Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-06-11


feminine mind. Talk of womans voting
voted by poxy Give me" with whim-
| steal blending of fun and conidence) "the
! good will of the 'calicoes' and | should
have no fears in regard to my election"
| Of course Mrs. Mason was very silly
woman to swallow all this "chaff" as you
| or | would no doubt pronounce it, nor
would certain vague hint in regard to
the appointment of a new postmaster have
awakened any wild and foolish hopes il
| our well-balanced minds, whatever it
might have done in hers; but truth COM
pels me to say that, when the two sat
costly down to their rather late dinner,
there was feeling of proud satisfaction
In that foolish woman's heart, that would
forever set apart this as one of the red let
ter days Of her quiet, uneventful life
The dinner was excellent-wholesom
wellcooked country fare, and plenty of
it, nor was the complacent guest at all
sparing in his praises of it.
V hat superb corn! and those beans
| (thank you will take few more, if you
please) are perfectly splendid-such rich
flavor. A new variety, l should judge?"
Mrs. Mason smiled, we'll pleased with
the compliment to a favorite vegetable,
while she told with pleasant volubility
its history-how the seed had been sent to
them by mail from a 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 a 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, "a box or basket would be
so inconvenient 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
found the way into the pocket of the
Colonels travelling coat, while its owner,
as he rode briskly away from the hospita-
bic farmhouse, smiled confdentially
with unuttered comment
"This young Mason is man Of note
among his country neighbors, and his
good will is worth winning, if one does
| have to fatter his pretty wife little to
win it''
And he laughed-a low, selfsatisfied
laugh, as, glancing furtively over his
| shoulder, he caught q glimpse of the trim
little figure that fingered upon the portico,
where he had SO lately hidden her so very
impressive an adieu.
It's saying that all aspirants for po-
litical honors would do well to remember,
"Flatter 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.
Hes perfect gentleman" was Mrs.
Mason's comment. $50 free from any
thing like affectation or pomposity Why,
l don't believe he noticed that the forks
were steel and the coffee-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.
ooh, the Colonel is too we'll 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,
I'VE need something more than that in our
Governor The man who fills that posi-
ton must be something more than we'll
bred man. To be sure, i" he added, thought
fully, "the Colonel promises we'll, and his
friends boast that he is thorou Chilly 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''-
ooh, he's all right on that" interrupted
hricl| II oh r41-. l. :,
with a little complacent prinking of her
! pretty mouth, "and so just mentioned it
! In careless way, you know, that intern
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 chow [ do wish you could
have heard him talk, and he was so sensi-
BILE about it, too. He said that moderate
| drinking was the curse Of the dav, and
that, if he had his way, laws should be
made that would Danish the rich mans
wine and brandy from his sideboard as
efectually 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 a law that would empty
their bar she'd sing another song"
q think in that case" laughed Mason,
evidently pleased with his wife's shrewd-
ness, Il should be like Artemus Ward,
| willing to sacrifice all my wife's relations
for the good of my country although
honestly believe that Watson would make
as much in the long run if he kept a
temperance house as he does now"
$50 I've told Mira hundred times, E"
rejoined his wife, land [ do think tina
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:
"1'll help Abel about the milking, and
then if you would like to we'll take a 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