Connecticut western news., 1872-04-26

-" you can think how it was when you were young: how your heart beat, and your cheek flushed for just one man. You wanted to go to the worlds end with him, and not with another. If you saw his faults, you could forgive them, for your heart-strings were someway twisted and tied with his, and could not be undone. In those days, mother, you didn't think so much about the potato-bin and flour bar rel" .-..- -..r....
 " La, child, you go on to beat all," re- turned the old lady, drawing the back of her hand across her eyes. "The Bible says man must leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife, and I s'pose it's the same with woman; but I tell you, Hester, it's mighty handy to have worldly goods to cleave on to besides Ialways agree with your father on all p'ints. He expects it of me; and if he should say black was white, laws, I should say 80 too, but I think jest as I've mind tn in side. Ialways said no man should tyran- nize over me. A woman can squint round corner handler than a man can, and she can find ways of getting her will, and I guess Eve ruled the -roost as much as the Old Square has after alFs said and done l; but he don't know, and I wouldn't have him find it out for the world. don't say I shall enkerridge Joel, but if you have made up your mind there's no use argufy ing, for you're a reg'ler born Preston, and they all hold on like dog to root. l shall try to ease off things; that's all I can promise, but I must confess, Joel is a pleasant creetur, and you can't help hiking him if you try" 4ii.
 Hester kissed the old lady's wrinkled cheek rather more impulsively than was necessary, and then, in half-coaxing shame-faced sort of way, she said:-
 "Mother, I expect Joel ever this after noon, and l thought if you didn't mind I'd put little handful of fire in the sitting room stove.o .s Hi
 "No, you'd better not" said Mrs. Pres ton, decidedly. "Your father won't like to have any underhand courting going on It will only rile him the more. He and ] did all our courting business up by the kitchen fire. Mother thought it was econ. omical. Every Sunday night he came like dock-work (we used to keep Saturday night in them days), and there he sot and oored apples, and I strung um, and we killed two birds with one stone as neat as any thing you ever saw. Joel had better be treated in an everyday sort of fashion In your fathers present state of mind il won't do to waste candle-light and fire wood on him. And, Hester, you had bet ter stir up some fritters for supper. The Square is fond of fritters. I ha'n't lived with him all these years without finding out that good meal of victuals make: considerable difference with his feelings.
 Hester knew her mother was wise il her day and generation-an experienced woman so she set her wheel away anC went up to her chamber-a little, cold neat room, with slooping wall.
 Joel came driving to the gate. The ail was nipping, and spiteful gusts of wini whirled along the valley. He fastened his horse to the fence, and blanketed hin carefully. The boys, Hester's brothers had gone with lumber 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. Tn cold weather had kept back the sugar sea son, but thaw might be looked for nov at any moment. The old man was shor and stocky, with an eagle face, and iron gray hair. All his motions were brisk and his words exploded something afte the fashion of fire crackers. Now a grir sort of smile puckered the old face, as h
 thought that long tailed gray of Herrick's the livery-stable keeper, might stand ther
 in the cold till doom's day for all hin
 Then rub a-dub-dub on the sap buckets
 Hester met Joel at the door demurel
 enough. He was good-looking, tall, an
 slender, and unconsciously elegant and re fined in appearance. The young ma drew up to the fire with his overcoat oI
 and Mrs. Preston engaged him in tai
 about the weather and the neighbors. Tn
 kitchen was large and light, with a foc
 unstained, and braided mats, and comfol
 table chairs, and a great clock ticking the corner. There were pots of petunis
 and Chen and chickens" in the window
 The bit of greenery made a pretty bac ground for Hester, who, seated in 8 To
 chair, took out her company work, som
 old-fashioned lace she was knitting, whic
 uncoiled and foamed over her black sil
 apron. She was anxious as she glance
 out at JoePs horse, shivering under h
 blanket, when the cold did not sting hi
 unto positive uneasiness. The young ms
 still sat with his oyercoat on, lingering h hat and muff1er, while Mrs. Preston talke away about Sally Mifflin's cough, and ho the Selkirk children had all come dow
 with the measles. Hester saw how u comfortable J oel was, not knowing wllet CT to stay or go, so she ran out with
 shawl over her head, set the long-tailt
 gray free from the fills as quietly as poss ble, and led him into the barn. She kne all the ins and outs of horse tackle, al
 could harness and unharness as handily l man. It was not long, therefore, befo 7 the gray was munching oats in stat . The old Squire saw Hester do this hig f handed thing under kis very nose, SO f speak, and the strokes on the sap bucke
 grew more savage than ever. When t.
 girl went back into the house she " : much relieved by hearing her moth
 say: :-
 1T guess the Square has put up yo horse, Joel, and you had better stay
 supper, and spend the night with us.'
 l. Hester had spread the tea-table, n !. with the best napery and dishes from t | keeping-room cupboard, for her moth 7 had hinted that it would be impolitic ), make any change on Joel's account; @ everything was clean, wholesome, al
 appetizing. There was the platter of sl l. ed meat, the snowy bread, and gold d butter, and the dish of clear honey for t v fritters. The old man came in, and ga d sort of snort when he detected Joel s ting snugly ensconsed in warm corn t by the fire. He drew his chair directly :, the supper-table, without reference @ anybody present, and his shaggy gray ey d brows met in @ twisted frown-always I. most decided storm signal. With son s thing which emanated from his throat l. tween grunt and growl, he pushed a various dishes toward the unwelcome lo d er.> It is mild statement to say u :" Joel was literally on pins and needl