The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-05-31

tnere he SOG anu cOreu appleS, anu
strung um, and we killed two birds
with one stone as neat as any thing
you ever saw. Joel had better be treat
ed i'm an everyday sort of fashion. In
your fathers present state of mind ii
won't do to waste candlelight and fire.
wood on him. And, Hester, you had
better stir up some fritters for supper.
The Square is fond of fritters. L han't
lived with him all these years without
finding out that good meal of victuals
makes considerable difference with his
feelings"
Hester knew her mother was wise i'm
her day and generatiOn-an expert
enced woman; so she set her wheel
away, and went up to her chamber
little, cold, neat room, with slOping
wall. The high-post bed was covered
with a blue and white worsted counter
pane, and looked soft and fluffy with
feathers. There was Il tail bureau with
brass knobs, and dimity-cOvered dress
ing-table, with Old-fashiOned fringcs.
The place was chilly, for it was still
March, and from her window Hester
could look down the valley road aud
see patches of snow in the angles of
fences, and along the borders of the
black woods. Not fufrow had yet
been drawn across the 'bilisides, Tut
blue birds were beginning to twitter
about the brown fields. Hester could
trace the winding road Joel was to
come. 1t ran past her sister Nancy's
place, and the, peaked gable of the
farmhouse, with three LOmbardy
poplars in front, was plain in sight.
She knew how Nancy slaved there
from morning till night-with scarce
touch of grace about her life-in the
service of somewhat coarse and lOut-
ish husband. She thought how Nancy
had lost her beauty and sprightline-s,
and had faded and withered, and
grown gray and bent before her time,
and the determination not to follow in
Nancy's footsteps rose strong in Hes
ter's bosom. She was hungry for u
different sort of existence. joel read
books, and played the flute. He took
an interest in something besides raising
stock, and fattening pigs. Hester was
willing to work, but to the end of max
ing her days beautiful and rich. Joel
could satisfy her tastes and feed her
affections. She meant that marriage
should make her more, instead OF less
as it did the majority of women about
her. She did not intend to sink to the
level of a husbands drudge, but to rise
TO the height of the helper and COM
panion of the man she loved
These thoughts went around in Hes
ter's head, not very cOherently, as she
slipped off her calico gown, and put on
one of dark green stuff, to the neck OF
In
she fastened with n knot of pink lib
bon, and smoOthed her curly hair.
Though her heart was in no small
fIutter, her cheeks were rosy, and her
dark eyes bright and glad with antici-
patton. nm
joel came driving to the gate. The
air was nipping, and spiteful gusts of
wind whirled along the valley. He
fastened his horse to the fence, and
blanketed him carefully. The boys,
Hestcr's brothers, had gone with lum-
ber to the village mill, and would not
be back until late, if at all that night.
The Squire was in the barn, tinkering
away at his sap buckets. The cold
weather had kept back the sugar sea-
son: but a thaw might he looked for
now at any moment. The old man
was short and stocky, with an eagle
face, and irOE-gray. All his mo'loils
were brisk, and his words exploded
something after the fashion OF fire
crackers. Not grim sort of smile
puckered the old face as he thought
that long-tailed gray of Herrick's, the
liyery-stable keeper, might stand there
i'm the cold till doom's day for him.
Then rub-a- dub-dub on the sap buckets.
Hester met Joel at the door demurely
enough. He was good-loOking, tall,
and slender, and unconsciOusly elegant
and refined i'm appearance. The young
man drew up to the fire with his over
coat on, and Mrs. Preston engaged hlm
i'm talk about the weather and the
neighbors. The kitchen was large and
light, with floor unstalned, ana
braided mats, and comfortable chairs,
and q great clock ticking III the cor
IIer. There were pots of petunias and
chen and chickens" in the window.
The bit of greenery made pretty
back ground for Hester, who, seated III
a low chair, took out her company
work, some Old-fashioncd lace she was
knitting which uncoiled and foamed
over her blue silk apron. She was
anxious as she glanced out at Joel S
horse, shivering under his blanket,
when the cold did not sting him into
positive uneaSiness.
The Young man still sat with his
oyercoat on, lingering his hat and
mutfler, while Mrs. Preston talked
away about Sally Miffin's cough, and
how the Selkirk children had all come
down with the measles. Hester saw
how uncomfortable Joel was, not
knowing whether to stay or go, so she
ran out with shawl over her head
set the long-taiIed gray free from the
fills as quietly as possible, and led hlm
info the barn. She knew all the inns
and outs of horse tackle, and could
harness and unharness as handily as
man. 1t was not lOng, therefore, be-
fore the gray was munching oats III
state. Tie old squire saw Hester do
this hioh-han,led thing under his very
nose. so to speak, and the strokes on
the sap buckets grew more savage tnah
ever. When the girl went back INTO
the house she was much relieved by
hearing her mother say: ..
az guess the Square has put up your
horse, Joel, and you had better stay to
supper, and spend the night with us. ;,
Hester had spread the tea table, moi
with the best napery and dishes from
the keeping-room cupboard, for her
mother had hinted that it would be
impoIitic to make any change on JoefS
account; but everything was clean,
wholesome. and appetizing. There
was the platter of sliced meat, the
snowy bread, and golden butter, and
the dish of clear honey and fritters
The old man came in, and gave sor'
of snort when he detected Joel sitting
! snurIy ensconced in a warm corner by
the fire. He drew his chair directly tt
the s,lpper- table, without reference tt
anybody present, and his shaggy gray
eyebrows met in twisted frOWn-al
wavs most decided storm signal
With something which emauated from
his throat between grunt and grOwl
he pushed the various dishes towart
the unwelcome lover. 1t is milo
statement to say that Joel was literally
on pins and needles. Hester's face wa!
very red, but she maintained hersel
bravely by the frying kettle, and in
few minutes slipped a fritter, brown
puffy, hot, with little sprangles ant
crisp bits clinging to its edges, on t.
the old gentleman's plate. His fac
relaxed slightly and a sort of juicines
crept into the dry wrinkles about hi
mouth. Presently two more delectabl
brown puffs took the place of the on
that had already vanished, and tn
Modified look stole up to the knObb.