Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-06-24
Isaac Houghton and his Wife


81 b'lieye this is the coolest morning
we've had this winter" said Isaac Hough-
ton, as be moved his chair up to the break
fast table.
A New England farmers breakfast table
is thing not to be scorncd even by an
epicure. Before Isaac was thick slice OF
steak, dotted with dssolving bits of golden
butter. The toasted brown bread was
steaming under snowy napkin. Little,
round doughnuts sprinkled over with su-
gar, lay like hickories in the first snow
fall; and the baked golden sweetings
would have tempted uectar-ied Juno. A
delicate fragrance issued from the tin coffee
pot, and the creamy milk, filling to the
brim the clear glass pitcher, might well
have been the envy Of a city millionaire.
On the stove hearth was the mince pie,
warming for the morning dessert. The
heat from the stove pervaded the room, and
altogether the farmers kitchen was a most
inviting place on that cold December
morning.
1.-The thermometer is down to zero" con-
tinued Isaac, and the trough at the barn
ia almost frozen over" And he began to
cut the smoking steak anticipated with
eager appetite.
al do think you are too bad, Isaac, to
make me do 30 much work" said his wife,
as she took her seat 10 front Of the fragrant
coffee. "You know won't use the water
that has stood 10 the pump over night, and
yet you 90 and fill the tea kettle with it,
every morning, and when | get up have
to pour it all out again. It's hard work to
pump four or fve pals of water, as have
to, before | begin to get my breakfast"
That's nothing but one o your whims,"
returned Isaac. The water that's stood
in the pumps just as good as any to cook
with,-it's rather warm to drink IN the
summer"
81 tell you, Isaac, won't use it, in-
terrupted his wife al know il amt
healthy, aud I'll turn it out Of the tea
kettle as often as you put it in. But 1t
would help me in my work if you'd get up
mornings and clear the pump as your
brother Sam does. But il you don't do it, |
shall" And Susan became slightly excited,
"Well, well, wife, eat your breakfast,
said Isaac. THE frost hasn't started of
that west window yet, for all we've had
such FIRE. This is pretty cold morning
that's fact"
81 thought so fore I'd got the pump
cleared up in that corner, there, twas
cold as barn; you know | don't dress al
warm as you do"
"Well, you needn't have cleared th'
pump. The water in the tea kettle wa
, good enough. What's the use o'being s.
PARTICULAR"
81 tell you Isaac, won't use that puml
/ water, nor any that has lain in the pip
/ over night" returned Susan, with yer,
decided decination of the chin. 81 know
it isn't healthy, and won't use it. Didn'
DR.. Jones say it was what allied Jermin
Perkins, when she had those dreadful
q spasms2 Shed used lead pipe water 70
: years; and the doctor in Lowell told Jr
I, : Hoyt if he didn't stop drinking it he
!. never see another well day. An the
!. there was Sally Schryon, her joints a
a swelled up so she couldn't hardly use he
!. hands, and DR.. Hughes told her it wa
4 nothing under the sun but drinking waite
a that had lain in lead pipe"
/. THE doctors don't know nothing abou
A it." said Isaac. "Jermina Perkins had
cancer, and if DR.. Jones had let it alone sh
- might have been living now, for snythip
q know. It's nothing but an old woman
a whim."
e "Well, won't US it, any way | don
II want my joints swelling up so cant
n my work"
BY this time various inroads had bee
made into the eatables on the farmers h
bic. Isaac, thus far, had kept his tempe
Susan, however, was inclined TO continl
n. tho controversy, when Isaac interrupted b.
is by the inquiry
"a "Going to let me have piece of th
II pie on the stove hearth ?"
4 Susan was always glad to SEQ Isaac e.
% heartily, SO she gave him large piece
Z. the pie"
a Had steam propeller been fastened
n. bis jaws he could scarcely have swallow,
10 II with greater velocity; after which,
IN rose and prepared to leave the house, wit
Q, out stopping to answer bis wife's pleading
~ ." Now you will clear the pump to'morrC
morning, won't you ?"
va Just then the door banged, and Susa
n. her breakfast unfinished, was left alone
of I'll do think Isaac is too bad" she sa
!, 10 herself. but then, | won't use 1
A. water, If | have TO break my back ceari
IN the pump !" aud Susan rose with je
Cd and began to clear away the breakfast, Al
e to make the kitchen nice and comfortab
ns and TO think about dinner for herself q
n Isaac.
at Mrs. Houghton was a model hou
,es keeper She had that tact so often fou
~ among New England women, and perform
10 the heavy work Of a farmers wife with }
At. own hands. The amount she would I
complish between the hours Of five q
nd twelve was wonderful. Churning, bakil
,in ironing. and intervening labors, would I
,er pear aud disappear in as regular order
Il isgo and Desdemona upon the Americ
.re stage.
N, She had been married twenty years
;al fore there appeared any symptoms Of Il
pipe on tho brain, as Isaac called
During this time, two curly.haired be
ill had sat at their table and frightened tn
ss, home. But, possessing much Of th
'ur mothers enterprise, they looked beyond
in little town of NJ, and the plodding
eii the home farm, and, somewhat to lsaa
re, disappointment, took their inheritance
'r's vigorous go-ahead-a-tiveuess, and left TO
'ws nsighboring city, where they were soon "
established in business.