The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-03
MISCELLANY.


MISCELLANY. -
SHALL WE HIRE HANDS WHO SMOKE.
Sam Ellison looked sullen and glum
and it was evident to all who knew him,
that something had gone wrong, and very
wrong too. Ills wife, good soul, sat darn
ing the stockings one by one, humming
snatches Of hymns at first, as was her
wont Of an evening, while she sewed or
knitted, but casting side.long chances
ever and anon at the ''gude mon,' who
sat moody and silent by the fire, never
venturing single word. r>-% .-'>J
One by one the children singled off to
bed earlier than usual; for : decidedly the
domestic atmoSphere that evening Was
anything but pleasant. Something was
wrong between father and mother ; that
was quite evident, thoug what in the
world it could be, not one of them could
even guess.
They discussed the matter between
themselves on the head Of the staircase,
the three elder ones, but could, arrive at
no decision whatever. Never in their
recollection had anything ever seemed to
60 wrong between their parents; between
them had there ever appeared to be
perfect understanding; and Dora, the
eldest born - the sister-mother to all
those who had; come trooping after. =lean-
ed her head upon the stair. railing and
cried. ";$~>'3 - -A'' . :" a. ~
':Pshaw!'' Norman said, with all the
wisdom and emphasis, which usually at
taches to the boy OF fifteen.
''Dode you are a great goose 70 cry =; /
tell you pas and mas heads arc level.
and they will soon make it all understood
between themselves. My but wasn't /
thankful listened to you and didn't go
with the Ward and FineI boys, stealing
Deacon Philips water-melons i'll should
have known quick enough then what it
was clouded fathers brow, and wouldn't
l have tre1nb(ed in my boots Whcw
but pa Just can raise fellows hair when
his dander. is up
Dora sobbed on, so Norman talked on
isis you ought to be brave, surely yoqlr
conscience is clear; tell you what, when
I am all right in that direction, takes
have gone and refused Jack Deane now,
anH mother has taken your part, and
father is mad at you both on account
thereof - and we are likely to have real
live heroine in our own family for, of
course father will insist upon you marry
ing him just on account Of the wedding,
which viii, be such an event to all Of US
children, who naturally enough must set
tie down into chronic melancholy with
nothing to check the monotonous current
of our lives; really, am under eternal
gratitude to jack
''Hush, Norm! do hash nonsense to-
night" bit he had succeeded in driving
the tears away, and bringing the smiles
back, to. Dora's face, and now he kissed
her and Ethie good night, after the fash.
ion his mother had taught him when he
first began to walk, and which heSssastill
kept up when in god humor.
Down stairs, the mother rolled up her
yarn, stuck the long slim needle into the
ball--and laid socks, yarn and needle
carefully away, in her stocking basket );
then she moved her chair over close to
the side of her husbands, and seated her.
self, and laid her hand softly upon the
great brown patch she had so carefully
stitched into. the knee Of her husband S
pants only the evening before. "a q - 49,.
1t was a pretty hand still, though the
veins stood up we'll, as they will do when
our years begin to be numbered by the
scores, and James Ellison felt thrill Of
pleasure in his heart, notwithstanding he
had steeled it all the evening against any
and every pleasant emotion; gently the
fingers punched up a little bit OF the
brown patch, dropped it and picked it up
again. rubbed it down smooth and hen
they lay still. Looking at the quiet
hand, Mr. Ellison conceived desire to
feel it's soft touch upon his face-and for.
getting his pettishness, took the hand in
his own, and held it against his cheek a
moment; then drew it to his lips and kiss
ed it.
''Marths, Martha, old wife; was a
bear to get cross at you to-day, can you
forget it we have lived together too
many years to quarrel now-bnt-" the
good.spirit WAS. drawing back in the
Shade again oh, why did it!
But what. James %
sDon't you think you were little un'
reasonable about Seth Sitter? There
isn't a more hard working fellow in the
country than Seth, when he works. Job
Downs said just this morning that he
never had such an amount of work turn