The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-04-09
Tus satuaEs susrsKg

AAtihh EHf At#tH aaft . tttAka NaNtH 'saA
oAmr dowu the roxd booking as lfssl 81 =
urw blown rose. Her brown hair cut
quite s6ori, blsw ab0ut beF face ip little
rinss ,aud Der blue eyes aud bright checks
made ber - pretty picture - oue often
sce.. Squire pndies saw her iasi o. she
eame opposite lhe stfa berry patch, and
be called cut good morning. la a brick.
sbeery way.
Oh, good m,ruiaE, She answered. lon
almost seared me, Squire Dudley;
dido't .ee you unlil sou spoke.
Pleasant morning, isut if said the
squire, coming up to the fence Ruth
[ had halted 10 The road.
IL beautiful weather. answered Ruth.
I told mother 10 was tgg pleasant 90 staf
in aoots, sud started of ou visit
Are yaur .rrBwberries ripe yegE a.kel
/ the Squire, wondering that Dc bad nerei
noticed wtsl d fresh and elsrmlng far
widow Lees daughter had before
. Oar straw bc,resy laughed Ruth We
have got none. Our old rooster got Ia
one daI, about O Wee K ago, and picked
all be could eat. and then eon1ed the hens
I 10, aud between them they ruined oui
/ strawberry crop.
. leo bad! exclaimed the sympatheti,
squire. lisye some OF these, Ruth. They
are jusl ripe enoagh TO be good.
I lie picked some great clusters OF ripe
/ berries, and handed them over tho fcucc
( 20 her.
! 1haua YOU, said Roth, smIliugly. How
/ uice they are, Molhcr was making great
calculations on her strawberry jam. She
was terribly vtxed when she had found
out what the mems had done,
/ I've got lots 10 spare, said The Squire
! III send some over to your mother.
. She'd be much obliged TO you, said
Eu,b, if YOU have more than you will
/ want
Plenty i them, answered the Squire
( plenty OF them. Can have them just a,
well AS not,
I must be going, said Ruth. Coco
morning.
food morning, returned the Squire
looking after her as she went down th,
road / declare, there ANITA prettier CIR
in town than Ruth Lee. ! wonder somt
Of the young fellows haven't got hel
away from the widow. If was youns
now
Squire Dudley stopped suddenly. Al
idea had just flashed across his mind,
I'm fifty, be said at last, after thinking
quite busily for some minutes. I'm fiti,
but don't look il. don't see why
shouldn't try my luck, after all Girls al
young as Ruth marry men older than
am. rm sure she will make any man !
good wife. Her mother IS one of TIN
finest women in the State, aud she's bro
her daughters up to know how to work
aud be saving and prudent. l'm SUR
we need good housekeeper. Mrs
Brown Is old, iussy aud crooked, and thi
way OF living isli'l half living. do be
ieye III marry her, II she'll have me-
May be Charhe'll say its foolish, bat
can't help that.
The Squire fell 10 wedding ont hi
straw berries again diligently, aud kep
thinking about Ruth all the while. Lou
before dinner was ready he had made a.
his mind to propose marriage TO Ruth
aud bring home new housekeeper an,
mistress 10 the great house, whose mis-
tress had been dead ten years or more
provided, of course, that Ruth didn't sa
no; and the Squire thought there WASH
much danger OF that, though why h
should be 50 sure, can't say.
Don't you think we need housekcer
er? be said to bis son Charles that afel
= noon, %. They sat on the veranda. Th
squire evidently saw seine new featut
ia the landscape, for be Kept hi. fac
turned away from Charles as he spoke
1 \ housekeeper; asked Charlie. W
have got one. What do we want {
more, should like TO know
Yes, know, assented the Squir
turning Ted iu the face, aud beginning t
get little uneasy; but Mrs. Brown ism
such a woman as we need She doesn
take any interest in the work: a woma
would who-had more inierest in il.
+, ARer which extremely logical arg,
u,eut The Squire got more ddgety tba
ever,
undcrIaad that, answered Cbarli,
II she had a personal Interest Ia the plaC
and in being prudcnl and ia kcepjn
lhjngs up. .he'd DO better than she do,
now. Now, she gets her pay for be
2 work, aud thar. sIl she cares tor. Il
all we expect Of ber.
Jnst So. sajd the Squire, glad 10 kno
,hat Charlie sgrecd with him 30 fat; ~
been thinking, this morning, that ii
best ihing thst | could DO would be
gct some one who has s personal iutere
Ia matters. ! don't see s. YOU intend {
get married, and, as yoa won't, don
know bul "a better.
The Squire bgenhci easief. The wor
part vas ever a5II. 20
700 get married, exclaimed CharH
lie Iutense surprise. whs, don't kuo
goa ever thongll of such s ghing.
And haven't tH Bbi. moruiHgs a.
eljmed the squire got 80 itiakn
shout u tbis maraiug. ard tbe mere
'isausht about ig fI.e more thought ll
good pIaa. Yoa baye no oblecflonsS
az r8ar.e uol. artEsFeH Charlie l,
rau 10 e. fug illiUk be.t lftou fhiak
adylsable to se, site h.fs nothing
sa,. further tAaH ,he hope - yoa ~