The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-11-05

Then gather them close to your loving heart
Cradle them on your b: east;
They will s'"n enough leave your broodi' 8
care
Soon enough mount youths topmost stair
Little ones in thu nest.
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
snatchcs of hymns at first, Us was her
wont Of an evening, while she sewed or
knitted, but casting side.long glances
ever and anon ut the 'gude 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
domestic atmosphere that evening Was
anything but pleasant. Something was
wrong between father and mother that
was quite evident, though what in the
world it could be, not one Of them could
even guess.
They discussed the matter between
themselves on the head of tho staircase,
the three elder ones, but could arrive At
no decision whatever. Never in their
recollection had anything ever seemed to
90 wrong between their parents; between
them had there ever appeared to be a
perfect understanding; and Dora, the
eldest born the sister-mother to all
those who had come trooping after LEAN
cd her head upon the stair railing and
cried.
''Pshaw! Norman said, with all the
wisdom and emphasis, which usually at
taches to the boy Of fifteen.
''Dode you are great goose 20 cry
tell you pas and mas heads are level,
and they will soon make it all understood
between themselves. My! but wasn't
thankful | listened to you and didn't 90
with the Ward and Fine;l boys, stealing
Deacon Philips water.melons; should
have known quick enough then what it
was clouded fathers brow. and wouldn't
I have trembled in my boots! Whew |!
but pa just can raise fellows hair when
his dandcr is up
Dora sobbed on, SO Norman talked on {:
isis you ought to be brave, surely uoxr
conscience is clear; tell you what, when
I am all right in that direction, takes a
good deal to worry me; can't be that you
have goae and refused Jack Deane now,
and mother has taken your part, and
father is mad At you both on account
thereof and We arc likely to have real
live heroine in our own family for, Of
course father will insist upon you marry,
ing him jt~t on account OF the wedding,
which vii; be such IN event to all Of US
children, who naturally enough must set"
tie down into chronic melancholy with
nothing to check the HOMOGENEOUS current
Of our lives really: ! am under eternal
1ratitule to JsoA-"
''Hush. Norm! do hash nonsense to.
night" but he had succeeded in driving
the tears away, and bringing the smiles
back to Dora's face, and now he kissed
her and Ethie goodnight, after the fash.
ion his mother had taught him when he
first began to walk, and which he still
kept up when in 6 cd 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 8
pants only the evening before.
1t was 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 steele'' it all the evening against any
and every pleasant emotion; gentl7 the
fingers punched up 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
moment, then drew it to his lips and kiss.
ed it.
"Marth&, Martha, old wife 1 was
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!''
"Don't you think you were a little un.
reasonable about Seth Sitter! There
isn't = more hard working fellow in the
country than Seth, when he works. Job
Downs said just this morning that he
never had such IN amount Of work turn.
ed Oh rs Seth did for him last harvest: and
l need somebody right away that can earn
MS wages: Times are iearfully dull, and
lam afraid our wheat will be ali we get thia
year. It's 50 dry and the corn has com.
mcnced to burn already in the high places.
mine stands it we'll yet. S'posin mother.
ono month. and then I'll let him Of If
you say so!'' -.
III you like James but dislike, even
for . month, to take into our home With
our boys. man with 81 many intemper.
ate habits ~ Seth is known to have. Ho
drinks, he swears, he chews tobacco and
smokes; still, James, only said il YOU
could do. better, or could get any body
that would answer, even If not better, or
quite Is good hand to work, wished
you woul,'.'' ,.->
"Well, I've TO time to spend running
round after 4 hand; and Seth IS over at
JOBS nov: l shall try him for month
"Nrs. Ellison sighed, she conld nat
help il: he- hand had gone avav from
her husbands face and lips ). did not even,
rest upon her knee, it had met her other
ono ins.a strong clasp upon her owaslap:
and shs only said: .+s..-s ..1 rs