The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-06-09
A Slack Husband Punished.

II have DO wood to burn to-day. What
shall do?"
"Oh, s0ud Louisa to pick up some"
said the good man, making q stride to.
ward the door.
"But she has picked up all she can
6nd."
Then let her break up some old
stuff"
"But she has broken up everything
already"
"Oh, we'll then, do the next best thing
I must be off," said the farmer, and
of he was, whisting as he went, aud no
doubt wondering in bis heart what the
next best thing would be.
Noon came and with it came my grand
father and four hungry laborers. My
grandmother stood in the kitchen spin.
ming on her great wheel and singing a
pleasant ditty Louisa was securing in
the back room. aud the cat sat purring
on the hearth before black and freless
chimney, while the table sat in the mid.
die of the room, spread for dinner, with
empty dishes.
"Well, wife, here we are" said my
grandfather, chserinQly.
so | see," replied she, placidly /;
"have you had good morning in the
corn6eld 2"
why, yes, SO. But where is tho din
ner ?"
I'm tho pot on the door step. Won't
you see if it is done? ?"
Nod on the door step, to be sure, sat
the great iron pot, nicely covered, but not
looking particularly steamy. My grand
father raised tho cover and there lay the
Ingredients of a nice boiled dinner
every thing prepared in the incest manner
and the pot filled with the clearest Of
water, and all the vegetables as raw as
they had ever been. My grandfather
stared and my mother joined another roll
to the yarn on the distaff, and began au-
other verso Of her song.
"Why, woman, what does this mean ?"
began my grandfather, indignantly. This
dinner isn't cooked az all !"
Dear me, is it not2 Why, it has sat
in the sun these four hours"
Sat in the sun ?"
"Yes, you told me to try the next best
thing to have fire, aud thought set.
ting my dinner in the sun was about
that"
Ny grandfather stood doubtful for q
momcut, but finally his sense Of humor
overcamo his sense of injury, aud he
laughed aloud Then picking up his hat
he said
"Comc, boys We may as well start for
tho woods, We shall have no dinner till
we have earned it, perceive"
Wont you have some bread and
cheese before you go?" asked my grand.
mother, gencrou. in her victory, as wo.
men almost always are. And so she won
tho day
The cellar stairs 10 the old farmhouse
had become broken and so unsafe that
my grandmother beseiged her husband,
early and late, to repair them, lest some
accident should happen. He always
promised to po 80, and always forgot to
fulfill his promises At last one day,my
grandmother fell in going down, and
spilled the milk she was carrying.
"Are you hurt? ?" asked my grand
father, smoking his pipe beside the fire
No matter whether | am or not !" re.
turned the angry housewife, reappearing
with her empty pan. THAT is tie lasl
time | carry milk down those stairs until
they are mendcd."
Please yourself and find the next best
way to get it down." said the husband, d
little vexed at her tone.
II will" said my grandmother, and
she was as good as her word. The next
evening my grandfather wont down to
the cellar to draw cider.
What in thunder - exclaimed he
nothing worse. | assure you, for he wa!
not profane man-"what iu thunder i!
the matter down hero7 Why, woman
your milk is all over the cellar bottom -
"ls it?" replied my grandmother
TRANQUILITY, "Well, think it is likely
enough, falling so far"
Failing so far? What do you mean p
"Why, you know l said that should
MT carry milk over those broken stair
again, and you told me 10 try the mex
best way Of getting it down, SO took Vi
a board 10 the kitchen floor, threw dowl
the pans and then strained the milk dowI
into them"
The cellar stairs were mended the mex
day.