The Van Buren press., 1873-09-30
MISCELLANY Y
Penelope's s w eb.
From the Aldine for October. ]


My father and mother in-law were sit
ting, one on each side of the open fire
My father was reading the Country Gen.
tleman-my mother was knitting a nit
ten She usually was knitting either q
mitteD, or a little red stocking, or ba.
by's shoe, or q wristlet, or a shawl Hel
eyes were not good by gas-lisht; and, as
she was manager Of the Old Ladies'
Home, visitor at the Orphan Asylum,
and friend and protector to forlorn
children in general, she was never at q
loss where to bestow her knitted goods
| Not baby on our square but came into
an inheritance Of mothers pretty work
as surely as into world Of sin and mis-
cry.
Missing the click of the needles, as one
does miss quiet sound to which the ear
has grown used, looked up. My moth
er had laid down her work, and was en-
gagged in tying knots at different inter
walls in length of doubled worsted My
father had dropped his paper and was re-
which there was word of tenderness and
gentlcness
"What are You trying to do, mother
dear p said I. at last.
IL am trying to see whether | can 70
member how used to make harness, {"
answered the dear old lady, with a smile
and little sigh "Not the kind they
put upon horses" she explained, seeing
my puzzled look "hut that which belongs
to loom
II never saw n loom y said !.
"Ah, then can hardly make you un
derstand. The harness is very essen.
tal part Of an old fashioned loom.
"Did you know how to weave ?" !
asked
THAT she did, as well MS Penelope
her namesake" said my father answer
ing for her - think, however, she
would have disposed Of the suitors more
easily than that lady did " And my
father quoted some Greek which sounded
very nicely though Ididn't understand it.
The old gentleman read the classics a
great deal in the original, and was rather
fond ofquoting them. 81 believe, he
continued. after pause, that l owe my
wife to her skill in weaving
"Tell me aboat t!' said !, glad of
anything to divert me. You see my hus
band was away about his business as an
insurance adjuster, and there had been so
many bad accidents that could nothelp
being anxious about him.
Yes, do, father" said my mother.
"Wcll, you you must know, then, y
the old gentleman began; "that | was
an only child and my parents naturally
deal Of me, They moved from
Vermont into the Genesee country at q
very early day--indccd my father was
one Of the first settlers of Bloomfield
Seine day we will 60 back there, and see
the old place. twas wild enough when
they went there; bat in my time the vii
derness was subducd, and blossomed like
the rose. My father farmed two hun
dred acres, and owned sugarbu and
q potashery Potash used to be called
Genesee money in those days, because
tho merchants made their remittances TO
New York and Montreal in that coin,
Well, | always had a turn for books and
stndy, and / was not more than twelve
years old when my father promised me,
that if | would stay and help him till |
was eighteen, he would send me to col
lege. Twas very happy in the prospect,
for from the moment he said so, knew
the thing was as suro as any human M.
rangement can be. So went to school
winters, doing my Latin and Greek with
the minister, and helping on the farm in
summer, till was eighteen My birth.
day came in June, aud my mother began
directly to make my new shirts.
Mother" said !, one day; "why
did nv father select Dartmouth for me p
"'Your father and his brother both
went there, and his folks lived in that
nelchborhood, answered my mother.
~ never knew my father had broth
er! said surprised. :.
"My mother started, and looked
troubled. Then she said, impressively
Abncr, you must never mention the
m after to your father. He never has
spoken his brothers aame since he NOV
ed out here and he will not allow me to
do 40. You were named for your uncle,
but then it was your grandfathers name
AZ we'll 49,,
".But how did it happen asked.
What was the cause Of the quarrel, tor
| suppose there was quarrelr
ga girl, Of course! said my mother,
with q tone Of bitterness very unusuai
with her. Your father thought there
WAS only one woman in the world, and
that was Penelope Morrill,; and sac
thought there was only ono man in tho
verld. and that was Abner Hoyt. ! don't
know how much she was to blame, MY
sister Abbey always took her part, and
said Penelope was over.psrsuadsd sy her
folks to say she would have Nathan.
Anyhow, she broke off her eugasomsns