The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-07-09

ssy sometAing every time the Squire
spoke; be was determined that be should
not have aa opportunity TO laik seaa-
mcuG 10 Bcisey. fog II be did dear ksows
where &c would end There was the
squire. weB.to-do widower, a good
pr3vldcr. only two children, rich aud
looking about for partner 10 share bis
Joys and sorruWs. There was BIS sister,
Bttscy B0bbctt, only turned tbirty-threer
neat, handsome, smart o. cricket, and
her husband a. dead as a door nail this
eighteen months and over, and why
shouldn't she marry il she took a notion
But be couldn't live 10 the same hoasc
with the Squire aud Betsey, even If they
wanted him to. lie thought, aud thought
and scratched kis head over tho problem,
aud his lower jaw fell, aud for two days
be pondercd sorrowiully over this new
dilemma.
One day Bctscy was going over to her
cousins to a quilting, and Ira was to
keep house and have the tea.kettle boil
ing at precisely five O'Clock IN the even
ing.
Now, nobody could guess what an ug-
by thing old Brother Ira did in her abb
sense. Oh, the selfish old chur was
driven to III lie knew il wasn't manly
or kind, but how could he give up bis
coy quarters and see Betsey's smiles
ayished upon another?
Poor fellow he, arraigncd himself, and
while under Indictment be said Now,
| Ira Josephus Barnabce, you know very
well that you are the yiciousest mortal
that ever lived, but something must be
doue. You don't want to be set adrifl
aud be compelled to try the realities of a
cruel world that always was hard on or,
phans and poor folksl
| Ira often dealt with pathos on the fact
OF his being an orphan. lie was not q
very tender orphan, being in his forty
seventh year; but that was the way witt
some people, they will howl over the old
time, by-gone sorrow all through theil
/ lives.
Ira knew that Madame wilkins, de,
ceased, had been very pink of house
keeper, and the bereft Squire thought thii
requirement the one thing noedful in /
wife. She must mop all the floors every
Saturday, sweep down the eobwebs, pol
sh the tinware, and do all the littl,
things that his mother used to do. o
course her successor must be all that shr
had been.
After Bctsey had been gone an hour o
two Ira walked leisurely over to the new
story-and-a-ha frame house of Squir,
wilkins, and seated himself on the worl
bench and commenced playing with thu
little curly shavings.
The Squire came in and began Showing
him around through the house very cour
teously. When they were mp stairs, lrl
said. You'd ought to have your room
divided Off like my sister Betsey has;
think hers are very convenient.
| wish had the plan of rooms, sale
Squire, Frightening up as though TIN
idea tantalized him.
Get your rule and come right owe
along with me, there's nobody at hom
to-day, and wen have full possession
ourselves.
So the two men trugged of together t
widow Betsey Bobbetts little rose-covor
cd cottage in the edge of the village.
Now / don't wish to insinuate, but
verify believe that Ira Josephus, the sci
fish old bachelor brother, had been al
through Rose Cottage, just trying hoy
badly he could tumble together the con
tents, and what suspicion he could cas-
upon that little housekeeper, Betsey Bot
bett. In the pantry the doors OF the cur
board stood staring wide open, shown
a heterogeneous mess Of cold boiled cal
bagc, pork, fish, turnips, pickles, butter
milk, and meat-fryings, with nut-cakes
broken pies, dry bread, etc. The door
ofthc clothes-prcss stood aiar, and boz
nets, hats, hoes, CATERS, gowns and sliI
pers were thrown promiscuously togetl
er in tumbled heaps-dirty and cleaI
broken and whole, all just as thong
tumbled out OF a rag-peddler's wagon
a hurricane. The sitting-room was i
prime disorder; basket of walnuts an
plate of apples, with peelings and core
among them, occupied place in th
middle OF the floor. But her bedrooi
was the worst. The bed was not made
on one post hung uight.cap Git WASH
hers; Ira must have put ii there) ii wa
made OF red flannel, without hem O
binding; the back part Of ii was puckel
ed all up by string ruu round it. .
another post hung an old hoop. skirt ia,
looked as if it had come out Of Noah
ark after doing good service for Noah
wife and his sons wives. Stockings Ia
scattered about, aud shoes Just as the
had been kicked off, corsets, bustles, uI
derclothing, and all the ct cotero Of
bedroom, in a dilapidaied condition
Ira acted very naturally, just as il ever,
thing was right and not unusual.
Now, Squire, this bedroom is a goo
sizc--about square, should think, sal
the uuimpressiblc Ira, taking the ru
and beginning to measure from the rigi
opposite the bed; take the measure an
see for Yourself; aud he handed x to Il
bcrrn widowcF.
he took il aud continued on with Il
same measurement that Ira had COZ