Connecticut western news., 1872-04-26
FIFE JUDGES BOND.

PHE JUDGES BOND.
 elf you don't work lively, Hester, you won't make your ten knots to day"
 Hester stopped short m her work, and the buzzing of the big wheel ceased. There was Q mass of soft rolls, and the brown reel by her side, with the results of her morning labors in blue stooking-yarn. She held the wheel firm in one hand, and in the other a long slender thread attach ed to the spindle. vg lg sri
 "Well, mother" said she, quietly turn ing her face toward the window, "I sup pose the sun will rise and set just the same if don't spin my ten knots a-day." I s'pose it will," said Mrs. Preston. She was a spare old lady, and sitting with her back bent to the shape of the rocking chair hoped over. 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. "He hates lazy folks like Canada thistles.''
 "And hate to be driven as if was a pack-horse," retorted Hester, almost bit terly, " tell you, mother, I won't wear my life out digging and drudging as you have yours."
 La, Hester, how you do talk. I never thought was brought into the world for nothing but to cook three meals of Yio- tuals day, and to tend to the dairy work. Now, you make fuss because you have a little chore of stocking yarn to spin 1; but it ain't 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 I made him set of twelve fine shirts. He was perty pertick- erler Tn them days; and 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 I woye a full stent on linsey wolsey, for it was almost impossible to hire help; and got up reg ular at five in the morning and mixed four COWS before 1 went about breakfast ' What is the use of having a soul il you've got to slave in that way? ?" said Hester, as she gave a little sharp jerk, and broke her thread. You might as well be a machine and done with it.''
 Il 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 keel doing as long as they could stand anc none of his boys now can begin to do days work equal to his'c. I don't s'post you mean to follow your sister Nancy either, for she has had pretty hard row but tell you what, Hester, you'll have tC run off more than ten knots of stocking yarn day if you marry Joel Selfridge tor he haint got mite ot ambition. H, makes me think of my old speckled heI setting out there on chany eggs. shoul, mt be mite surprised to hear Joel begil to cackle; and don't see where he get his shiftlessness from, for there's tn Jedge, his brother, reg'ler money catch CT, smooth, and plausible, and fly, but wit his eye always out for business. l 'spose Hester, you've bout made uy your min to take Joel, for you don't seem to favo any other young man, and he's been com ing here stiddy for the last year. You father says it costs him four quarts of oats and two or three good square meals ever week, and he talks about sending bi for board and horse feed in to the Jedge You know he will never give his consen and l tell you again, Hester, if you mea to marry Joel Selfridge, you and wor had better not fall out"
 Mother" said Hester, with trouble face, leaving her wheel, and going over b the hearth, "you do Joel injustice. It fathers opposition that makes him neglet his business, and takes the spirit out him. If he could marry me he would b, come another man. t4
 "Hester," said the old lady, emphasi ing her words with her knitting needle "what's bred in the bone will como ot Tn the flesh. You can't make the whist cut of pigs tail"
 "There's good stuff in Joel" cried He ter, her color rising, and eyes fashin |" If the whole world was against him I stand true. Folks may say what the have mind to, but give Joel chanc and he will show that he can support family, and be man among men,"
 Hity, tityp retorted the old lady, il credulously. "Hain't the Jedge booste him, and kep' boosting of him, and no he's sot him up in the drug business. ar every few days he locks the shop ar comes over here courting, and Base gets all his custom. tell you, Heste when I was your age Iwouldn't .ha, looked at @ young man that fooled arour when he ought to have been to wor Love is good thing in its place, when il got a house and garden spot free of i cumbrance, and plenty of firewood, and full meal chist and flour barrel attach, to it, but it never was meant to go alone
 Hester hung her head. Her moth had the good hard sense on her side, al she had only the faith of love to offset She did not say what she thought, th the chance Joel needed was herself; she leaned against the chair, and touch her mothers gray head, and her voice W pleading and eager.
 70, mother," said she, "don't you against me. shall never come back be ging to the old door, but when I lea home want to have all things pleasal and not give the neighbors . chance talk. Aother"-and suddenly the g