Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-03-13
A STORY FOR NONE BUT scoLDs.


one hand, and gazing up the road toward the
school house.
"Well, II beats the worldm she SAID
aloud, here it is quarter past five this
minute, and Henrietta Stebbins not IN sight
yet; curious to me why girl Of her age
can't have little interest in things about
her own home. | tell you If hadn't had at
her age it would have been pounded into me,
that is one sure thing; here is all the milk to
be skinned and it is time to build fire for
supper, and out under the big kettle. TO heat
the water for the calves mess; the eggs to
he gathered in, and there is that big yellow
hen that makes such n good mother wants TO
set, and was going to send Henrietta over
to Mrs. Cruni's this very night to get"
Ha-ha-ha, he-e-e-er'
Mrs. Stebbins cut short her sentence and
whirled around to see her Jolly, fat husband
standing in the kitchen door wiping the
sweat from his face, and laughing, ha-ha-
haw
"What are you laughing ut, Mr.. Stebbins9
if you can tell; if it is Mt me. | would advise
you to Just wait for some more mirth-pro-
voking occasion"
Don't need any better one, wife, not a
bit! this is rich enough; haven't stood ten
minutes, and heard You practicing here all by
YOURSELF"
Practicing what Mr.. Stebbins?"
"On first class scolding which you're
going to give Eft for being late home to-
night, and 'spose she's had to wait to take
another from the school Miss, for being late
to school this morning Mighty good thing
for Eft she takes after her old father and
has got such plump, broad shoulders. else
she couldn't stand so much as she gets MI
around mebbe, but mother hesitatngly)
come now, don't you believe Eft would dc
most as well if not leetle better if you didn't
scold her quite so much-eh? Yonder she
comes now, running like deer--and thi,
hot night! 'nough to kill her."
And farmer Stebbins, dear old soul, having
had his drink for which he came in, and hav.
ing said Uolume more than he often ven.
tured to say, went quickly back to the gar.
den, not waiting for his wife to recover from
her chagrin and astonishment sufficiently to
answer him but saying to himself. d" No
mothers just the best woman at heart, and
never mears the half she says. wish she
wouldn't scold so much, it's all she lacks
tho, mebbe, of bein' project and ready foi
mother world, but it frets the girl so. and
don't do no good not enough to pay anyway
that's how it seems to me, and Fits pretty
good little gal 'cordin' to my reckoning tha
is"
Henrietta Stebbins' pretty round face wa,
all aglow with something beside the running
when she reached home that Monday night
she expected to " catch an lawful scolding
for being so late, hut her mother simply
said:
Z" hope you have had enough schooling
for one day." pointing to the clock.
It's too bad mother know, and you SC
tired with washing; | didn't think 1t was SC
late though you see Miss Mott was helpin,
me with my arithmetic, something was toe
stupid to get through my head all day, ant
some way couldn't see through it for ever Sc
long to-night-but did Mt last, it is so plair
now and you don't know how glad am,
do want to go int the sixth grade when 1 G,
down town to school, and Miss Mott say
she is sure can if | but finish that arithme
tic. Now what is first for me to do?" hav
ing rolled up her sleeves and tied on hi
checked apron while talking.
Unluckily, she had touched the wron
chord by speaking of that most cherished O
all precious plans, "going to, school "whcl
her father had promised she should do il
September, and which her mother persiste,
in calling 4" the greatest piece of foolishness
"DoP do what has got to be done of course
enough to be done, and should think cir
of your age might see it without waiting to b.
told every identical thing. Here is milk t
he skinned, supper to he got ready, calves
feed to he made, eggs to be hunted, clothe
TO he taken down and sprinkled, and Their
you stand rs unconcerned. asking wha
shall I do? You can do just what you please
III not tell you mortal thing" and Mr.:
Stebhins drew on dolelul, most-abuse
look. wrinkling up her forehead and settin
her lips firmly on her teeth.
Poor Eta! She thought her mother ha
told her enough to do, she only wonders
what she would rather have done first, an
knew she would have to he extremely care
ful or she would bring upon herself storm
against the provocation Games but she fe
to work bravely, carefully and quickly don
those things her mother had named as sh
came to them, wishing meanwhile her thea
would stop aching"
She was a good girl, and had profted b
her mothers teachings and could work nj
most rs quickly and well about most thing
pertaining to the general homework as he
mother herself, and as she went on quetl
she had the satisfaction of seeing " the storr
was blowing over" the wrinkles in the fore
head lessened in number and depth, In
mouth regained its more pleasing expressio
and herself began TO breathe more freely
Supper was ready, and she had called /
her father to come and was taking the clothr
off the line as she went back when her moth
er called her.
"Oh, Henrietta Henrietta, come here
quickm
She dropped the clothes pin she had ju'
pulled or and ran in through the sittin
room depositing the armful of clothes on tn
lounge as she ran.
"Come, you are the pokiest girl and d
try my patience, why couldn't You com
when called you?"
"Why, mother | did just ms fast rs
cOuld. | had an armful of clothes | wa
taking down"
"0f course yen Arrays have an armful {
clothes then, or something when need yor
You had better say headful of going
town to school, and then You would hit
about right do just hope and pray some
thing will turn up to keep you at home,
has been nothing but that for year. and fc