National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-04-19
TIE JUDGES BOND.


If you don't work lively, Hester, you
won't make your ten knots to day"
Hester stopped short IN her work. and
the buzzing ofthe big wheel ceased. There
was a mass Of soft rolls, and the brown
reel by her side, with the results of her
morning labors in blue stocking-varn.
She held the wheel firm in one hand and
in the other long slender thread attach.
ed to the spindle.
"Well, mother" said she, quietly turn.
ing her face toward the window, IL sup
pose the sun will rise and set Just the
same If don't spin my ten knots aday."
81 s'pose it y ill.," said Mrs. Preston.
She was a spare old lady, and sitting with
her back bent to the shape of the rocking
chair hooped over.s Her sharp elbows
struck out, and her rather large and coarse
shoes projected beyond the skirt of her
gown. "You know your father likes to
see things moving indoors and out" she
went on, holding her knitting needles
suspended. Gle hates lazy folks like
Canada thistles.n
And | hate to be driven as if was
pack horse retorted Hester, almost Bit
terly. | tell you, mother, | won't wear
my life out digging and drudging as you
have yours"
La, Hester, how you do talk. never
thought was brought into the world for
nothing but to cook three meals of vic.
tuals day, and to tend to the dairy work.
Now, you make fuss because you have
a little chore Of stocking yarn to spin;
but it amt so many years since ! made all
the cloth for the family wear, and did
every stitch of my own sewing at night.
Why. that year your father was sent up
to the Legislature | made him set of
twelve fine shirts. lie was perty pertick-
erler IN them days; and j did all the
stitching, after the rest of the folks had
gone to bed, with my foot on the cradle.
Sylvester was baby then, and dreadful
hectoring child. Every day wove full
stent on linsey wolsey, for it was almost
impossible to hire help; and got up reg
ular at tive in the morning and MIXED
four COW 1efore went about breakfast
What is the use of having q soul if
you've got to slave in that way I" said
Hester as she gave a little sharp jerk, and
be a machine and done with it"
81 don't expect you'll do as | have
DONE responded the old lady with a sigh.
Folks shirk nowadays to beat all.
Your father, when he was younger was
dreadful driving man. Folks must keep
doing as long as they could stand and
none of his boys now can begin to do
days work equal to his'r. don't s'pose
you mean to follow your sister Nancy,
either, for she has had pretty hard row;
but tell you what, Hes er, you'll have to
run off more than ten knots of stocking
yarn a day if you marry Joel Selfrdge,
tor he haint got q mite OF ambition. He
makes me think of my old speckled hen
setting out there on chany eggs. | should
MT be a mite surprised to hear Joel begin
to cackle; and don't see where he gets
his shiftlessness from, for there's the
Jedge, his brother, reg Ter money catch
er, smooth, and plausible, and lily, but with
his eye always ont for business. 'spose,
Hester, you've bout made ny your mind
to take Joel, for you don't seem to favor
and other young man, and he's been com
ing here stiddy for the last year. Your
father says it costs him four quarts of oats,
and two or three good square meals every
week, and he talks about sending bill
for board and horse feed in TO the Jedge.
You know he will never give his consent,
and tell you again, Hester, if you mean
to marry Joel Sefridge, you and work
had better not fall out"
Mother" said Hester, with troubled
face, leaving her wheel, and going over by
the hearth, "you do Joel injustice. 1t is
fathers opposition that makes him neglect
his business, and takes the spirit out OF
him. If he could marry me he would be-
come another man."
Hester" said the old lady, emphasiz-
ing her words with her knitting-needles,
whats bred in the bone will come ont
In the flesh. You cant make the whistle
out of a pigs tail
There's good stuff in Joel" cried Hes
ter, her color rising, and eyes flashing.
" If the whole world was against him I'd
stand true. Folks may say what they
have mind to, but give Joel a chance,
and he will show that lie can support
family, and be a man among men,
liity. tity!" retorted the old lady, in
credulously. "IIain't the Jedge boosted
him, and KEEP boosting of him, and now
he's sot him up in the drug business, and
every few davs he locks the shop and
comes over here a courting, and Bassett
gets all his custom. tell you, Hester,
when | was your age | wouldn't have
looked at young man that fooled around
when he ought to have been TO work.
Love is good thing in its place, when it's
got house and garden spot free of in
cumbrance, and plenty of firewood, and a
full meal chist and -four barrel attached
to it, but it never was meant to go alone.
Hester hung her head. Her mother
had the good hard sense on her side, and
she had only the faith of love TO Offset it.
She did not say what she thought. tina,
the chance Joel needed was herself; bu,