The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1873-11-08

John, mother did, Wen, in the
'priK We were married, Jess and me,
nd I had string q pearls and real
Iilk bridal dress, and ! felt kind o
ifted mp Ike yhen the girls crowded
.ound mo and hoped I'd be happy. /
Aoped 70 too: ] wasn't sure Of it.
Remembering the days that came
lffer; I cat recall one hard word /
lyer heard from jess. We weren't
aear enough to each other to quarrel;
re were just laid apart like two odd
rolpmes; there wasn t any Ere 'tvixt
Il, her any thing 'twixt us, either love
b. lAugh ghing, whereas John and I bad
always been bubbling over one lHay,
t 'f.osfsd i hard, forr my my silk dress
md necklace were all ! had Of riches;
md i cut mp the gown one day to
make cloak for the baby. You see,
! couldn't give upTmy pride, and Was
Just q h9h-spirited Is ever. But our
farm didn't prosper. and Jess didn't
prosper; and Mrs, Plumber came TO
live with us, to look after things, she
nid; and she got to plying him every
now and then for marrying . poor
wife, and-oh, we'll, what's the use O.
talking? -sometimes ] couldn't help
wishing John Stringer's = strong shouI-
ders we're ut the wheel, when / was
working myself to death morning and
night for nothing. Jas Il. s-s...
Then when baby grew bigger ! took
to teaching an A BIC class as ! used
70 before ] was married; but what lit
tie I knew had run Wild since then,
and I eouldn't keep the boys straight
somehow; and the girls didn't care
about samplers, for the sewing ma
chine had ridden right over every
thing. Then Jess fell i'll O. the fever,
and With all the fuming and fretting
and nursing Of his mother, and with
all my watching day and night, some
how he slipped off between us: And
I found myself = widow, with the i'll:
Jared, wasted farm on, my hands, and
Mother Plumber drizEling and mau-
dering after Jess in sway to break my
heart. a.. s..9-,r, Nd ss.rsse.'Ts ..srss
But I kept my spirit up yet, and ]
advertised half the place for sale q
the Court House; for II / could sell il
We should skin through somehow on
ap. acre or two, I thought. qg; 81
Well, who do yon suppose came
over one sunny afternoon IS l was
sanding the kitchen? Who, to be sure
but John Stringer, large as life-a lit
tie gray mayhap, and . little more an
gular, but keen and strong hs ever
He'd Z use for that bit O. land, il
seemed, and had had his eye on il
along back. Always was wanting
what wasn't HIS Mother, Plumbel
said. She owed him q grudge for be-
ing more forehanded than Jess. 80
It took ! deal Of looking after ant
lawyering and surveying to settle j
and / used "a. see John Stringer'l
stopping shoulders and broad felt ha
down just beyond the rise Of tn,
meadow time and again. But he scare,
ever came near the door, till one day
I can't tell how it was-whsn the set
Elements were to be made. | JUS
took my baby up stairs and had !,
good cry; for that bit O. land had beeI
Jess favorite piece, and mother Plum
Der had been marrying me all da,
~
'The ways O. Providence are 9
strange!' said Mother Plumber, lay
ing her specs down O. the big Bible
and putting on that awfnlly patient al
which was wearing me to skin an
bone-"past finding out. Now if Jes
had married Sophie Mills that Wal
and You sfs,es,
| But I did not wait to hear any NOR,
As Isay, I just caught up baby an
went of to the garrett. And while
sat by the cobwebbed window, Mr.
Barrett Sophie Mills that was-wer
riding by in their new spring wagol
she and her half dozen children
round and rosy a. q barrel of apple
Sophie nodded and smiled to some on
coming up the road; and looking alon
I saw John Stringer walking, thought
full like, right up to our gate, just q
he used to come in counting days-fC
John never had any foolish way
about him. / saw Sophie look bac
ct him as she and the children, wit
their Auttering ribbons and gay gini
hams, disappeared at the turn O. Ii
road. Then l smoothed my hair an
washed my face and went down. tt
time of settlement had come, [ kney
Mary Ann" said John, gravel
"the lawyer will be here present.,
1 but ! reckon we can make it all Gle,
| in our own minds without his hel
And I've-I've settled it, in fact, tn,
there are certain conditions on whn
I'll take the land-if you agree" 50
7 Then I flew into passion. You,
! been long enough making up yo,
4 mind" says l. I don't throw n
land at anybody's feet, and l haven
4 asked any fayors of you, leastway
John Stringer." 3
/ Softly, there, softly!' says Joh
] putting out his hand. Don't be in
/ furry, little woman"
! john Stringer, says I, all in
heat, you're just the same man "
l was years ago when you thought
was always firing up every time "
got out O temper yourself"
And weren't you, little woman
said John, quite gravely. ''Don't "
| men folks always like their own "
I USS1a SuaA any tuIuk clSc!
"You don't know anyth ng abo
women?" / cried, ANY more th,
you did then. You thought ! want
silks and furbelows more than-th
! Than you did me-" said job
"and right enough you was, too,
you could ha' got 'em. l always sa
AZ Morv Ann ,,
ANY man with half an eye wou
have known better says 1, hotly.
Howl" said John. His great hui
ing figure lifted itself up, and he loo
ed atme with those sharp brown ey
that used to give me start in the Q
times.
"How?" he repeated, softly. 81
you mean to say I was mistaken yes
agoY His big brown hand was all
. tremble as he held it out to n
Little women, little women" ga
he, lets ha' done with it all no
and let it be - if it never was.'
Presently Mother Plumber put b
head in the door. Pears to me Ii