Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-09-12

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81 would be-" said he, "if there was
chance of my converting your And then
the Deacon said IL was about time fur moth
er to be looking fur him home, and new
or bid anybody good-by with better rel
ish
Whenever we come out of meetin', there
was Ferris standing in the porch, staring
with all his eyes and onst he asked ter
walk home with me in broad daylight
and Jest told him was going ter make a
call by the way, though ii want my habit
to be calling round Sabbath-day but you
see, it's a good bit of ground from the
meetin'-house ter the farm, and hedn't
no mind TO be wasting my time and breath
| in his service that way
He he'd house warming, too, little lat
er, and invited young and old, rich and
poor, and me and Jack among 'em; and
nothing ter do but must go. Jack said
there want no sense in my setting myself
up and putting on airs because a fellow
wasn't as putty as wax doll, when he was
good as gold, and the best match for miles
around and 1 might thank my stars If
such one looked at me. And so l went;
and wore the ugiest gownd 1 he'd, and
devoted of myself ter old lady Pettigrew,
while the young folks was playing games
and flirting, and pulling candy in the kitch-
en-. And she carried me all the way through
her courtship, and the children's mumps
and whooping cough, and Mr.. Pettigrew's
blind-staggers; and jest as she was in the
| fbinlr nf 1al inn | elisha Ferris
pushing our way, and my heart begun ter
sink inter the hollers ofmy feet, for knew
he was coming ter take me out ter supper,
an I'd rither hev starved fust! And what
do you think he did but walk straight up
to us and offer his arm todd lady Petit
grewi 1 was mad as fire, and glad of it,
too, if ever you heard of sch a case. But
l made it even with him when we came
ter go off. Says he, "Shall l see you
homer"
"Thank you," says I; and he began TO
crook his elbow. "But hev company al
ready" added, after keeping him in sus-
pense awhile; and so I he'd, only it was
nobody but Jack and his girl, Becky Har-
ris. Now Aunt Sophy he'd bin making IA
patchwork quilt, time out of mind-a real
Jobs trouble and every time she'd git it
out she'd tell you who he'd a gownd like
this bit, and who he'd aprons off of that 9th
er so it was a most like story book, with
more chapters than you could shake stick
at. Gineraton after gineraton was repre-
serted in that quilt, so ter speak, here was
a scrid that he'd belonged ter her great
grandmother. when calico was as costly as
delane, and there was a scrap of her own
baby -frocks, and yonder piece Of her un-
cle's wifes sis er's J.! In fact, twas as good
as regular genealogical tree, root and
branch and blossom. Aud I'd he'd no end
oftrouble with ii myself, fur aunts eyes
was failing of her and if I'd threaded one
needle, / he'd thousand and one, and
made knots enough an hour ter take me
across the Atlantic Ocean in week. Nc
matter whether was taking Off the butter.
skimmiug the milk, or trying out lard,
Aunt Sopby was at my elbow with thread
aud needle ; ter tell the truth, she was that
blind she mistook fly on the pantry wall
for nail one day, and set Ter work Ter
hang the milk straiuer on ii. The fly re-
sisted. Well, the jobs trouble was ended
at last, and l thought mine he'd too, as far
as that quilt was concerned; but, goodness!
it hedn't only jest begun, 'cording ter some
folks thinking. Nothing TO do but Aunt
Sophy must hev a quilting, and ask the
young men in the evening ter supper and
frolic. l hedn't nothing TO say agin that,
for l was as keeI after sport as the next
one, only 1 didn't mean that Elisha Ferris
should come inside our doors that night
thought the sight of his ugly face would
jest spie the whole fun. However, the
folks come in the afternoon, and used their
tongues and fingers pretty nimbly; quilted
in herring bone, and gossiped about the
good old times, when girls weren't so for
ard, and butter and eggs fetched more,
and about Miss Somebody's new hxinGs,
and Mr.. Totherbody's house-raisin, till it
grew DARK and supper was ready. Aunt
Sophy and had cooked up sight Of nice
things--roastcd chickens, made pies and
jellies and cakes-that did yer heart good
: ter look at, il l do say it. And by-and-by
the young fellows begun to pour in in their
Sunday-go-to- meetin' best, and standing
dickies stiil'er'n a Puritan elder. Phoebe
Snelling's young man, Tom Comstock,
Jim Jackson, and fine crowd; and in 9
minute or two who should come along
home with our Jack, as big as life, but Eli
sha Ferris Just give Jack a look that
was enough to take an ordinary mans ap-
petite away, but it hedn't the leastest eff.
feet on him.
Well, after supper they danced awhile
: Elisha Ferris played on cornet hed
brought along with him and Phoebe Smell
, ling was glum cause her young man dane
ed fore-and-atter with me and Aunt So
ply sat in the corner, and lived over hel
= young days, she said. After time some
r body proposed that we should hev gam,
of rolling the platter with forieits, and
great frolic it made, / can tell you and the
best of 1t was, when Elisha Ferris mad'
such haste ter catch the platter before it go
, done spinning that he stumbled over Aun
: Sophy's cricket, and measured his length
on the floor. l was that tickled | couldn'
keep myself from laughing right out
r though l pose it wasn't mannerly. But
4 was giddy as a windmill in them days.
"Im glad / can amuse you so well, Mis-
n Hannah Elizabeth" said he, Citing vi
\ very red in the face and not whit hand
It somer than ever.
> "Thank you" says /; you're allu
l oblging." But, you see the stumble CAV
him forfeit ter pay, and Ben Smelling h
! was elected judge; and he told Phoebe tt
h measure thee yalds of PINK ribbon will
@ our Jack, which jest set her young maj
5, and Becky Harris on tenter hooks AM
e then ter cap the climax, he sent Elisha Fer
% ris ter Rome with Becky, which sort {