The Republican journal., 1874-02-12
The Consequences.

The Consequences.
He and she We're driving out together
He was dark, short and stout--in fact,
some people called him fat--a sure way
of enraging her. His redeeming points
were--a pair Of keen black eyes, a certain
manly, sensible way he had with him. and
a reliable look She was small and slender,
looking as if the wind might blow her
away some fine March morning, with
1.-TWO eyes soft and brown" and waving,
natural-not crimped-chestnut hair, fall
ing in little rings and sprays around a
white face, delicate, but full OF life and
spirit.
Everybody in Knipsic Farm said it was
perfectly absurd At the last sewing
society there was but one opinion. 1t twas
an unusually full meeting. the engage
mcnt having but Just come out They
were working on bed-quilt for the home
missionary in Bariboo. Quilting is the
most social work imaginable; it SO brings
every one together, and over ''herring-
bone" and shell" stitch the coolest hearts
thaw out. Mrs. Daniel Dodge was there,
Lance Limbert's aunt; and as no one
knew exactly how she stood on the all-ab-
sorbing question Of the day, a little pre-
limnary beating around the bush was
necessary. Aunt Polly Grggs boldly
opened the campaign. like the veteran she
was
$50 Lance is really engaged ut last,
said she. "lIe's tlirted round 50 long |
didn't know he'd ever settle down and git
maried.'
''Oh, you know there's always some
thing irresistibly fascinating about school
ma ans. suggested sarcastic Miss Scraps,
who had not found the same fact true OF
dress-makers in her own experience
well, if an his aunt" said Mrs
Dodge.
Every one listened with. as Virgil puts
it. 'serected ears" when Mrs Dodge said,
If am his aunt" They felt it promis-
ing beginning When people mean to
abuse their relatives they begin by pro-
claiming the rights of kindred not to
spare story for relations sake.
III | am his aunt" said Mrs Dodge, II
must say | think he's driven his pigs to
rather poor market What he can fancy
in that little, pale-faced school ma7a is
more than can see. Her high flown village
airs, | suppose. pretty farmers wife
she'll make =
"Well, that's Just what | was a sayin
to Mis- StoWell before You cum in. sale
Aunt Polly Says |, Miss Stowell. YOU
mark my words. Lance Lambert'll rue the
day he ever let his eyes run away with hi>
Good sense. Lance is u torehanded we'll
to-do young man, and he ought to have q
real smart, go-ahead wite-some good
stout capable girl, brought up Oh a farm
with plain sensible notions, like your Lesta
OF Phemie for instance. Says Miss StoWell
says She, that ain t'or me to say, OF course
but one thing will say, my girls can turr
their hand to anything, from making
bread to fodderin' and milkin' the COWS
Says she, I farmer that marries a village
girl-and school-ma am at that's :
fool They don't know nothin about work
and are above it, and full of ali kinds O
eXtravagant notions, enough TO send A MAJ
to the poor house"
How does his mother feel about it p
queried Mrs Jedediah Jones,
"Oh, she don't say much, 1t isn't hel
way, you know. Besides. its no use tC
oppose Lance when his mind is once made
up. He's dreadful set
"Well, am afraid he'll be sorry witt
an accent on the afraid that made it sounC
singularly like hope.
''Will they live at home with the old
folks?"
''No; Lance has bought the Jackson
farm over at the Corners. He says there
no house big enough for two families
The Jackson farm shouldn't spost
that would be quite grand enough to suit
Laury's idees."
"They're going to fix the house "
some, | believe. The barns are good, an,
it's nice land
Out in the other room, where the girls
were concocting calico dresses for the
missionary's children, the subject ragel
with even greater virulence, as might
have been expected considering thai
Lance had been a general favorite, and il
the days Of his freedom had roamed from
flower to flower, after the usual butterfly
fashion OF young bachelors. They pitiet
him. they pited her They wondered at
him; they wondered at her Poverty ant
Sickness ruin and disaster, were the mildes1
of their predictions for this untortunatt
couple
Equal CONSERVATION prevailed in knp-
sic village. when it was rumored that
Laura Bridges was deliberately deter
mined to marry Il farmer No engage
ment had created such commotion since
the next to the last new minister had mar
ried Sue Sillabub. Every body dresseC
up. and called on every one else to talk il
over.
els the child crazy ?" asked Mrs Gen
eral Sampson Of Mrs Judge Jewett, il
her most impressive manner. "To throw
herself away ON farm! 1t is true the
Bridges are not wealthy, but they are
one of our oldest families; and Laura
with her connections, her fine education,
her agreeable, lady-like manners, and
pretty face, might have married into the
very first circles. George Ledell was ex-
tremcly attentive to her last year, before
she went off teaching that miserable dis
trict school, and became infatuated witt
this coarse iarmer.'
Then Mrs. Judge .Jewett took up the re
frain: "She will have no society what
ever She will be obliged to work like {
galley y-slave-iarmers' wives always do
Think of Laura making butter and cheese
apple sauce, soft soap, sausagcs, mopping
eating with hired men, living on salt
pork = And Mrs Jewett shuddered at the
dreadful picture her imagination thus pre-
sented of farmers life.''
"Oh, it's truly dreadful - said Mrs Gen
eral Sampson.
.'She can't endure it" said Mrs Jewett
''She'll break down under it, said Mrs
Sampson.
'She won't live long" said Mrs. Jewett
Meantime the victims, 'unconscious ol
their DOOM" were jogging along in a
state of perfect happiness and infatuation
They were driving over the Jackson farm
to inspect their future home. 1t was 9
cloudy, bleak March day, the roads muddy
the grass not yet turned green. People
who met on the street added ga disagree
able day." to their "Good afternoon =
But Lance and Laura found it an uncom.
monty nice day | think they labored un
der a dim impression roses were blooming
and bobolinks warbllng all along the road
The summer of youth and love in theil
hearts cast its glamour on all the worlC
outside.
The old Jackson farmhouse certainly
needed to be looked at through glamour