The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-04-21

| nectorlng cnlld' Every Gay WoVe Iull
stent on linsey wolsey, for it was almost
impossible to hire help; and got up reg
ular at five in the morning and MIXED
four COWS before went about breakfast"
"What is the use of having soul if
gou've got to slave in that way?" said
Hester, as she gave little sharp jerk, and
broke her thread "You might as well
be machine and done with it,"
"I don't expect you'll do as / have
done," responded the old lady with sigh.
"Folks shirk nowadays to beat all.
Your father, when he was younger, was a
dreadful driving man. Folks must keep
doing as long as they could stand |; and
none of his boys now can begin to do a
days work equal to his'n. don't s'pose
you mean to follow your sister Nancy,
either, for she has had a pretty hard row
but tell you what, Hester, you'll have to
run off more than ten knots of stocking
yarn day if you marry Joel Selfridge, for
he hain't got mite of ambition. He
makes me think of my old speckled hen
setting out there on chany eggs. should
not be mite surprised to hear Joel begin
to caclxle and l don't see where he gets
his shiftlessness from, for there's the Jedge,
his brother, reg'ler money catcher,
smooth, and plausible, and lily, but with his
eye always out for business. l spose
Hester, you've bout made up your mind
to take Joel, for you don't seem to favor
any other young man, and he's been COM
ing here stiddy for the last year. Your
father says it costs him four quarts of oats,
and two or three good square meals every
week, and he talks about sending bill
for board and horse feed into the Jedge.
You know he will never give his consent,
and tell you again, Hester, if you mean
to marry Joel Selfri6ge, you and work had
better not fall out"
"Mother," said Hester, with troubled
face, leaving her wheel, and going over by
the hearth, "you do Joel injustice. 1t is
fathers opposition that makes him neglect
his business, and takes the spirit out of
him. If he could marry me he would be-
come another man."
CHESTER" said the old lady, emphasiz-
ing her words with her kuitting-needles,
"what's bred in the bone will come out in
the flesh. You can't make the whistle out
of pigs tail"
"There's good stuff in JOEL" cried Hes
ter, her color rising, and eyes flashing.
"If the whole world was against him I'd
stand true Folks may say what they
have mind to, but give Joel chance,
and he will show that he can support a
family, and be man among men,"
"Hity, tity p retorted the old lady, in
credulously. "Hain't the Jedge boosted
him, and KEEP boosting of him, and now
he's sot him up in the drug business, and
every few days he locks the shop and
comes over here courting, and Bassett
gets all his custom. / tell you, Hester,
when was your age ! wouldn't have
looked at young man that fooled around
when he ought to have been to work.
Love is good thing in it's place, when it's
got house and garden spot free of in
cumbrance, and plenty of firewood, and a
full meal chist and flour barrel attached To
it, but 1t never was meant to go alone"
Hester hung her head. Her mother had
the good hard sense on her side, and she
had only the faith of love to offset it. She
did not say what she thought, that the
chance Joel needed was herself; but she
leaned against the chair, and touched hei
mothers gray head, and her voice was
pleading and eager.
80, mother" said she, "don't you &c
against me. shall never come back beg
ging to the old door, but when leave
home want to have all things pleasant
and not give the neighbors chance t
talk Mother" and suddenly the cir
threw her arms around the wrinkled necl
: --"you can think how it was when you
were young how your heart beat, ant
your cheek flushed for just one man. You
wanted to go to the worlds end with him
! and not with another. II you saw his
: faults, you could forgive them, for you
= heart-strings were someway twisted anC
tied with his, and could not be undone
. In those days, mother, you didn't think 81
+; much about the potato-bin and -four bar
rel"
Ella, child, you go on to beat all, re
. turned the old lady, drawing the back o
p her hand across her eyes. "The Bibl
( says mau must leave father and nothe
: and cleaye unto bis wife, and spose IT,
. the same with woman; but tell yol