Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-07-23


she and Tom loitered home. "What dc
you suppose she wants of pianos
girl who spends half of her time in the
dairy and kitchen?"
"a piano isn't bad investment an.
lswered Tom; sand Deacon Small says
Nell's got talent that oughtn't to be
hid in a napkin"-laughingly.
"Oh, that's it! he's been turning her
head with his batteries. wonder why
he doesn't marry her, and be done with
litw
"Marry Nelly. Deacon Small! ~ cried
Tom, with start and laugh. ''Did
he ever dare propose such thing?"
''They say he has had it under con-
sideration. Folks think she couldn't
do better.''
"Couldn't she ?" said Tom, uneasily.
"Ie's got means, you know" said
Amanda, seriously, "and Nell's got am
bition.''
"And he's old enough to be her grand
father.
"Some folks, you know, would sooner
be an old mans darling than a young
mans slave"
"You wouldn't?"
an wait till the young man asks
me-" answered Amanda, suggestively
as well as wisely, and tossing her head
as she bade him goodbye.
at can't be that Nell would marry
the deacon for 'his means,'" unused
Tom; "Amanda's such little apple
blossom that it's hard for fellow to
make up his mind. Jehu! what con-
ceitrd ass l am! Perhaps Nell wonld
not marry me any way. There's look
in her eyes, though, that makes me feel
sometimes as if there wasn't anybody
else in the wide world--and then
Amanda III throw one of her saucy
glances this way, and raise the deuce in
mel"
''I'm going to make some of those
raised doughnuts that father likes"
said Amanda that evening; aI'm going
to surprise him with 'em.''
"Wa'al, there's nothin' ter hender,"
returned her mother, "only the empt-
in's is out.
"That's always the way, if take a
notion to do anything"
aWa'al, you don't take notion often
enough ter hurt, but as you're sot on
it, you might toss up rolly poly; he
likes that sight better, only it's apt to-
swell in his stomach"
''Dear me! but stains your hands so,
peeling apples!' said Amanda, who
was too ornamental to be very useful.
In fact, the neighbors had asserted long
ago that the Wheatings were spelling
Amanda; and she wasn't brought up
as farmers daughter should be; she
couldn't make up baking nor take off
churning more than baby. These
things had come to Farmer Wheating's
ears, and had made them burn. So
when he had come home to dinner, and
found the roly-poly smoking hot on
the table, he smacked his lips and said
"Jest see what wife your mother is,
Mandy! You'll never have the sense
to make such tit-bit for your husband
like this 'ere. You'll hev to perk up
and get accomplished in your cookin',
Mandy, if you want to get married; fer
they do say as how a mans hearts
reached through his stomach, and I
dunno but they're about right"
81 guess sha'n't have much trouble
in getting married when want to,"
pouted Amanda, with toss of her head.
@And that's all the thanks l get for
staining my hands peeling apples, and
blistering my face over the oven!'
"Holloa, Mandy, you don't mean ter
say that you made it'd as soon ex-
pect the moon ter turn ter green
cheese !'r
"You're mighty encouraging. When
Nell cooks up things just to please her
father, he always praises 'em up to the
skies; and it isn't so hard for Nell, be-
cause she was brought up to it," sulked
Amanda.
"Wa'al, amt 1 a-praisin' it, Mandy?
Aim been helping to it twice? What
better praise can you hev than that?"
"Nell's going to have a piano, too,
pouted Amanda, who was hankcring |
after something more substantial than
praise.
"A pianny! What's she goin' to do |
with it? Keep it fur the chickens ter
roost on? Old Eustus is a-shellin' out,
pears to me. s'pose you'll be wantin'
one next?"
"I'd give all Pm worth to get one
first" confessed Amanda. "She'll be
so highfalutin' you can't touch her, and |
it's dreadful uncomfortable to live be-
side neighbors who put on airs!"
"And 1 s'pose pianny would make
you kinder humble like, Mandy. Wa'al
if you was ter take premium at the |
county fair for the best butter, I'D buy |
you pianny. There's bargain for
your'
"Lor sakes! l never made pound |
in all my born days. But mother could
help me-"
"No, no, mother shan't put a finger
to it-honor bright. I'm goin' fur ter
show the folks how as you're equal to
any of the farmers daughters. l amt
going ter have it thrown in my face no
longer that I've fetched you up above
your station"
"Well, don't care if try it. If l
don't take the premium, there won't be
any harm done; and if do, yon'll buy
me brand-new seven octave piano
honor bright"
eyes, will; seven octave or seventy
whatever an octave may be-"
And so Amanda went to work with a
will; she was diligent at the weekly
churning. Nell always sent butter to
the county fair, and had taken a pre-
MUM only last year. If she could only
eclipse Nell! And there was Tom Bri-
erly, too. How proud he would be to
take her to the county dinner--the best
butter made in Briefly Centre-for Tom
appreciated those things, and she heard
him declare that he should be proud of
a domestic wife who could turn her |
hand to anything, Mrs. Kitchen; and