St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-10-17

to teaching an \ b G. class. us | used t,
before | WAS married: but what little
knew had run wild since then. and
couldn't keep the boys straight some.
how: and the girls didn't care about
samplers, for the sewing machine haC
ridden right over everything. TheI
Jesse fell i'll q the fever. and with al
the tuming and frctimg and nursing ot
his mother, and with all my watching
day and night. somehow he slipped of
between us. And | found myself {;
widow, with the i'll fared. wasted farm
on my hands, and Mother Plumber
dlizzling and Numbering after jess IN
Il way to break my heart.
But kept my spirit up yet. and
advertised half the place for sale at the
court house for if could sell it we
should skin through somehow on an
acre or two, | thought.
Well, who do you suppose came over
one sunny afternoon us | was sanding
the kitchen Who, to bc sure. but
John Stringer, large as life-a little
gray mayhap, and little more angular.
but keen and strong as ever. He'd Il
use for that bit o land. it seemed, and
had had his eye on it along back. .'Al-
ways was wanting what wasn't his. $
Mother Plumber said. She owed him il
grudge for being more forehanded than
jess.
1t took a deal of looking after. and
lawyerng and surveying and the Lord
knows what to settle it: and | used to
see John StringerS STOPPING shoulders
and broad felt hat down lust hcNond
the rise of the meadow time and again.
But he scarce ever came near the door.
till one day cant tell how it was
when the settlements were to he made.
l lu>t took baby up stairs and, had IL
good cry : for that bit a. land had been
,leSsr's tavorite piece. and Mother
Plumber had been halrying me all dav
about it.
The ways - Providence are 50
strange ~ said Mother Plumber. having
her specs down atop q the big Bible.
and putting on that awfully patient air
which was wearing me to skin and
h"ne-''paSt finding ont. Now if jess
had married Sophie Mills. that WAS and
you-"
But did not wait to hear amy more.
As say. ! just caught up baby and
went of to the garrct. And while | sat
10y the cobwchbcd window Mrs. Bar
ret, sophie Mills that waS-went riding
10y in her new spring wagon. she and
her half dozen children. round and rosy
aS II barrel of apples. Sophie nodded
and smiled to some one coming up the
road and looking along | SAW John
Strlngcr walking. thoughtful like. right
up to our gate. ust a> he used to come
III counting days for John never had
amy foolish ways about him. SAW
Sophie look back at him aS she and the
children. with their tiuttering rihhun>
and gay ginghamS disappeared at the
turn - the road. Then >moothcd my
hair and washed my face and went
down. The time of settlement had
come. knew.
"Mary Ann" said John gravcly. 1.-THE
reckon we can make it all clear in our
own minds without his help. And I've
I've settled it in fact, that there are
certain conditions ON which I'll take
the land you agree.
Then flew into Il passion. "You'vc
been long genough making up your mind. :"
says |. Il don't throw my land at amy
h"dN'> feet. and | haven't asked ANY
tavorS OF You. lcaStway>, John String
cI.'
Softly, there. softly" says John
putting ont his hand. "Dnn't he i'll Il
furry. little woman.
John SIringcr." says |. all in heat.
''yourr just the same man Nou was
Years ago when You always thought |
was firing up every time You got out q
temper Yourself.
And weren't you. little woman p
said John. quite gravcly. "Don't We
men folks always like their own way
better than anything else !''
You don't know anything about
women" | cried. "any more than N"u
did then. You thought wanted silks
and l'urbcloWS more than than"
Ethan you did me-" said John: land
right enough You WAS. too. il you could
ha got 'cm. ! always said 50, Mary
Ann"
Any man,with haitian eye would have
known better, SAYS |. hotly.
''llow , said John. His great hulk
ing figure lifted itself up. and he looked
ut me with those sharp brown eyes that
used to give me u start i'll the old times.
How !" he repeated softly. "Du You
mean to say was mistaken Years ago ,!
His big brown hand WAS all ofa trcmblc
aS he held it out to me. Little woman.
little woman" says he, lets ha' done
with it all now. and let it all he as if il
never WaS.
Presently Mother Plumber put her
head in the door. Pears to me that
lawyers making long spell of it,"
says she. Bent you Almost tired q
waitin' for him. Mr.. Stringer ?"
Il guess we've settled it pretty much
without the lawyer "says John rising;
land that is the condition had to pro
pose, Mary Ann-to take You and the
meadow land together"
And he did.-Hdper's Weekly