The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-04-12


and knock. One Of them said: Don't
tell me about Sail Barker's prudence,
and her being so mighty conscientious
and all that. 1 warrant you she is rs
glad to poke that great long nose Of hers
into other peoples business Us anybody,
and it Is only because she is 80 contrary
that she likes 10 keep things 10 herself.
She feels SO important when she has
some great secret TINT she can keep from
everybody elsel It is tho way she
takes TO poster folks And she went on
about old maids in way that was
scandalous. But I am not going to re-
peat it. You may be sure TINT | felt
pretty well riled up, and / Ind half n
mind to go straight home; but I had
sent my goose and lap.board along, for /
had jacket to press off for Reuben
Snufor, and so / concluded to put down
the old Adam, and go right in. / ought
to explain that what set Lyddy Ann out
so fierce was TINT her mother had been
taking her to do for letting out some
secrets that had made mischief, and she
had held mo up Us a pattern. Every.
body knows that nothing mikes some
people dislike you more than TO have
some other people always prnising you.
Well, / went in and sat down to break.
fast, md they had buttermilk cake
tlat Lyddy had made md baked on n
board before the fire on purpose for me,
because she knew I liked them so much.
There arc some folks that always like to
have you eat their victuals, even II they
hate you. / ate il and praized II, though
I hadn't so much appetite as common,
for l kept thinking about my great long
nose, aud OF being called an old maid.
I" We sat pretty much without speak
ing for spell, for the girls mistrlsted
that overheard them talk; but before
long Betsy Jane gave u little hem to
clear her throat, aud observed that they
must bo middling busy down at Deacon
Goodman's II Matildy was to be married
in n week or two. / said: 'Sho isn't
to be married till Spring comes; and /
was going on to tell the rest; but they
didn't give me time to finish.
".Not till springl What on earth
could TINT meant Now what possessed
me / couldn't tell. I don't pretend 10
soy That l did right; but you must re-
member TINT it was only half an hour
since I had heard myself nicknamed and
called mn old maid, just because /
wouldn't tell all 1 knew. sWCll, says I,
'strange things happen sometimes.
You haven't heard that the deacon and
his wife have had n disagreement, aud
are talking Of separation Now, mind,
didn't tell them thnt I had heard so;
only said that they hadn't heard it
OF course they were amazed beyond all
account. They couldn't say much but
'Did l eyerl' and 'If TINT doesn't beat
all / ever did hear in my born days 7
Their mother wasn't a talking woman,
and she asked me il / didn't think there
must be some mistake. / said time
would show. But the girls said that
they had noticed for some time how red
Mrs. Goodman's eyes had looked, and
now 1t was oil explained.
Z" It wasn't long after, rs I sat by
window at work, I spied Lyddy Ann,
with shawl over her head, slipping
across from their side gate into Miss
Jones's, and in another half hour I saw
one OF tho Jones girls, with shawl and
cape bonnet, going across the road; and
before dinner / counted half dozon
cape bonncts going hther and yon.
Well, the long and the short Of 1t was,
that by tho end Of two days there wasn't
n man or woman in Shrewsbury that
hadn't heard that Deacon Goodman and
his wife had had great quarrel, that
Mrs. Goodman had cried her eyes out,
and that the match between Josiah and
AIatildy was all broken up.
"0ld Deacon Walker was greatly ex-
ercised in his mind when he found there
was no such thing as putting down tho
rumor, for he was n peaceablo man, and
he and Deacon Goodman had served the
same communicable for many o year.
He couldn't bear TO go to his brother
about such unpleasant business, though
ho didn't believe tile stories. After
making It subject Of prayer, he con-
cludelit was better tint the minister
should takc II in hand, aud so to the
minister ho went. Parson Snowdon
didn't believe tho stories. II wasn't
long since lie had called at the deacon's,
and oil was pleasant enough at that
time. Still, he hatod rumors and he
hated Misunderstanding, and he would
go and put q stop to such goings on in
his parish. So in theafternoon the par
sons old yellow chaise went Jogging
and tcetering along the road to Deacon
Goolman,s house. He hitched his
horse, and then raped at the front door,
instead Of going 70 the side porch as
usual, and Nancy-that was their hired
girl-supposing that he must have come
on some solemn business, took him into
the great solemn parlor, where, | ven
ture 10 say, not one Of the family sat
down six times in year. The deacon
was out doing some fall planting. His
wife brought out his other coat and
helped him spruce up little, and then
he went, with q little cough and hem or
two, and feeling very still, into the
great stiff room. How dye do, Parson
Snowtloni Glad to SEQ you. Aud how
is your wifei' The parson and his wife
we're both pretty smart, and how was tho
deacon and his wifel Well, both clev-
erly, except that the deacon's rheuma-
tism held on in spite Of his good wife's
great care Of him, and she herself was
troubled with weak eyes. They looked
red and watered all the time, and panied
her considerable. The parson had no.
ticed along back that her eyes Ind look
ed red, and he was afraid that she was
taking on, maybe, about losing Matilda
40 soon, well, no II wasn't exactly
that, for NIatildy was going to wait u
while I'LL her cousin Spring got home,