting pretty old, and things so to waste
considerable. Prissy's coming means
something, Pm calculating. She sets a
heap by the children. She knows there
amt such a farm anywhere about as ours Is,
if it is off the main road. She is a thor
ough-going, industrious girl. She would
MT be stopping teaching now, if it didn't
mean something"
The grays here struck the old plank road,
and Ezekiel, whose stiflened joints rebelled
at the iolts, braced himself and drew in the
grays.
"Now, Prissy, she's a stirring girl" he
resumed when he struck the clay road
again. "Uncommun good teacher, so they
say. The children need teaching. | be-
leve she'd make every bit as smart wo-
man as Ellen was. She knows how to tax Q
care Of the sick, too; and my rheumatic
begins to trouble me considerable. Prissy
took all the care of Ellen, and see to every
thing, and kept everything going on like
clock work
"Ellen didn't need a great sight done for
her, II is true. She kept up till the last
minute. Then the fever came, and Prissy
came and took charge Of everything. Ell
len didn't speak from morning till night
as she lay there. But then, she hadn't
been much of a talker for good many
years. | always rather discourage long
stories. They hinder work. So does q
great deal of reading Now Prissy Is most