The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-04-16


cape bonnet, going across the road; and
before dinner / counted half a dozen
cape bonnets going hither and yon.
Well, the long and short of il was, that
by the end Of two days there wasn't a
man or womanin Shrewsbury that hadn't
heard that Deacon Goodman and his
wife had had a quarrel, that Mrs. Good
man had cried her eyes out, and that
the match between Josiah and Matilda
was all broken mp.
cold Deacon Walker was greatly ex-
ercised in his mind when he found there
was no such thing as putting down the
rumor, for he was peaceable man, and
he and Deacon Goodman had served the
same communion table for many a year
He couldn't bear to go to his brother
about such unpleasant business, though
he didn't believe the stories. After max
ing it subject of prayer, he concluded
it was better that the minister should
take it in hand, and SO to the minister he
went. Parson Snowden didn't believe
the stories. 1t wasn't long since he had
called at the Deacon's and all was pleas
ant enough at that time. Still, he hated
rumors and hated misunderstanding
and he would go and put an end to such
goings on in his parish. So, in the af-
ternoon the parsons old yellow chaise
went jogging and teetering along the road
! to Deacon Goodman's house. He hitched
his horse and then raped at the front
door, instead of going to the side porch
as usual, and Nancy-that was their hir-
ed girl-supposing that he must have
come on some solemn business, took him
in to the great solemn parlor, where, 1
venture to say, not one of the family sat
down six times in a year. The Deacon
was out doing some fall planting. His
wife brought out his other coat, and help
ed him spruce up little, and then he
went with a little cough and hem or
two, and feeling very stiff, into the great
stiff room.
"'How dye do, Parson Snowden2
Glad to see you. And how is your
wifel
"The parson and his wife were both
pretty smart, and how was the Deacon
and his wife3 Well, both cleverly; ex-
cept that the Dencon's rheumatism hung
on in spite of his good wife's great care
of him, and she herself was troubled with
weak eyes. They looked red and water
ed all the time, and panied her consider
able. The parson hadnoticed along back
that her eyes had looked red, and he was
afraid that she was taking on, maybe,
about losing Matilda so soon.
"'Well, no; it wasn't exactly that, for
Matilda was going to wait awhile till her
cousin Spring got home, and then very
likely, his wife would go to Boston to
stay with her while she set up house
keeping.
"And he told the rest, about her wish.
ing him to go with her, and about their
never having been separated since they
were married, and he repeated his little
joke about their never having had dis
agreement before.
"The parsons face grew broader and
shorter, and presently, as the full light
broke in, ho brought down his foot with
a stamp, and threw back his head and
laughed so long and loud that Nancy de-
clared if Parson Snowdon wasn't mas
ter hand to laugh, then she didn'tknow;
and Mrs. Goodman ventured to show
herself to ask him not to go home with
out taking along a few notions for his
wife. The chaise-box was packed full of
sweeting, pair of chickens, half peck
of doughnuts, and cheese to go with
them; and soon the parson, in the best
of humors, went teetering homeward.
"The whole matter was soon explained
and the stories traced to the Snuffer girls.
They were dreadfully cut up, and laid
the whole on MY shoulders; but nobody
else blamed me; and as for Betsy Jane
and LYDIA Ann, they knew it wouldn't
do mite of good to keep put out with
me. 1t was only cutting off their noses,
for they could't do without me, anyway.
The best of it was when LYDIA Ann came
to be getting ready all of sudden to
marry widower with five children, and
didn't want soul to know it till the last
minute, especially as she had always de-
clared she never would marry widower
no, not if she had to live an old maid
till the day of her death-and the girls
would never be done hectoring her.
"Now, girls, let me give you one piece
of advice: Never be telling before hand
who you will Or who you won't marry
According to my way of thinking, it is
more prudent and more modest to wait
until you are asked.
GAS for LYDIA Ann, she owned that
was all right in keeping things to myself
and that she had been ugly in running
out so against me; and she went on to
say that she had learned onelesson from
me, and one she would try to indoctrin-
ate her step children with, and that was