The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-01-06
to be put in posy along o. pinks and
gillyfOwers,h said Uncle Silas, indig-

A0uOAys
"Well, father, I dunno; last Sabbath
to church when I look up in the core and
see Alice in her white frock and with all
them yellow curlsrhanginh round her face
and singin' so sweet-like, why, / couldn't
help thinkin' Of the angels"
"Polly amt no angel, surely. But
don't you be downhearted, Polly; pretty
gals amt goin' out of fashion this year
| No, nor next year nuther." g
LA! father, how you do talk! As if
Polly didn't know better nor TO set store
by her good looks. Why, there was
Clarissy Hunter, wien was a girl; all
perfect wax doll, all pink and white, and
hair the color O. sunshine. Well, she went
down to Falbridge to visit her mothers
relations, and took smallpox, and that
was the last of her good looks. But that
want the wust of 1t; she was promised
to Hiram Barber, and when he sees she
want bit like herself, he up and mar
ried Kitty Gibson. If it had a. been me
I'd a ruther had Clarissy, if she was
humbly, for she was sweet-tempered
critter and mighty neat housekeeper;
but Kitty Barber-Kitty Gibson that was
was Tartar and slattern to boot;
which amt common. For you'll mostly
see slack, easy-goin' woman amt got
no more snap IN her nor dish clout;
while woman that's suthin' of spittire
is aptto be mortal spry and generally has
two cleenin' days to a week.
Polly, who had begun to clear off the
supper. table, stopped midway to the pan
try to hear the last of Aunt Debby's remi-
niscences, and she could not help wonder
ing if it would make any difference to
John if she should lose her good looks;
that is, supposing they had been engaged
like Clarissa and Hiram. OF course as
things were John would not care if her
eyes should suddenly turn crooked in her
head or if her pretty little nose were to
assume gigantic proportions Oh the in
slant.
John was what women call handy"
about the house and often helped Polly
wash dishes and peel potatoes; and on
wash days in very cold weather he had
even been known to hang out the clothes;
Dor women put down to the score of
agreed that he would make model hus-
band.
Perhaps it was all abstract goodness on
Johns part; but if so, why was it that no.
body had ever known him to show the
least concern about old Mrs. Moss rheu-
matte hands when she took Polly's place
at the washtub: though he has been seen
to hold Polly's rosy digits for five min
utes just to warm them, you know, and
then send her indoors while he battled
manfully with wet, tapping sheets and
stringy towels.
As time went on, however, he seemed
TO lose all his little helpful ways about the
h,,o1 sr1~%
empty half the day without his percelving
it-Polly might reduce her fingers to pink
jelly driving nails to train her roses
John never seemed to know it or to imag-
inc that any assistance was needed or eX-
unkind, but there was difference; he did
not appropriate Polly as he used to do;
he always gave way when Simeon Brown
men came about He was away a good
deal in the evenings, and when he did re-
main at home was usually absorbed in
the newspapers or a book or else he was
busy with accounts and must not be dis
turbed.
Polly wonders sometimes if John has
forgotten all about that little scene in the
old kitchen, one spring morning, not so
very long ago. She does not wonder if
he has gotten over being fond Of her-as
he said he would endeavor to do-she is
quite sure that he has. Though why she
should cry about it is not quite so clear
to Polly; but she does, nevertheless, and
the briny drops tall slowly and mournful-
ly into the dish-pan, When she has
"done up'' the dishes and wept her Cit
tie weep" she bathes her face in cool
spring water, and without even one tiny
peep into the little cracked looking glass
goes Into the sitt1ng-Ioom.
Uncle Silas was enjoying his pipe and
the newspaper together, and Aunt Debby
was counting off the loops on her knitting
needles preparatory to "setting-up" the
heel in gray yarn stocking, whose di-
mansions proclaimed that it was intended
to warm and comfort, during the storms
of the coming winter, one OF pair of feet
at present reposlng inside of Uncle Silas'
far from Liliputian slippers. John is not
present, SO the room is very still; it is
worse even than the great empty kitchen,
for the crickets keep that from being
utterly dreary, but the ticking of the tall
clock in its dim corner only makes the
sitting room seem more lonesome. Polly
takes her work and sits down in her little
sewing chair, and wonders what ails her
self and everybody and everything. She
longs to throw her work into the fire and
herself on the floor and cry her eyes out :;
but what would Aunt Debby say to such
doirgs? All, if the Aunt Debbys could
but look beneath the surface, Oftentimes,
what an uplifting of hands and eyes
would take place, to be sure! But Aunt
Debby "set-up'' her heel undisturbed,
and, getting into plain sailing, she re-
marked how quiet everyone was. This
eliciting no response, she next supposed
it would be late before John got home
then Polly asked where John was?
"He's gone to Deacon Browns to core
meetin'; Simeon cum along this afternoon
and gin him notice. think you'd a
better went too, Polly; you don't seem
pert; there's nuthin' like bit o. company
to 'liven young folks up, or old ones
either"
Polly did not say anything, but pang
shot through her heart and she wanted to
cry worse than ever-what could all her !?
Uncle Silas laid his paper down and
cast shrewd glance at Polly over his
glasses, then hemmed and said: "Mother,
do you think it's the singln' and nuthin'
else that takes our John to Deacon
Browns so oft'n of an evening""
"Why, what should it be-? You don't
think he's under conviction, do you? l
shouldn't wonder, though, now that you
mention it, if he was. Them's powerful
sarmons Parson Hammond's been preach
in lately, most enough to wake the dead,
specially in the graves under the meetin'
house wlnders. Well, if it's the Lords
will to call him, it would be a main
comfort to me to see him brought into the
fold before l die. Not but what John s
allus been good son as things is-tho'
rather fond O. fiddlin' and dancin', maybe,
and carin' less for prayer-meetin's than l
could wish, still / dunno as he's much
ditfer'n to host young folks in that way !;
l used to be ruther clipper myself when
/ was gall" .. y.
"You're on the wrong track, mother,
entirely. How would you like the
Deacon's Alice fer darter?''
81 La, SUPP and Aunt Debby dropped