Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-10-08

Howl
Perhaps am little too hasty, little
100 ready to light up At minutes notice
but there are some words that seem to me
10 carry An especial grain of gunpowder
in them, and the above is one O. the sort. |
To have q person, after you've been
through long explanation, put his fingers
to his mental ears and query you thus, or,
worse still, :. Haow?" IS too exasperating
for human nature to bear. But that is
what John Stringer did to me, bending his
head little nearer, and speaking in an
absent. sggravating manner that tantalized
me beyond words.
You see, John Stringer and were en-
gagged we'd been engaged for long
time, and perhaps had got to be little too
matter o. course to each other.
We were sitting there over the ire, after
the old folks had gone to bed. and fell
to telling him about Sophie Mills's wed.
ding-her white silk dress, her bride-cake
and her bride-maids frosted all. over to
match it, and ended this way:
But it don't make any difference. John
to people that love each other; all that's
O. no more account than last years snow
drift. They could be married in calico
and homespuu, with their feet on rag
carpet like this, and love each other just
as WE'LL"
Chow ?" said John, absently. He was
watching the Goals flicker up and die out
again, and picking up stray chip now
and then to fling on the embers-a fashion
he had when ne was thinking.
Now L had had the headache all day,
and guess was rather more tindery than
usual, though 1 didn't think so then; but
when John bent his great broad shoulders
over, as if he hadn't heard word l said
and, in fact, had something better to oc
cupy his mind. just fred up. FIRST. anc
then the blaze died down into sulks, aue
when we parted that night John and hae
had our first and last quarrel.
My heart did not misgive me that whe'
saw Johns great tall figure going ou
the door, it was the last time he'd lift tn
latch for many year; but SO it was.
You see, l held my head pretty high il
those days, and l wouldn't show that |
was a bit cut up about it, SO [ paired Of
With Mrs. Plumbers Jesse, likely. spruc
Young fellow enough. but no more to b
compared with John than a cockle-shell
brigantine.
| Oh, we'll, mother sighed. and tried righ
hard to bring US together again, but
wasn't to be.
John was a powerful, muscular mar
and used to see him 60 up the roa
many a time when l was out in the she
milking, and, peeping out at him throug
the chinks, thought his broad shoulde.
: stopped more than ever. and his figure wa
growing more stalky like. Such an aws
ward fellow as John was! came nes
rushing out on him once, in my sun-bor
) net and with my sleeves rolled up, an
alnging my arms right round his nee
but John liked to see things tidy, and
never did it.
jesse Plumber was the beau o. the vi
e lage-dapper, neat, and dainty as 70
{ please; and all the girls thought hs
? come to my senses when l ousted 'em
o jess. And BY -and-by it was Jess th'
! came sparkling o'nigbts. and sat o'wints
evenings over the embers, and be was
: soft-spoken and pleasant that even moth
o forgot her vexation. (She always 81
e store by joan, mother did, Well. in th
K spring we were married, Jess and me, an
!, 1 had string O. pearls and real 81
q bridal dress. and felt kind O. lifted iii
e when the girls crowded round me al
: hoped I'd be happy.-I hoped SO too;
a wasn't sure Of it.
: Remembering the days that came afte
cant recall one hard word ever hea
;. from Jess. We weren't near enough
i each other to quarrel; We just laid apa
e like two odd volumes there wasn't al
;, fire 'twixt us, nor anything 'tw:xt US, eth
e love or laughing, whereas John and l hs
always been bubbling over one way Al
= another.
Il L worked hard, for my silk dress al
r necklace were all l had of riches; and
u cut up the gown one day to make clo'
II for the baby. You see couldn't give I
l. my pride, and was just as high-spirlted
1t ever. But our farm didn't prosper. Al
3 Jess didn't prosper; and Mrs. Plumb
e came t. live with us, to look after thing
J. she said and she got to pitying him eve
,e now and then for marrying a poor vii
t and-oh, we'll, what's the use O. talking
1t sometimes couldn't help wishing Jo
1t Stringer's strong shoulders were at t
% wheel, when l was working myself
q death morning and night for nothing.
e. Then when baby grew bigger took
,e teaching an A B G class, as | used to
,e fore l was married but what little
At knew had run wild since then, and
ID couldn't keep the boys straight somehow
a aod the girls didn't care about sample
~ - for the sewing machine had ridden RIG
= over every th .ng. Then jesse fell ill
y. the fever, and with all the fuming and fir
ie ing and nursing Of his mother, and wi
ali my watching day and night. soneht
j. he slipped off between US. And fou
= myseif q widow, with the i'll Jared, vast
er farm on my hands, and Mother PUNT
u drizzlng and maundering after jess in
way to break my heart.
N But KEEP. my spirit up yet, and
ID vertised half the place for sale at t
re- courthouse for if could sell it we shot
ID skin through somehow on an acre or t'
Ill thought.
ed Well, who do you suppose came o'
\, IN one sunny afternoon as l was sanding
Ne kitchen 7 Who, to be sure, but John Str
to to ger. large as life-a little gray mayh'
e. and a little more angular, but keen
1 :; strong as ever. He'd use for that Bit
ly land, it seemed, and had had his eye on
d, along back. always was wanting vi
Is wasn't his" Mother Plumber said. !
II :. owed him grudge for being more to
~ handed than Jess.
m no 1t took deal of looking after and ID
,e- yering and surveying and the Lord kne
i'm what to settle it and l used to see il