Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-16
HOW +!

Perhaps am little too hasty, little
too ready To light up at minutes notice
but there are some words that seem to me
to carry an especial grain of gunpowder
in them, and the above is one of the sort.
To have person, after you have been
through a long explanation put his fingers
to his mental ears and query you thus, or,
worse still, "Haow?" is too exasperating
for human nature to bear But that is
what John Stringer did to me, bending his
head little nearer, and speaking in an
absent, aggrauating manner that tantalized
me beyond words.
You see, John Springer and were en-
gagged; we'd been engaged for long
time, and perhaps had got to bea little too
matter OF course to each other.
We were sitting there over the fire, after
the old folks had gone to bed, and fell to
telling him about Sophie Mills we'd
dng-her white silk dress, her bride
cake, and her bride maids frosted all over
to match it, and I ended this way:
"But it don't make any difference, John,
to people that love each other; all that's
o. no more account than last years snow
drift. They could be married in calico
and homespun, with their feet on rag
carpet like this, and love each other just
as we'll"
"Howg" said John, absently. He was
watching the Goals flicker up and die out
again, and picking up stray chip now
and then to fling on the embers-a fashion
he had when he was thinking.
Now had had the headache all day,
and guess l was rather more tindery
than usual, though didn't think so then
but when John bent his great broad shoul-
ders over, as if he hadn't heard word l
said, and, in fact, had something better to
occupy his mind, ! just fired up, first, and
then the blaze died down into sulks, and
when we parted that night John and had
mad our first and last quarrel.
My heart did not misgive me that when
saw Johns great tall figure going out
the door, it was the last time he'd lift the
latch for many year; but so it was.
You see, held my head pretty high in
those days, and wouldn't show that was
bit cut up about it, SO paired off with
Mrs. Plumbers Jesse, a likely spruce
young fellow enough, but no more to be
compared with John than cockle-shell
is to brigantine.
Oh, well, mother sighed, and tried right
hard to bring US together again, but it
wasn't to be.
John was a powerful, muscular man,
and l used to see him 60 up the road
many time when was out in the shed
milking, and, peeping out at him through
the chinks, thought his broad shoulders
stopped more than ever, and his figure was
growing more stalky like. Such an awk-
ward fellow as John was! l came near
rushing out on him once, in my sun-bOn.
net and with my sleeves rolled up, and
fiinging my arms right round his neck /;
but John liked to see folks tidy, and
never did it,
Jesse Plumber was the beau o. the vii
lage-dapper, neat, and dainty as you
please; and all the girls thought l had
come 70 my senses when ousted 'em o.
Jess. And by-and-by 1t was jess that
came sparkling o. nights, and sat o. winter
evenings over the embers, and he was so
soft-spoken and pleasant that even mother
forgot her vexation. (She always set store
by John, mother did, Well, in the spring
we were married, Jess and me, and had
. string o. pearls and a real silk bridal
dress, and felt kind o. lifted like when
the girls crowded round me and hoped
I'd be happy. hoped so, too; l wasn't
sure of it,
Remembering the days that came after,
/ can't recall one hard word ever heard
from Jess We weren't near enough to
each other TO quarrel; we just laid apart
like two odd volumes; there wasn't any
fire 'twixt US, nor anything 'twixt us,
either love or laughing, whereas John and
/ had always been bubbling over one way
and another.
l worked hard, for my silk dress and
neck LACE were all had for riches; and
cut up the gown one DAY to make q cloak
for the baby. You see, couldn't give up
my pride, and was just as high-spirited as
ever. But our farm didn't prosper, and
jess did't prosper; and Mrs. Plumber
came to live with us, to look after things,
she said; and she got to plying him every
now and then for marrying poor wife,
and-oh, well, what's the use O. talking
sometimes couldn't help wishing John
Stringer's strong shoulders were at the
wheel, when / was working myself to
death morning and night for nothing.
Then when baby grew bigger took to
teaching an A B @ class, as / used to be-
fore Twas married; but what little knew
had run wild since then, and couldn't
keep the boys straight somehow; and the
girls didn't care about samplers, for the
sewing machine had ridden right over
every thing. Then Jesse fell ill o. the
fever, and with all the Tuning and fretting
and nursing of his mother, and with all
my watching, day and night, somehow he