Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-06-19
WHOLE NO. 1919

thing was sure. Phebe should not
have. the washing of her teaspoons,
and without delay Mrs. Hinkle sent a
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 was 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
through the tardiness Of little Joe,
who, having q woodchuck to attend
to on the way, did not reach his un-
cle's till the remains of the dinner Law
cold on thepantry-shelf, and Mr.. Hink
lie was half mile away at his after
noon plowing.
Miss Phebe sent the spoons obedi-
emily, inwardly resolved that Reuben
should not know of this proof of "La-
why's ugliness,' for she was we'll
aware that only her own private as
surances that Layiny would soften to-
ward him if left to herself had kept
him passive thus far.
"Secm's if | wasn't doing the hand
some thing not to go nigh her." he
often said. 81 wonder whether or
no she amt counting on my fetching
her?'
eff she comes Of her free will she'll
be likely to put" Miss Phebe would
answer; "but you try to drive her,
and you know what Laviny is"
Mr.. Hinkle did know, unfortunately,
and, knowing schooled himself to pa
tient waiting
Thus the days wore on, and he plod-
ed through his Spring work, chcered
a little in spite Of himself by Miss
Phebe's earnest efforts at making him
comfortable, while Laviny, mortified
and then alarmed by his non-appear-
ance, worried herself into 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. Tripp found
no leisure to devote to her complain
ing sister, but left one Of her children
to wait upon her. Mrs. Hinkle felt
abused. When had Reuben been too
busy to bathe her aching temples?
Little Joe made her nervous as a
witch, and one day she told him SO,
and a moment after had the satisfac-
ton of hearing him say to his moth.
er in the kitchen, that he couldn't get
along with Aunt Laviny nohow."
"Why, that was just what Reuben
had said Reuben, who had never
spoken hastily to her in his life! Was
she an uncomfortable person to live
with?"
"Taint 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 rheubarb time,
for dandelion greens had gone by,
when one morning little Joe rushed
in with the terrible tidings that Gun
Gle Reuben had fallen ker chunk from
beam in the barn"
Mrs. Iinkle tore the bandages from
her head and started up.
"Where's my bonnet, Susan? Tn
going home!"
"Maybe he isn't badly injured.
Wait till we hear further" urged Mrs
Trip.
Il tell you I'm going home, Susan
Tripp! Where's my bonnet?" and
snatching it by the string, Mrs. Hinkle
sprang into the wagon just vacated
by her nephew, and drove off at a doc
tors pace.
Little Joe turned series of somer-
saults, and then lay writhing on the
grass in fit ofuncontrollable giggling.
didn't Aunt Laviny streak it7"
shouted he. "And Uncle Reuben
wasn't hurt a mite, but she wouldn't
let me tell her! Tee-hee-hee!"
Yet, though no bones were broken
by the fall, it is q fact that Mr.. Hinkle
found his two hundred pounds avoir-
dupois considerably shaken, and 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 afterward, as Miss
Phebe lifted the latch, she heard her
sister-in-law say:
know have hectored you aw-
I. y u u ll I.