The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-11-25

what mother was smiling about, yet she
kept her own counsel.
Next Wednesday afternoon score or
more Of ladies were seated in Squire
Mayo's parlor, with busy fingers and still
more busy tongues.
There is Mrs. Lano coming up the
walk !! exclaimed Mrs. Mayo, who was
seated at the window. Just see what a
wretched looking boy she is leading by
the hand 1t cannot be one Of her boys
for know they arc models of order and
neatness.'
Mrs. Shaw was too busy distributing
work to even glance out of the window,
Il forgot to tell you ladies' she said.
that my sister-in-law joins our society
this afternoon. The boy with her is no
doubt the one she spoke to me about the
other day as a fit subject Tor our charity.
| take considerable credit to myself, she
added complacently, 'for persuading her
to the step. Sister Lane is such home
body-so wrapped in herself and family
BY this time Mrs. Lane arrived,
Good afternoon, ladies', said she.
glancng around with pleasant smile,
you see Sister Shaw, that have kept my
word and did not come alone she added
as that individual fixed her eyes in undis.
guised astonishment upon the boy, whose
reluctant hand she held.
Il found this poor lad, she continued,
in au alley.way, playing marbles with
number Of vicious boys, who were utter
ing words that | shudder to think Of
The black eye he has got in fight with
one Of them, in which it appears he has
the worst of it. He is very dirty and
ragged, you see. But offer no apology
for bringing him to you in this condition.
as your society was formed for the bene-
fit Of such, and l trust that under your
kindly care he will soon present another
appearance
Twice did Mrs. Shaw essay to interrupt
the speaker, but shame and anger checked
her utterance, When she concluded she
spraug to her feet.
.Mainda Jane she exclaimed, do you
+ pretend you don't know that is my boy ?
F Your boy?' exclaimed Mrs. Lane,
sarting with well-dssembled amazement,
is it possible? Now that l look at him
closer, it does look like Johnny. But
who would have thought of it? | leave
it to YOU she said, addressing the other
ladies', If the mistake was not a very
natural one, ifever child stood more in
need of your friendly offices.
This assertion could not be denied by
Mrs. Shaw, who was completely silcnced,
though she was looking unutterable things.
This sharp but much needed lesson
had most happy result, as was evident
not only by Johnny's improved appear
ancc, but by tho increased comfort of the
whole family Mrs. Shaw learned what
, it is to be feared, too many forget, that
no object, however praiseworthy, can ex-
cuse the neglect Of home duties that, as
there lies the truest happiness, SC there
, are found the dearest objects of her care,
who have the first claim upon her time
f and affections
That HOop-SKIRT We had Il visitor
Saturday afternoon. He was square.
: built, heavy man. Whes he came in he
took a seat opposite us, and after pre-.
liminary examination of our features,pro.
pounded the following singular but rather
,. important question: "Did you ever hear
tell of woman leaving hoop.skirt on
the floor in front of the bed ?' We
thought over the subject for moment so
not to seem hosty in our judgment, and
briefly intimated that We had not any
knowledge of this popularity Of the sex
: "Well, nor | either, till last night" said
he. "And so you did hear of it last
night ~ we asked. II rayther think !
did. rayther think did," he repeat
ed. Then he pulled up his pantaoon lee
disclosing a shin.bone tina. looked as if i,
: had passed the night in a smoke.house
fighting flies, and bruise at the top thai
must have called forth the liveliest ex.
pressions of wrath when received. "De
you see that :" he asked. AS we were
y looking directly at it, there was posi-
$ bility that we saw it. and we answered il
G the affirmative. "Well, young man." h,
u explained, 1--WE got another one like tha
: on my back, and lump on the top OF my
: head, and tho gol darndest shaking VI
} generally you ever saw" He paused I
J moment to readjust his pantaloon leg, an,
then continued "You see was taken
: little bad in the night, with pain in tn
!, stomach. had been over to the fair Ian,
u must have eaten something that didn'
agree with me. | guess it was about
st o'clock in the mornin' when | begun t
d feel the gripin, | thought at first I'd la
II STILL an it might pass over but it kep
r Citing worse, an finally got up to loo
'e for the camfre. 1t was darker tina
n blazcs, ia favorite and pertinent simil
D. with tho masses.-ED., an l had to hitc
lie round kinder carefully for match.
I'd expect l got on the wrong side of the be
7e in the dark, for the first thing knowe
OF one of my feet catched in something, an
t. kinder pitched me ahead, then the oths
pc foot catched and pulled me up agip, al
ID then both legs got tangled up in the il
I'd fernal hoops, for it was the old woman
hoopskirt, an some of the ribs got atwee
a. my toes and smarted like thunder, al
ty when | undertook to move one way
would pull me back another, and so fina
ou y it got catched on to a cheer, an | SUI
ke denly went over to wunst, the cheer to-
It's an struck my arm across the foot. boar
nd of the bed, an liked to have wrenche
D. my shoulder of, an that threw me on
!. one side. kinder, an come plump wi
ID, the top Of my head agin the mantle, al
to. Jest made every timber in that house shal
ht as if thunderbolt had struck it. It's
great wonder it hadn't killed me /; as
Zee was, it set the old woman to screami
'r- like stuck pig an for two or thr
Oh minutes it made me dreadful sick an di
IT. satisfied. You can bet that when | g