The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-07-23
have made you dry. Yes, children do
make trouble. One of Jim's songs says,

for all the fine clothes | used to have
when | was single and worked in the
shop. | worked down at Burrage's-I
suppose you never buy shoes any there? p
What makes you suppose 500" says
she, smiling.
Well. because your boots don't look
like our work: they look like-like Gin
derelia'S slippers. Yes, | worked at
Burrage'S. off and OH, a good many years
Oh 10 of the time. L had six dollars
a week. Folks used TO wonder how | got
so many clothes with it. after I'd paid my
board. But | always had that six dollars
laid out long before p~ay-day-in my
mind, you know-So that | spent it to the
best advantage. There's a great deal of
pleasure in that"
"A great deal" says she.
THAT'S what say to jim and then he
says his is all spent before payday too
but with Il difference, you know. sup
pose you've got a real good steady hus-
band?"
"Oh yes, indeed" says she, laughing
some more.
You must, to have such a nice house
as that is going to be. But there! |
shouldn't know what to do with it, and |
don't envy you a Bit
"Oh, you needn't says she, a-twitch-
ing her shoulders; II expect TO have
trouble enough with it,"
Not" says IL don't mean that jim
i-J> r StnaIy- Fja'c rs Ctaol,- Nc a clOoI-
at that old fiddle of his. But sometimes [
do wish he loved his regular trade As
well, or else that that aoas his trade. But
| suppose if fiddling was his trade, he'd
want TO be wood-carving all the time"
why don't you speak to him" says
she, ~"seriously:"
"Wcll, you can't" says /. Hes 50
sweet and good-natured and ~PleaSantthat
when I've got my mind all made up to
give him a sound talking to, he makes me
like him so, and sets me to laughing, and
plays such a twirling, twittering tunc,
that | can't do it to save my lite"
You see, ia got to talking rather free
with her. because she listened so, and
seemed interested, and kept looking at me
in Il wondering way, and at last took Sue
up on her lap and gave her her rings to
play with. Such rings. My gracious.
one of them flashed with stones all round,
just like the Milky Way. | should think it
would have ShOne through her glove.
But" says she, 'you should tell him
that his children will be growing up
presently, and"
Ion, [ DO that" says |. "Andhe says,
well, he'll do for the bad example they're
to take warning by; and, at any rate, it's
no use worrying before the time comes,
and when they DO grow up they can take
care of themselves just the way we do"
And are you cOntented to leave it so ?"
says she.
"Well, I'm contented enough. That
is, in general. But | do wish sometimes
that Jim would go down to his work regu-
lar every day, with his tin pail in his hand,
like other men, and come back at night,
and have a good round sum of money in
hand at once, instead of just working long
enough to get some flour and fish and
pork and potatoes and sugar, and then not
so much as lifting his finger again till that
all gives out it's such a hand-tO-mOuth
way of living" says /. And of course
we can't get things together, such as a
rocking-chair, and a sofa, and a good
sized Iooking-glass, and an eight-day
clock. Not that | care much only when
a lady like you happens in I'd like to give
her a seat that's softer. And there's a
bureau. Now you wouldn't believe it,
but I've never owned a bureau"
Indeed" says she.
Yes. Idon't think its good manners
to be always apologizing about the looks
of a place; and so | don't say any thing
about all the boxes and bundles | have to
keep my things in, that do give a littery
look but [ am always meaning to have a
bureau to put them in, if can compass it
ever. You see, it's hard getting so much
money in a pile; and if | do happen to,
whv then there's something [ must have, |
like Jim's boots, or flannel and yarn and
cloth, or a little bed-because you can't
sleep with more than W. children in n
bed. And so, somehow, | never get the
bureau. But then | don't give it up. Oh,
| suppose you think my notions are dread
full extravaganza" says |, for she was look
ing at me perfectly amazed; really, just
as if I was a little monster, and she'd never
seen the like. "And perhaps they are.
But people must have something to am
bitiOn them, and it seems TO me as though,
if [ ever could get a bureau, | should
most feel as if I'd got a house."
"Well, | declare" says she, drawing
of a long breath.
81 did come precious near it last fall"
says for | wanted her to see that it
wasn't altogether an impossibility, and |