Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-01-26

wv, says II DON'T mean tha
Jim isn't steady. He's as steady as ,
clock-at that old fiddle of his. But
sometimes do wish he loved his regu.
lar trade as well, or else that that na,
his trade. But 1 suppose If fiddlins
was his trade, he'd want to be wood.
carving all the time.''
why don't you speak to him." says
she, seriously ?"
swell, you can't" SAYS /. "He's &c
sweet and good-natured and pleasant
that when I've got my mind all made up
to give him Il sound talking to, he make.
me like him so, and sets me to laughing
and plays such twirling, twitterine
tune, that can't do it to save my life. y
You see, I'D got to talking rather free
with her, because she listened so, and
seemed interested, and kept looking al
me In 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 around, just like tie Milky
Way. L should think it would have
shone through her glove.
But" says, ''you should tell him
that his children will be growing up
presently, and"
''Oh, 1 do that" says L. "And he
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 il
so?" says she.
"Well, I'm contented enough. That
is, in general. But do wish sometimes
that Jim would go down to his work
regular every day, with his tin pail i'm
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 an,.
sugar, and then not so much as lifting
his finger 81 ain till that all gives out !:
it's such a haud-to-mouth way of liv-
| ing" says |. "And of course we can't
get things together, such as a rocking
chair, a ID sofa, and good-sized look
/ ing-glass and an eight-day clock. Not
that L care much; only when lady
like you happens in I'd like to give her
a seat that's softer. And there's a bu-
reau. Now you wouldn't believe it,
but I've never owned a bureau"
"Indeed," says she.
"Yes. don't think it's good man.
ners to be always apologizing about the
looks of place; and so don't say any
thing about all the boxes and bundles
l have to keep my things in, that do
give a littery look; but I'm always
meaning to have 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. why there's
something | must have, like Jim boots,
or flannel and yarn and cloth, or little
bed-because you can't sleep with more
than two children in one bed. And so,
somehow, | never get the bureau. But
then L don't give it up. Oh, L suppose
you think my notions are dreadful eX-
travagant," says |, for she was looking
at me perfectly amazed; really, just as
if 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, 1
should most feel as if I'd got house!'
"Well, l declare says she, drawing
of a long breath.
II did come precious near il last fall"
saws I-for wanted her to see that it
wasn't altogether an impossibility, and
| wasn't wasting m time in vapOrs-
''when Jim was at work up here, help
ing lay out the garden. lie was pad
by the day, you know; Mr.. Mulgrave
paid him; and he was paid here, and l
had the handling of the money; and
said TO myself, Now or never Tor that
bureau" But, dear me, had to turn
that money over so many times to get
the things | couldn't do without any
way at all, that before 1 got round TO
the bureau it was every cent gone!"
YES" she sag, '';ts apt to be so.
know ii don't get the expensive thing
when 1 have the NANCY IN my purse,
the money is filtered away and I've
nothing TO show for it,
That's just the way it is with me-"
says |. ''But somehow | can't seem to
do without the shoes and flannel, and
all that. Oh, here's your husband, !,
| That's powerful horse of his. But
should be- afraid he'd break my neck il
was behind him."
Not when my husbands driving"
says she. And she bids me goOd-day,
and kisses Sue, and springs into the
wagon, and is off like a bird, with
streamers all flying.
Well, so far so good. Thinks l to
myself: "She'il be very pleasant
neighbor. IA she's ever 80 fine, she
don't put on airs. And il does you
good once in a while to have somebody
listen when you want to run on about
yourself. And maybe she'll have odd
chores that l can turn my hand to
plain sewing, or clear-starching, or an
extra help when company comes in. i
shouldn't wonder if we were quite a
mutual advantage" And so 1 told
Jim, and he said he shouldn't wonder
too.
Well, that evening, just at sunset
now I'm telling you the real truth, and
if you don't believe me, there 1t is to
speak for itself-Jim was a-playing
s'Roslyn Castle" and / was a-putting
Sue to sleep, when happened to look
out of the window, and there was a Job
wagon coming straight up the hill, with
something in it that had a great canvas
hanging over it. ''It's queer time o.
day." says to myself, ''to be bringing
furniture into Mr.. Mulgrave's house,
and il not half done, either. But it's
none of my business. Maybe it's re-
frigerator to be set i'm the cellar" And
| went on patting Sue, when all at
once Jim's fiddle stopped short, as if ii
broke, and heard a gruff voice SAYING,
sWhere'll you have its Here, you, sir.
lend hand" And l dropped Sue on
the bed, and ran to the door, and they
were a-bringing it in-lhere, look at ii,
as pretty bureau as you'll find in
days walk. It's pine, TO be sure, but
it's seasoned, aud every drawer shuts
smooth and easy; and its painted and
grained like black walnut, and there's
four deep drawers, and shallow one
at the bottom, and two little drawers at
the top; and in the upper drawer of
the deep ones there's place for this all
parted of, and a place for that, and a
place for the other; and to crown the
whole, great swinging glass that you
can see yourself in from head to belt.