Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-06-12

| sparing in his praises OF 1t.
i"What superb corn and those beans
thank you! will take few more, if you
please are perfectly splendid-such rich
| flavor! A new variety, | should judge?"
Mrs Mason smiled, we'll pleased with
| the compliment to favorite vegetable,
while she told with pleasant volubility
| its history-how the seed had been sent to
| them by mail from cousin in Indiana,
and how she had planted it in her own
| flower garden, saving every ripened bean
| for the next years seed, and that this, the
third years crop, was large enough for
their summers supply, with plenty for
next years planting.
| Would she be so kind as to spare him
| Just few for his vegetable garden at
| home? To be sure! nothing could give
her greater pleasure, and the hands
that fumbled with the faded strings Of lit
tie Molly's dinner bag trembled quite as
| much with pleased excitement as with
| tender memories.
There is nothing else handy to put
| them into" she whispered in excuse to
| her own heart, d" a box or basket would be
so announcement for him to carry
| And so the little calico bag, freighted
| with its sad and tender memories no less
than with its visible and unromantic load,
Colonel's travelling coat, while its owner,
as he rode briskly away from the hospita
BILE farmhouse, smiled confidentially
with unuttered comment:
This young Mason is a man of note
among his country neighbors, and his
good will is worth winning, if one does
have to t1atter his pretty wife little to
win it'
And he laughed-a low, selfsatisfied
laugh, as, g1ancing furtively over his
shoulder, he caught glimpse of the trim
little figure that fingered upon the portico,
where he had solately hidden her so very
impressive an adieu.
It's saying that all aspirants for po-
litical honors would do well to remember,
Platter the calicoes, if you want to make
friends of the fustian' A sage conclu-
sion, the wisdom of which seemed to
stand fair chance of being proved that
evening at John Mason's tea table.
He's a perfect gentleman" was Mrs
Mason's comment. $50 free from any
ling like atfectation orpomposity Why,
| don't believe he noticed that the forks
were steel and the cotfee-pot tin; and he
ate as if he really relished his food
didn't make me feel all the while as if
he wasn't used to such homely fare, as some
people in this place would have done"
Her husband smiled good-humoredly.
"Oh, the Colonel is too well bred to put
on any silly airs of superiority in the
house where he is a guest, but" with a
slight compression Of his bearded lips,
eve need something more than that in our
Governor The man who fills that posi-
| ton must be something more than a we'll
bred man. To be sure, >" he added, thought
fully, the Colonel promises WELL and his
| friends boast that he is thoroughly honest,
a man who means and will do exactly
what he says. | wish | could have seen
him on some law points, the liquor law
| for one thing
"Oh, he's all right on that" interrupted
| Mrs Mason, briskly. Il thought Of that"
with little complaccnt prinking of her
pretty mouth, land so Just mentioned it
in a careless way, you know, that intem-
! perance was sadly on the increase even in
our quiet town, and that something ought
| to be done to check it, and, oh, John"
her eyes sparkling enthusiastically at the
remembrance, "how do wish YOU could
have heard him talk, and he was so sensi-
bic about it, too. He said that moderate
drinking was the curse of the day, and
that, if he had his way, laws should be
made that would Danish the rich mans
wine and brandy from his sideboard as
etfectually as they would keep the glass
Of whisky from the poor toper's lips He
| looked so determined when he said it that
it came across me all at once, what would
| sister Miranda say if she could hear him
now? You know he has put up at their
house several times, and Mira is as proud
as peacock Of it. But I guess if he
should uphold law that would empty
their bar she'd sing another song"
g think in flot lan,rbpI lToCo,
evidently pleased with his wife's shrewd
ness, II should be like Artemus Ward,
willing to sacrifice all my wife's relations
for he good of my country although
honestly believe that Watson would make
as much in the long run if he kept
temperance house as he does now"
80 I've told Mira a hundred times"
rejoined his wife, land | do think that
since poor Briggs was frozen to death
with the empty jug that he'd filled that
evening at their bar by his side, that
they've been more careful who they sold
to, at any rate"
A hooking smile fitted for moment
across the young mans face but he could
not grieve his wife by uttering the harsh
comments that rose to his lips, as, rising
from the table he remarked in his usual
kind, CHEEKY tones:
/ II ltti u AADti DoUL IilG IIlIIhillg, anu
then if you would like to Wen take ride
out to the Corner. I've got to get some
new tacklin' for the cultivator-that last
days work in the south field was rather
hard on it-and," as he took the shining
pals from their shelf in the pantry, with
all unconscious glance Of pleasure at the
SpOtless shelves with their rows Of glitter
ing pans, each crowned with its wealth |
Of sweet, rich cream, I'VE must get some
more milk pans, besides having a look at
that new churn that Crosspen brags so
much about. If it's what he says,
wouldn't begrudge-"
ooh, I'll find out about that" and Mrs.
Mason ratified her dishes energetically,
while a smile of pleasant anticipation
overspread her face. you may leave me
at Mrs. Blunkett's on your way to the
store. She has one of them, and | can
find out by her how it works.
'All right
And as the blithe, CHEEKY sound died
away, Martha Mason's face grew radiant
with a smile of proud tenderness, while
her voice was sweet with a glad content
as she whispered softly to herself:
How | love to hear him speak those
two little words in his happy, satisfied
way, for know he means just what he
says, in its best and fullest sense. | don't
care" she added, with a little defiant toss
of her head of Mira does SITr him, inst