Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-02-26
Shall we Hire Hands who smOkel

James Ellison looked snllen and glum /;
and It was evident to all who knew HIM,
that something had gone wrong, and very
wrong too. His wife, good soul. sat darning
the stockings one by one, hummIng snatches
of hymns Mt first, as was her wont of an eve
ming, while she sewed or knitted, bat cast
ing side-long glances ever and anon at the
guide mon," who sat moody and silent by
the FIRE, never venturing single word.
One by one tho children singled off to bed
earlier than usual, for decidedly the domes-
tic atmosphere that evening was anything
but pleasant. Something was wrong be-
tween father and MOTHER that was quite
evident. though what in the world 1t could
be, not one of them could even guess.
They discussed the matter between them
selves on the head of the staircase, the three
elder ones, but could arrive at no decision
whatever. Never in their recollection had
anything seemed to go wrong between their
parents; between them had there ever APP
peared to be perfect understanding; and
Dora, the eldest born--the .sister-mother to
all those who had come troopng after-lean-
cd her head upon the stair railing and cried.
"Pshawm Norman said, with all the wis
dom and emphasis, which usually attaches
to the boy of fifteen.
"Dode you are great goose to cry tell
you pas and mas heads are level, and they
will soon make it all understood between
themselves. Ny! but wasn't | thankful
listened to you and didn't go with the Ward
and Finell boys, stealing Deacon Phillips
water melons: l should have known quick
enough then what It was clouded fathers
brow, and wouldn't have trembled in my
bootsP Whew! but pa inst can raise n fell
lows hair when his dander is up"
Dora sobbed on, so Norman talked on ::
ISIS you ought to be brave, surely your con-
science is clear; tell you what. when | am
all right in that direction, takes good deal
te worry me; can't be that you have gone
and refused Jack Dcane now, and mother
has taken your part, and father is mad Mt
you both on account thereof--and we are
likely to have n real live heroine in our
own family--for, of course father will insist
upon your marrying him just on account of
the wedding, which will be such an event to
all of us children, who naturally enough
must settle down into chronic melancholy
with nothing to check the monotonous eur
rent ofour lives; really, l am under eternal
gratitude to Jack"
"Hush Norm 10 hush nonsense tonight"
hut 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 fashion his mother had
taught him when he first began to walk. and
which he still kept up when in good humor.
Down stairs, the mother rolled up her
yarn, stuck the long slim needle into the
ball-and land socks, yarn and needle care.
fully away, in her stocking basket; then she
moved her chair over close to the side Of her
husbands, and seated herself and laid her
hand softly upon the great brown patch she
had so carefully stitched into the knee OF her
husbands pants only the evening before.
1t was pretty hand still though the
veins stood up well. rs they will do when
our years begin to DO numbered by the
scores, and james Ellison felt thrill OF
pleasure In his heart, Notwithstanding lie
Ind steeled 1t all the evening against any
and every pleasant emotioni gently the
fingers plnched up little bit of the brown
patch, dropped 1t and picked It up again,
rubbed 1t down smooth and then they lay
still. Looking Mt the quiet baud, Mr.. Eli
son conceived desire to feel its soft touch
upon his tace-and forgetting his pettlshness,
took the hand in his own, and held it against
his cheek n moment. then drew 1t to his lips
and kissed it.
Martha, Martha, old wife; l was bear
to get cross at you to-day, can you forget ItP
we have lived together too many years to
quarrel now-but--" the good spirit was
drawing back in the shade again; oh, why
did it2
"But what, james,"
Don't you think you were little I'M
reasonable about Seth SliterP There isn't u
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 turned of as Seth
did for him last harvest; and 1 need some
body right away that can earn his wages.
Times are fearfully dull, and am afraid
our wheat will be all we got this year, It's
so dry the corn has commenced to hurn al
ready in the high places, mine stands 1t well
yet. S'posin' l hire Seth. mother, one
month, and then I'll let him of if you say
soPn
"Ifyou like, James, but 1 dislike, even