The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-02-14

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anew. Pretty work IT was, to be crowded
out of her own home by his folks She
! knew now why Reuben did not come.
They had been setting him against her.
! What if he should never come? For
the first time this thought intruded
itself, and in her anguish she sought
rekef in the camphor bottle What
right had Phebe IN her kitchen, solacing
Reuben with deIectable cookery, when
he should have been hungering IN soil
tude after his wife j.? She declared such
conduct would provoke a saint. though
she did net give her authority for this
conviction. One thing was sure, Phebe
should not have the washing of her tea
spoons, and without delay Mrs. Hinkle
sent juvenile Tripp to remove these
and other valuables, choosing the dinner
hour for the errand, that the scenic
effect might be greater. When Mr..
Hinkle was forced to stir his tea with a
fork, perhaps he would be in more
haste to conciliate his wife The plan
was well laid; but it failed in the exc
cution through the tardiness of little
Joe, who, having wOodchUck to attend
to on the way, did not reach his uncle's
till the remains Of the dinner lay cold
on the pantry shelf, and Mr.. Hinkle was
half mile away at his afternoon plowing.
Miss Phebe sent the spoons obedient-
ly, inwardly resolved that Reuben
should not know of this proof of LA
why's ugliness, Z" for she was well aware
that only her. own repeated assurances
that Laviny would not soften toward
him if left to herself had kept him pas
sive thus far.
"Seem's if wasn't doing the hand
some thing not to go nigh her, he often
said. "I wonder whether or no she
amt counting on my fetching her p
"If she comes of her free-will she'll
be likely to stay put, Miss Phebe
would answer; "but try to drive her,
and you know what Layiny is. "
Mr. Hindle did know, unfortunately,
and, knowing. schoOied himself to pa
tient waiting
Thus the days wore on, and he
plodded through the spring work,
cheered little In spite of himself by
Miss Phebe's earnest efforts at making
him comfortable, while Layiny, morti-
fed and then alarmed by his non-appear-
anee, worried herself into a course of
exasperating sick-headaches, and In
every sense shut out the sunlight from
the house of the Trips. In the midst
of paint-scrubbing Mrs. Tripp found no
leisure to devote to her complaining sis
ter, but left one of her children TO wait
upon her. Mrs. Hinkle felt abused.
When had Reuben been too busy to
bathe her aching temples? Little Joe
made her nervous as a witch, and one
day she told him so, and a moment
after had the satisfaction of hearing |
him say to his mother in the kitchen |
that he couldn't get along with Aunt
Lsviny nohow."
Why, that was just what Reuben had |
said Reuben, who had never spoken |
hastily TO her in his life Was she an
person TO live with?
"'Tain't in the power of mortal man
to get along with you, Laviny." The |
words came back to her with the smart
ing force of proof-text, and haunted |
her afterward continually.
It must have been in rhubarb time, |
for dandelion greens had gone by, when
one morning little Joe rushed IN with
the terrible tidings that "Uncle Reu-
ben had fallen ker-chunk from beam |
IN the barn"
Mrs. Hinkle tore the bandages from
her head and started up.
Where's my bonnet, Susan? I'm
going home p
Maybe he isn't badly injured. Wait
bill we hear further, urged Mrs. Tripp.
''I tell you I'm going home, Susan
Trippl Where's my bonnet?" and
snatching it by the string, Mrs. Hinkle
sprang into the wagon Just vacated by
her nephew, and drove away at a doc
tors pace.
Little Joe turned a series of soner-
saults, and then lay writhing on the
grass in ct of uncomfortable giggling
Didn't Amt Laviny streak it ?"
shouted he. "And Uncle Reuben
wasn't hurt a mite, but she wouldn't
let me tell her ! Tee-hee-heeI'
Yet, though no 7aes we're broken
she fall, it is fact TT Mr.. Hinkle
found llis two hundred pounds avoirpu
Dois considerably shaken, and he was
according to his wife's predic-
ton, camping down on the lounge IN
his boots, when, opening his eyes, they
rested on her frightened face in the
doorway.
"Why, bless your heartl come right
IN, Laviny," said he And she went in,
md shut the door.
Five minutes afterward, as Miss
Phebe lifted the latch, she heard her
say:
"I know have hectored you swfully,
Reuben, but I do mean to live peacea-
Die now, and put up with your folks"
And Reuben answered, heartily, 9" L
haven't blamed you bit, Laviny.
znowed twas Miss Niddlins' work. But
after we'd lived together 50 long, she
might have let MS be till God divorced
De"
THEKE was once an old woman who,
IN answer to a visiting almoner's mqul-
ries as 70 how she did, said: 80, sir,
Ng.aFH ~