Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-04-02

agin her, her clearing out | blame it on
to Miss Niddlins. She alwus had a dread.
fal faculty for onsettling Laviny."
Miss Phebc had contemptuous nose,
turned upward at the end like a sled run.
ner. 1t curled higher yet at this remark.
81 wish you had some Of my spirit,
Reuben Ilinkle," said she, coiling her back
hair with a rapid, circular motion, as If
she were winding herself up; "if you had,
you wouldn't 20 nigh Laviny for one while.
She's contrary, and depend upon It, she'll
be great deal more apt to come back If
you don't tease her III keep house for
you, so don't you be a mite concerned"
Mr.. llinkle groaned in answer As dough
is without yeast, so was he without Laviuy.
"lle needed her to keep him up," he said
pathetically, and though tortures would
not have wrung from her the confession, it
was equally true that Laviny needed him
to keep her down. Some leven is safest
hidden in its three measures Of meal. Ger.
tainly, 10 her husbands presence, Mrs.
llinkle bad been patient Griselda com.
pared to what she was, freed from home re.
straints. She fretted and fumed in an ex.
ploslve manner, raising an unwonted fer
mentation in the Trip household. She
hated his folks she hated Reuben for not
hating them, she hated herself for having
borne their interference so long, and declar-
ed she had not had "thetemper of fly
which, indeed, was quite true. But as the
week wore on without bringing the coveted
vision Of her husband at her feet, the oiTer-
vescence Of her mood was fast subslinq.
when the rumor that Miss Phebe was WELD
ing her domestic scepter agitated 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. They bad
been setting him against her. What if he
should never Gomez For the first time
this thought intruded itself, and in her
angush.she sought refuge in ths camphor
bottle. What right had Phebo in her
kitchen, so,acing Reuben with her delicate
cookery, when he should have been hunger.
ing in solitude after his wife? She declar-
ed such conduct would provoke saint
though she did not give her authority for
this conviction. One thing was sure, Phebe
should not have the washing of her tea
spoons and without delay Mrs Hinkle sent
u Juvenile Trip to remove these and other
personal valuables, choosing the dinner
hour for the errand, that the scenic effect
might be greater When Mr.. Hinkle vas
forced to stir his tea with fork, perhaps
he would be in more haste to conciliate
his wife The plan was well laid, but it
failed in the execution through the tardi.
ness Of little Joe, who, having n woodchuck
to attend to on the way, did not reach his
unclos till the remains Of the dinuer Law
cold on the pantry shelf and Mr.. Hinklc
was half a mile away at his afternoon plow.
ing.
Miss Phebe sent the spoons obedieutly,
inwardly resolved that Reuben should not
know of this proof of "Laviny's ugliness,"
for she was well aware that only her own
repeated assurances that Laviny would soft
en- toward him if left to herself, had kept
him passive thus far.
"Seem S if wasn't doing the handsome
thing not to 60 nigh her." he often said
81 wonder whether or no she amt count
ing on my fetching her ?"
"lf she comes OF her own free will she'll
be more likely to stay put Miss Phebe
would answer; "but try to drive her, and
you know what Layiny is"
Mr.. Einke did know, unfortunately,
and knowing, schooled himself to patient
waiting
Thus the days wore on and he plodded
through the spring work. cheered little,
in spite of himself by Miss Phebe's earn
est efforts at making him comfortable.
while Laviny, mortified and then alarmed
at his non-appearance, worried herself into
a course of exasperating sick headaches,
and in every sense shut out the sunlight
from the house Of the Trips. In the midst
Of paint-scrubbing Mrs Trip found no
leisure to devote to her complaining sister,
but left one Of the children to wait on her.
Mrs. Hinkle felt abused. When had Reu.
ben been too busy to bathe her aching tenn
Piles ? Little Joe made her nervous as
witch, aud one day she told him SO, and u
moment after she had the satisfaction of
hearing him say to his mother in the kitch-
en- that "hc couldn't get along with aunt
Laviny no how"
Why, that was just what Reuben had
said Reuben, who had never spoken hastily
to her 10 his life Was she an uncomiort.
able person to live with
'rain't in the power Of mortal man to
get along with you Laviny." The words
came back to her with the startling force
of proof text, and haunted her afterward
continually.
1t must have been in rhubarb time for
dandelion greens had gone by, when one
morning little Joe rushed in with the terrible
tidings that Uncle Reuben had fallen
ker-chunk from beam in the barn"
Mrs. Hinkle tore the bandages from her
head and started up.
Where's my bonnet, Susan I'm going
home 20
Maybe he isn't badly injured. Wait
till we hear further" urged Mrs. Trip.
| tell you I'm going home, Susan
Trip Where's my bonnet ?" and snatch
ing it up by the string, Mrs. Hinklc sprang
into the wagon just vacated by her nephew,
and drove away at doctors pSce.
Little Joe turned series of somersaults.
and then lay writhing on the grass in a fit
of uncomfortable giggling.
Didn't Aunt Laviny streak it shout
ed he. And Uncle Reuben wasn't hurt
a mite, but she wouldn't let me tell her!
Tee.hee-hee."
Tho no bones were broken by the fall, it
is fact that Mr. Hinkle found his two
hundred pounds avoirdupois considerably
shaken, aud he was actually, according to
his wife's prediction, camping down on
the lounge in his boots, when opening his
eyes, they rested on her frightened face in
the doorway.
"Why, bless your heart come right in,
Laviny," said he And she went in and
shut the door.
Five minutes aiterward, as Miss Phebe
lifted the latch, she heard her sister-in-law
say;
81 know | have hectored you awluly,
Reuben, but do mean to live peaceable
now, aud put up with your folks"
And Reuben answered, heartily; 81
havn't blamed you bit, Laviny. lknowed
twas Miss Niddlins' work But after we'd
lived together so long she might have let
us be till God divorced us."-Haryer's
Bazar.
A littla how uaa aant IN "a aha, inr enn,a