The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-11-14
HOW z

The lessons, the grass, the reeds by the shore,
Apart q summer eysrmOre.
HOWE
Perhaps / am a little too hasty, lit
tie too ready to light up at a moment s
notice; but there are some words that
seem to me to carry an especial grain
of gunpOwder in them, and the above is
one o the sort To have a person.
after you've been through a long ex-
PLANTATION, put his fingers to his mental
ears and query you thus, or, worse still,
- HaO| ? Is too exasperating for human
nature to bear. But that is what John
Stringer did to me, bending his head
little nearer, and speaking in an absent,
aCgravatlng manner that tantalized me
beyond words.
You see, John Stringer and l were en-
gagged; we'd been engaged for long
time, and had perhaps got to be a little
too matter o course to each other.
We were sitting there over the fire,
after the cd folks had gone to bed. and
fell to telling him about Sophia Mills
wedding-her white silk dress, her
brlde-cake, and her bridesmaids frosted
all over to match it, and L ended this
way
But it don't make any difference.
John, to people that love each other:
all that's o no account than last years
snow drift. They could be married in
calico and hOme-spun, with their feet on
ra8-carpet like this, and love each
other Just as well "
How p said John, absentIy. He
was watching the Goals flicker up and
die out again, and picking up a stray
chip now and then to fling on the en-
bers-a fashion he had when he was
thinking.
Now, L had had the headache all day.
and guess L was rathre more tindeiy
than usual, though L didn't think SO
then; but when John bent his great
broad shoulders over, as if he hadn't
heard word L said, and, in fact, had
something better to occupy his mind. I
Just fired up, first, and then the blaze
died down into sulks, and when we part
ell that night john and L had had our
FIRST and last quarrel.
My heart did not misgive me that
when l saw Johns great tall figure 90
ing out of the door it was the last time
ned lift the latch for many year; but
so it was.
You see, held my head pretty high
IN those days, and l wouldn't show that
L was n bit cut up about it, so | paired
off with Mrs. Plumbers Jesse, a likely |
spruce Young fellow enough, but no |
more TO be compared to John than a
cOckle-shell is to a brigantine.
Oh, well, mother sighed, and tried |
right hard to bring us together again. |
but 1t wasn't to be.
John was powerful, muscular man.
and L used to see him go up the road |
many time when [ was out in the shed /
milking, and, Peeping out at him .
through the chiuks. I Thought his broad .
shoulders stopped more than ever, and /
his figure was growing more stalky like. /
Such an awkward fellow as John was /
came near rushing out on him once
with my sun bonnet ana nv sleeves
rolled up, and hinging my arms right
round his neck; but John liked to see
folks tidy, and never did it.
Jesse Plumber was the beau o. the
llaGe-dapper, neat and dainty as you
please; and Ill the girls thought I'd |
come to my senses when | ousted 'em
O jess. And by-and-by it was Jess
that came sparkling o. nights, and sat O. /
winter evenings over the embers. and .
he was so soft-spoken and pleasant that .
even mother forgot her vexation. CShe .
always set store by John, mother did \ /
Well, IN the spring we were married. /
jess and me, and l had string O. |
pearls and real silk bridal dress. and /.
felt kind o. lifted up like when the /
girls crowded round me and hoped I'd /
he happy. L hoped so too: l wasn't /
sure of it,
Remembering the days that came
after, l can't recall one hard word | |
ever heard from Jess. We weren't near
enough to each other to quarrel: we
were Just laid apart like two odd vol /
umes there wasn't any fire 'twixt us,
nor gIy thing 'twixt us, either love or
laughing, whereas John and | had al |
ways been bubbling over one way and
another.
L worked hard, for my silk dress and
necklace were all l had of riches. and
cut up the gown one day to make
cloak for the baby. You see. | cOuldn't
give mp my pride, and was Just as high
spirited rs ever. But our farm didn't
prosper, and Jess didn't prosper; and
Mrs. Plumber came to live with us. to
look alter things, she said; and she got
to pltyIug him every now and then for
marrying poor wife, and-oh, well,
what the use o talking ?-sOmetimes
couldn't help wishing John Stringer's
strong shoulders were at the wheel,
when l was working myself to death
morning and night for nothing.
Then when baby grew bigger took |
To teaching an \ Is c class as | used to |
before ] was married but what little | |
knew had run wild since then, and | |
couldn't keep the boys straight some
how; and the girls didn't care about
samplers, for the sewing machine had
ridden right over everything. Then
jess fell III o the fever, and with all the
fnnfrufr mud fpafN1Y,sv L..
mother, and with all my watching dav
and night, somehow he slipped off be-
tween rs. And i found myself widow.
with the Inflated, wasted farm on nv
hands, and Mother Plumber drilling
and Wandering after Jess III a way to
break my heart.
But L kept my spirit up vet, and |
advertised half the place for sale at the
Court House for if / could sell it we
should skin through somehow on an
acre or two, I thought.
Well, who do you suppose came over
one sunny afternoon as | was sanding
the kitchen? Who, to be sure, but
John Stringer, large as life-a little
gray mayhap, and il little more angular,
lEsJ keen, and strong as ever. He'd
use for that bit o land, it seemed, and
had had his eye on it along back al
ways was wanting what wasn't his, "
Mother Plumber said. She owed him
n Eruuge for being more forehanded
than Jess.
1t took a deal of looking after and
lawyerIug and surveying to settle it
and | used to see John Strmger's stoop-
ing shoulders and broad felt hat down
Just beyond the rise of the meadow time
and again. But he scarce ever came
near the door, till one day can't tell
how it was-when the settlements were
to be made. l just took my baby up
stairs and had good cry; for that bit
o. land had been Jess favorite piece,
and mother Plumber had been marrying
me all day about it.
1.-The ways o. Providence are so
etrauCc 2" said Mother Plumber, laying
her specs down atop o the big Bible,
and putting on that awfully patient air
which was wearing me to skin and bone
&c INST tiu1i1 " ont Now If less had