Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-11-27

AND HOW IT BROUGHT HER A HUSBAND.
81 don't believe ketury would sell
that critter for its weight in gold. It's
cosset brought up on cream, ! tell
her, and as she is notional with nothing
but hens and live stock to keep her
company, it amt a wonder she sets
such store by what she's raised. That's
just how the case stands, Usher
The man addressed a. Usher was
leaning on a pair Of bars, that led into
Miss keturahs pasture, doing just " hat
the good book commands us not to do,
viz: "Coveting his neighbors' possess
ions"
IL jocks" said he, with his gaze fix
ed on pretty, frolicsome young ami
NAL, clean of limb and straight of back
with soft, bright eyes, like girls, ~
wish ] could contrive to yet hold of
that Alderney yearling; there amt
another ike her in the county, and Id
be willing TO fork down almost any
thing ketury might ask
YOU'D better not get your heart set
on it, said his brother Jabez, in tone
Of deliberate emphasis, common to
him. Il do believe kctury would almost
as soon give YOU herself, as part with
that yearling.'
just then the graceful creature in
the lot, with her white feet buried in
the rich feed, and 4 wisp of grass hang
ing from her mouth, gave a little caper,
and frisk Of the tail, as much as TO
say, YOU'D better believe"
Jabez the elder brother moved out
from the shade of the butternut tree,
where the two men halted to look over
the rail fence. IL must be getting
home" SAID he, "or my old woman viii
scold about my keeping the supper
standing. You hain't got any wife,
Usher, to fret if you don't come to
time on meals.
Jabez, a sturdy, bronzed farmer,
went trudging his way homeward with
his coat over his arm, and his checked
shirt-sleeves, and the red flannel back
to his vest showing. Usher however.
fingered in the road. lie was of diff
ferent build from his brother. not 50
square and thick set, but taller, with
cheeks following in little about the
mouth, bushy beard, and kind, grey
eyes. He fingered behind, half musing
on the words Jabez had SO carelesslv
spoken. Il believe Ketury would al
most as lives give you herself He
knew his brother meant nothing, but
the words were sweet TO him. 1t
seemed as though he had needed the
assurance of their truth for n long time.
There, down the road, which wound
a little, and clasped thicket of trees,
in the crook Of its arm, was the old
| red farm house where keturah lived. IL
was homely place. and no effort had
been made to fix it up; but its air OF
snugness suggested comfort and good
cheer. The sheds and out houses
struggled to the barn, or else the barn
struggled TO the sheds. There was
plenty Of shade from cherry and apple
trees, where robins and thrushes nest.
ed. The old caves were swallow-haunt-
ed, and there was q roomy, old-fash-
ioned garden. and patch of green
sward, sprinkled with white clover,
where keturah stretched her driving
line, and let her clothes hutter out
Monday morning earlier than any of
her neigbors. 1t was tidy old place,
and had come down to her fathers cs-
tate with few outlying fields, well
fenced and titled bit of timber land,
a good spring of water, and several
other blessings belonging to this sub
lunary sphere.
keturah knew how TO prize her in
dependence. There were few plain
rules she never transgressed to deal
fairly, to always live within her means,
and to make the most of blessings.
seemed pretty plain duties. She was
not supposed TO be friendly TO matri-
mony, and she did enjoy being her own
mistress, with an unlimited scope for
the exercise Of that which is known in
New England as faculty.
She was a woman Of middle height,
with bright, frank, blue eyes, a face
fresh in color. and dark hair combed
smooth behind her ears, and twisted in
a smallish knot at the back of her head
None of those chinyarns, as Miss he
turah said, for her. She was a world
too sensible to wear false wad on her
Uranium. She had been out just at
nightfall to attend to her chickens, and
to 10 see that they were all in the
coops, under the feathers Of the cluck-
ing hens. A little invalid creature, "A
pretty ball of down, with a sprained
ankle, she brought and put in a warm
basket on the mantle. There was a
shrewish wind blowing outside, al
though it was May. with blossoms from
the apple trees whirling down to the
grass. A small wood-fire snapped and
cracked on Miss Keturah's hearth, and
the lilacs were in bloom, and the door,
yard gay with jonquils and daffydown
d'llies. The dog and cat, sleek and
well fed, as dog and cat need be, were
lying on the hearth in their own ap.
pointed places, and there sat Miss Ke-
turah with a round stand beside her. in
the circle Of light from the genial fire,
sewing away on pair Of unmentiona.
bles for little Billy Shaw. Mrs. Shaw,
his mother, was poor, always in hot
water, with dreadful want of calcu-
lation and good judgment in her upper
story. 1t was either feast or a fam.
inc in the Shaw establishment all the
time. The juvenile Shaws had to 70
without their crust buttered six DAYS
in the week but if on the seventh their
mother happened to earn q dollar, just
as likely as not it was all spent in but
ter, and eaten up at one meal. Ketu-
rah deepised such shiftleness, but her
hands never stopped doing for the
Shaws.
Now, as she sat there, in her cheer
full and c0ntented loneliness, with the
big clock ticking in the corner, there
| came q knOck at tho door