Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-02-07

self "Lord to think of her hacking IN
in the night, and me not hearing her
And, Ezra, I'd take II kindly of you If you
would step in in the morning and tell me
how she rested"
Mr.. Trip consigned the bottle to his coat
pocket, while Reuben, returning to the de-
serted kitchen, which already wore mas
culine air, tilted his chair against the wall,
and listened to the dirges of the frogs, or
gave expression to his feelings by singing,
"As on some lonely building top
The sparrow tells her moan,
Far from the tents Of Joy and hope
sit aud grieye alone"
"a dreadful poor hand should be to sit
alone" commented he, as he shuffied about
to lasten the windows. "LaviDy is a mas
ter woman for making things lively. Some
'.'~ can't bear to lock ner Uut "a ~ ie
a fact worthy of note that the faithful neu-
ben, FIR the first time in his married life,
went to bed with the porch door unbolted.
If he had cherished vague hope that his
wife might steal home in the early morn
ing, he certainly saw no traces of her rul-
ing presence on rising Instead, the abom-
ination OF desolation reigned.
'Nttiu y IL L JuSi a "ihh
nothing inside" said the poor man, NOV
ing about the chaotic kitchen in a hushed
manner, like a person at a funeral "the
pith is all knocked out of me-"
But Notwithstanding this alarming in
ternal condition, by dnt Of burning three
fingers he succeeded in making a lumpy
hasty pudding for breakfast, and also cup
of coffee, which, by reason of the large a
mount of tish-skin that settled ii, bore an
unpleasant resemblance to chowder AS he
was sitting at this frugal repa,t his sister
Phebe founced in.
"Has Laviny left you. Reuben? 1t can't
be-"
Mr.. Hinkle nodded his head solemnly,
his mouth not being available just then as
an organ of speech.
"The worst is her own" stOrmed Miss
Phebe, raining a shower of hair pins from
her falling chignon. II guess we shan't
die on her accountr'
This reflection seemed to convey no con-
ISOLATION to Mr.. Hinkle.
"You never felt right toward Laviny,"
said he scornfully. "I don't lay this up
agin her. her clearing ont blame ii on to
Miss Niddlins. She always had dreadful
faculty for unsettling Laviny."
Miss Phebe had a contemptuous nose,
turned upward at the end like sled iun.
ner. 1t curled higher yet at this remark.
~ wish you had some of my spirit, Reu-
ben Hinkle," said she coiling her hair with
a rapid circular motion, as if she were
winding herself up; "if you had, you
wouldn't go near Laviny for one while.
She's contrary, and depend upon il she'll
be great deal more apt to came back If
you don't tease her. I'll keep house for
you, so don't you be mite concerned
Mr.. Hinkle groaned in answer. As
dough is without yeast, so was he without
Laviny. "He needed her to keep him up"
he said pathetically, and though tortures
would not have wrung from her the con-
fesson, it was equally true that Lavny
needed him to keep her down. Some leav-
Ell is safest hid in its three measures of
meal. Certainly, in her husbands pres
ence, Mrs. Hinkle had been patient Girls
elda compared to what she now was, freed
from home restraints. She fretted and
fumed in an explosive manner, raising all
unwonted fermentation in the Trip fam
| lily. She hated his folks, she hated Reu-
ben for not hating them, she hated herself
for having borne their Interference so long,
and declared she had not had "the temper
of fiy"-which, indeed, was quite true.
| But as the week wore on without bringing
the coveted vision of her husband at her
feet, the effervescence of her mood was fast
lOil xuh tha tbafM he
be was welding her domestic sceptre agi-
tated it anew. Pretty work it was to be
crowded out of her own home by his folks
She knew now why Reuben did not come
for her. They had been setting him against
her. What if he should never come? For
the first time this thought intruded itself
and in her anguish she sought relief in the
camphor bottle. What right had Phebe in
her kitchen, solacing Reuben with delecta-
hungering in solitude after his wife? She
declared such conduct would provoke a
saint, though she did not give her authori
ty for this onviction. One thing was sure
Phebe should not have the washing of hel
tea spoons, and without delay Mrs. Hinkl,
sent ajuvenile Trip to remove these anC
other valuables, choosing the dinner houl
for the errand, that the scenic effect nigh
be greater. When Mr.. Hinkle was forced
to stir his tea with his fork, perhaps he
would be in more haste to conciliate hi
wife! The plan was well laid but it fail
ed in execution through the tardiness o
little Joe, who, having woodchuck to at
tend to on the way, did not reach his un
ces till the remains of the dinner lay colo
on the pantry shelf and Mr.. Hinkle wa
half mile away at his afternoon plowing
Miss Phebe sent the spoons obediently
inwardly resolved that Reuben should no
know of this proof of "Laviny's ugliness,
for she was well aware that only her owl
repeated assurances that Laviny would soft
en- toward him If left to herself had KEEP
him passive thus far.
Seems if wasn't doing the handsom
thing not to go nigh her." he Omen said. I"
wonder whether or no she amt counting
on my fetching herr"
"If she comes of her free will she'll b
likely to stay put" Miss Phebe would an
swer, "but try to drive her, and you kno,
what Laviny is"
hr' hihhle uiu hho"' uhiortunatelS
and, knowing, schooled himself to patien
waiting.
Thus the days wore on, and he plodde
through the spring work, cheered littl
in spite of himself by Miss Phebe's earn
est efforts at making him comfortable
while Laviny, mortified and then aarme
by his non-appearance, worried herself in
to a course of eXasperating sick headaches
and in every sense shut out the sunligh
from the house of the Trips. In the mids
of paint-scrubbing Mrs. Tripp found N