Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-10-07
What Came Of Making Pickles.


mr.srnArrse rus WIN ,sp rurwA1.
Well. Love, my poor child" said dig
nifed old gentleman, " have looked your
matters all over, and | must say see moth
ing but starvation for you aud your family"
Wei, father" replied bright little wo-
man OF Twenty-Five years. in trembling
voice, " I've not the least idea Of starving,
nor Of letting my family stnrve-not if God
spares my health"
You were always a brave child, Love,
but this is a terrible crisis 1t would be
cruel in any one to taunt YOU now, but re-
member that told You and George that it
was very imprudent ior a man TO marry till
he had something ahead for an emergency
remember, father, that you thought
should be wiser TO marry man with
house and store, for whom | did not care,
than to marry George, with $1,000 year.
But if had the choice TO make over again,
to-day, | should do just as did then. |
wouldn't change places with any woman on
earth--even now"
"You are faithful wife and brave little
woman, Love, but"
" But what. father"
You can't live on in this way, child"
"Bpt will live, father, aud live we'll too,
and take care of George and the babies"
"IIow ?" Ay, that was the word that had
been ringing in the heart Of this brave little
woman ever since the day that her husband
failed at his desk, aud was brought home
apparently dying. She knew that She could
rear the pillars Of her domestic structure her
self, hut how?
"Well, Love, | will do what / can for
you" said the old gentleman, " and-and--
if it were only for you and the babies !
should say at once, come home, aud be as
welcome there as you were four years ago
but You know the house is so small, we haven't
room for four in it,"
Love smiled a sad smile, and then said
perhaps little provokingly-" four of us
would occupy no more chambers than three;
the babies are too little to be away from US
at night. But If your house were twice as
large father, / could not take my husbands
own little home away from him now that he
is sick. | shall have TO decide soon, and viii
let you know my plans"
The respectable old gentleman rose up
and with his handkerchief polished his al
ready shining beaver, kissed Love, patted
the heads of the babies, and turned to CO.
saying" Keep up a good heart, child, and
remember that the ravens fed Elijah
well don't want them to feed me
prefer to feed myself" replied the spumky
little woman, who felt that it was rather
hard in her father to discourage her and
then exhort her to "keep up good heart"
She loved the old man, although he was
stiff and narrow in his views, and never for
got any slight offered to his judgement. She
followed him to the door and said Good
bye, father; give my love to mother" al
though the real mother who would have
found room enough in her heart aud home
for them all, had been for years in the grave.
II was twilight, and as the old gentleman
was going down the steps, young man came
up.
"Ah, good evening, good evening"" said
the stout, good-naturcd hotel keeper TO both,
and then added TO Love, " Here ! am on the
old borrowing business. My wife says she
can't please the lawyers in court time since
you and she changed pickles and honey.
Old Squire Watts called out the minute he
sat down to supper, Come, Bruce, borrow
some Of that neighbors' pickles for us Them
pickles is a standing joke among them Why
can't nobody in town make pickles, and cat
sup, and chow-chow like youm? My wifes
a cook that can't be beat on bread and meats
and pastry and cake, but she ought TO prem
tice herself 10 you on some things"
Love, VINO had known Bruce all her life,
smiled and said;
81 will give you a jar with all my heart,
Mr. Bruce, and that won't half pay your
wife for the nice things she has sent in TO
poor George. have my cucumbers all
ready now to make my next years pickles,
and | yet have two or three jars left"
Suppose you make a bargain, Mrs. Bart.
III buy two barrels at the best Boston price,
| if you will make them for me- and chow
! chow and catsup, too"
Love laughed and the hotel keeper went
with her to get the jar. The old man went
| down the street whispering with sigh
"The Lord knows who's going to feed that
family | can't do ii, for wife says can't,
and she knows everything, most and Love
is terrible Obstinate
Well. the hotel keeper ran back the next
moment with his pickle jar, as happy as
some men would have been to find nugget
OF gold that size, for he had a rival who kept
the old tavern, and he wanted 10 keep all the
lawyers WHO came there TO hold court as his
customers.
Love had a long talk with her husband
that night. The next day an old school
| friend who had always been like sister,
came to stop with the sick man and 30 look
after the babies, and she went 10 Boston, ten
miles away, in an early train, with a neat lit
tie basket in her hand II any one had been
near enough, when she put her little basket
on the platform of the depot with such spirit,
he might have heard her whisper:
I" See ifmy family starves while am alive
and In my health :"
The day was lovely, aud everybody on the
cars and on the street looked cheerful and
| happy. OF course there were sick, and
| lame, and blind and deaf people, but heaven
was keeping them out Of her sight that day,