Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-06-14

grudge"
"Oh, I'll find out about that" and Mrs,
Mason ratified her dishes energelically,
while smile of pleasant anticipation over
spread her face, "you may leave me at Mrs.
Blunkeits on your way TO the store. She
has one of them, and I can find out by her
how 1t works."
"All rightr
And as the blithe, CHEEKY sound died a.
way, Martha Masons face grew radiant
with smile of proud tenderness, while
her voice was sweet with glad content as
she whispered softly to herself:
"How love to hear him speak those two
little words in his happy, satisfied way, for
/ know he means just what he says, in its
best and fullest sense. 1 don't care" she
added, with little defiant toss of her
head, "if Mira does slur him just because
he's man enough to treat his wife as his
equal. Iguess she'd be glad enough, poor
\ thing! If her husband would treat her
/ with little more respect than he does HIS
hostler."
| This was the nearest that the warm
hearted little woman ever came to blaming
her elderand somewhat uncongenial sister,
who, as the landlady Of the only public
house at the Corner was, in her own as
well as her friends estimation, a person of
wide experience, and rs such, capable of
expressing an opinion upon any subject
that might be introduced, of religious, So
cial, or political interest.
"There's your sister, Mrs. Watson, now"
remarked Mrs. Blunkott, who had been
enthusiastically setting forth the merits of
the new churn to her interested visitor,
"shc'd be glad enough TO have one o. these,
as heard her tell Crosshill, the other day
but Watson says it's all nonsense-this
idea that the old fashioned churn amt just
as good now as twas in our grandmother's
day. But tell Blunkctt that there's lust
as much sense in labor savin' machines for
women as there is for men, an if he buys
horserakes an hoes for himself, he needn't
begrudge me churn or washing machine,
that don't begin TO cost as much, an is Jest
as much needed, far's / can see."
"And that's where you're right" laughed
Mrs Mason, with an approving glance at
the article under discussion. "Thars Il
woman's right believe in, and"
"Just as I told Colonel Absalom, this
very afternoon" interrupted the other, too
much engrossod with her subject TO notice
her guests sudden start and change of col
or at the mention of that name, II said to
him, says |: There's my son Lias has in
vented Il new kind o. clothes wringer a
first rate thing, thatd make the work o
washin' twice as easy as It's now, an he's
| hppp trVipi ihic tbrpa 20 II typt n ma
on it, an ain't made out yet, jest for moth
in in the world but because taint man
labor savn' machine. But guess now,"
and her worn face frightened hopefully as
she lowered her voice to confidential tone,
she'll maze out, for the Colonel just the
same as promised, if he was elected, ter see
IL through"
"No doubt he will, them" was the hear
tily sympathetic response. "The Colonel
is a man of his word, so everybody says,
and there isn't much danger of his not be-
ing elected guess. And so,' with an ev-
ident relish for the subject, "you had a call
from him, too. lie took dinner at our
house."
"Did he ?" and Mrs. Blunkett looked her
elation, as she asked abruptly:-"Praps he
made you a present, too?"
"A presentr
Mrs. Mason looked bewidcred and not a
little curious. "No, he didn't give me any
thing. What was your present?"
"Well the present want no great thing
of itself, but it showed Ills good will, just
the same; twas a bag o. seed beans of Il
new kind that amt never been seen in this
country before. The Secretary of War had
some sent him from Chiny, an he sent a
few to the Colonel, for old acquaintance
sake, an lie was good enough to divide 'em
an bring us half. You see, he an my hus-
bands brother Jason, was officers in the
same regiment out to Mexico, an that's
why he come TO remember us, l s'pose."
There was II curious and not particularly
pleasant look in Mrs. Mason's eye, as she
asked very quietly:
"Will you let me see them? | have a
"To be sure-n jest minute" and has
tening from the room, she came back after
moments absence, smile Frightening
her homely face, and in her hand
Martha Mason looked, then rubbed her
eyes with Il bewidered stare, and looked
again. There, carefully, almost tenderly
balanced upon Mrs. Blunke.rs broad palm
land the visitor caught her breath with
an odd mixture of indignation and amuse-
menD that identical "calico-bag' that she
had herself bestowed upon her parting
guest only few hours before.
"Theyre rather an odd lookin' beam"
remarked Mrs. Blunkett innocently un-
conscious of her friends agitation, and
carefully producing few from the depths
of the bag, she held them out for inspec-
lion, with such an air of proud satisfaction
that the comicality OF the whole affair over
came for the moment, all of the others
chagrin, and laughing outright, she said
bluntly, in reply to Mrs. Blunkett's look
of half angry inquiry:
"Those beans never saw China, they're
some that grew in our garden, and j gave
them to Col. Absalom, myself, this very
day, because he pretended he wanted tC
raise some of them himself"
Mrs. Blunkett looked first incredulous
then angry.
"The old humbugw she exclaimed
wrathfully; then, with natural graspinl
at "straws;" "But are you sure that these
are the ones?"
) "Certainly," and Mrs. Mason's tone soft
oned, as she passed her hand with an in
voluntary caress over the little sachel.
"This bag was''-(she paused for a mo
, ment, 1t was not easy to speak that dear
name then and there, and she added hasti
ly:) at was made of piece of one ofgrand
mother Masons gowns. / should know il
in Guinea"
Mrs. Blunkett gave a grim smile of ac
! knowlegment.
"The rascal won't make much by thi'
caper tell you. A man that'll lie about {
, rint NJ heans will lie about bigger matters