Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-10-17


was married but what little knew had
run wild since then, and 1 couldn't keep
the boys straight somehow; and the girls
didn't care about samplers, for the sewing.
machine had ridden right over every thing.
Then Jesse fell Ill o. the fever, and with all
the fuming and fretting and nursing of his
mother, and with all my watching day and
night, somehow he slipped off between us.
And found myself a widow, with the i'll
Jared, wasted farm on my hands, and moth
or Plumber drizzling and maundering af-
ter Jess in way to break my heart.
But kept up my spirits as yet, and ad-
vertised half the place for sale at the court
house for If we could sell 1t we should skin
through somehow on an acre or two,
thought.
Well, who do you suppose came over one
sunny afternoon as was sanding the kitch-
emf Who, to be sure, but John Stringer,
large as life-a little gray mayhap, and
little more angular, but keen and strong as
ever. He'd n use for that bit o. land, 1t
seemed, and had had his eye on along
back. always was wanting what wasn't
his" mother Plumber said. She owed him
a grudge for being more forehanded than
Jess.
1t took deal of looking after and law
yerng and surveying and the Lord knows
what to settle IL; and l used to see John
Stringer's STOPPING shoulders and broad
felt hat down just beyond the rise of the
meadow time and again. But he scarce ev-
er came near the door, till one day-I can't
tell how it was-when the settlements were
TO. be made, just took baby up stairs and
had good cry; for that bit o. land had
been Jesse's favorte piece, and mother
Plumber had been harrying me all day
about it.
"The ways o. Providence are so strange!"
said mother Plumber, laying her specs
down atop the big Bible, and putting on
that awful patient air which was wearing
me to skin and bone-"past finding out.
Now if Jess had married Sophie Mills that
was, and you"
But did not wait to hear any more. AS
] say, just caught up baby and went off
TO the garret. And while sat by the cob
webbed.window Mrs. Barrett-Sophe Mills
that was-went riding by in their new
SpIluS WdbOht ouC duu ncl uoSch
dren, round and rosy as barrel of apples.
Sophie nodded and smiled to some one
coming up, the road and looking along, 1
| saw John Stringer walking, thoughtful like,
| right up TO our gate, just as he used to
come in courting days-for John never had
any foolish ways about him. 1 saw Sophie
| look back at him as she and the children,
with their fiuttering ribbons and gay ging-
hams, disappeared at the turn of the road.
Then smoothed my hair and washed my
face and went down. The time of settle
ment had come, knew
"Mary Ann" said Johj, T., gravely, "the
law yer will be here presently; but reck-
on we can make it all clear in our minds
without his help. And Pve-Tve settled
it, in fact, that there are certain conditions
on which I'll take the land-if you agree"
Then I flew into passion. "You've
been long enough making up your mind,'
says I. "I don't throw my land at any
body's feet, and haven't asked any favors
of you, leastways, John Stringer."
"Soflly, there, softly - says John, put
ting out his hand. "Don't be in furry
little woman"
"John Stringer," says l, all in heat
"you're just the same man you was year:
ago when you thought was always fling
up every time you get out o. temper your
self"
"And weren't you, little womanP' said
John, quite gravely. "Don't women folks
always like their own way better than any
thing else?"
"You don't know anything about wo
men," 1 cried, "any more than you die
then. You thought 1 wanted silks an'
furbelows more than-than-"
"Than you did me-" said John; 'anC
right enough you was too, if you could ha
got 'em. always said so, Mary Ann"
"Any man with half an eye would hav
known BETTER" says 1, hotly.
"How9 ?" said John. His great bulkini
figure lifted itself up, and he looked at m
with those sharp brown eyes that used t.
give me start in the old times. "How P
he repeated, softly. "Do you mean to sa.
1 was mistaken years ago?" His b
brown hand was all of a tremble as he hell
it out to me. "Little woman, little wo
wan," says he, ''lets ha' done with 1t al
now, and let it all be as if II never was"
} Presently mother Plumber put her hea
, in the door. "Pears TO me that lawyer
making long spell of it," says she
"Bent you almost tired o. waitin' for him
| Mr.. Stringent"
"I guess we've settled it pretty muc
without the lawyer" says John, rising
and that's the condition 1 had to propose
Mary Ann-to take you and the meado'
land together!'
Aud he did.