Litchfield enquirer., 1876-06-01

] and she guessed she should feel stronger after while. The man said the tears come into his eyes as he looked at her, he 1 p.tied her so. The darters say now that their father had always grumbled at their mother for feeling weak and miserable; l said sick folks were 8 nuisance, and talk, ed as If they. hadn't no right to be left in the world the minute they va IsSaahle to l work like plowmen. When two or three of his children, that were always kind O sickly, died, he said he was glad on t; 1t was better for them and for everybody else. When 'Lisha Manchester married Faithful Wheelock, she was as rugged a gal as you could find: solid-built, and with cheeks like red apples. But there ant many women that can do, alone, all the wo ork that belongs to women folks on a great farm,-mend and make,~ scrub, wash, tend to the dalry- y-work, cook for gangs of hired men aud have nine child ren in eleven years, and a husband with no more feelin' than d stone, and come out young. strong, and we'll at the end ont p
 "Yes, broke in Mrs Hawkins, sand them above only knows what she suffered on her children account You remem- Der the oldest gal, don't you, Mis- Bur- dick-Almiry Manchester She married Hubbard kimball's son Cyrus. Wall, her and me was a-talkin' about it the other day. an she says she never gifts over bein' amazed at the way her children follow their father round, wish an watch for him when he's away, an at the frolics they hev with him when he gifts back, hangin' all over him. alvin into his pockets an bum dles to see what he's brought for every body. When she an her brothers an sis ters was little, at home, she said their on- ly happy time was when their father was of somewhere, an if ever they asked when he'd git back twas only to know how much longer their good time would last. When he was to home they'd curl up together ill some corner, whist as mice, an If one of 'em snickered out at any thing, the old man'd snarl, There, bEats, none O that Be off to bed ' An she'd never forgot how one day in winter her | father'd come in from outdoors, was sweepin' the snow off his boots, when he was six years old-he was about four, then, an a wonderful tender-hearted, af- fectionate little tellow-run behind his father and clasped his arms round one of 1 his fathers legs. Out O the way, brat r his father called out. The child let go, but watched his chance, and ID minute caught his father by the other leg, and l this tune his father raised the broom he was usin', struck the child square in the 1 face with it, an knocked him flat upon the floor. The little thing scrambled up, looked at his father as if he couldn't on- derstand it. then said pitifully, Father, you hurt me ! all begun to cry as if his heart was broke.
 Hurt yet? I meant tohurt ye r snarl- ed the old tiger, .an' if that roarin' ant | shet up in one minute you'll be. hurt ag'in'
 And that was about the way twas all along. They never he'd plaything, they never dast to hev a school-mate at the house, an when they went to school, or anywhere amongst other children, they went hangin' their heads down because thelr clothes wan sech as anybody else had. As soon as they got big enough to earn anything, their father made 'em go to work an take care of themselves. He said he should come on the town with such family, as his stayin' round to home, an except for their mother they was all glad enough to git away.
 "The old deacon's always ben comin' on the town Almiry said her mother dreaded to hev q neighbor come into the house at meal-time worse n is whippin' .. for 1t mortified her to death not to ast
 em to sit up to the table an eat, an if she ast 'em the old man would scold half the night at her for bringin' him to the poorhouse ! He bought everything that was got, and Mis- Manchester never he'd cent unless she could sell some eggs or butter on the sly. When 'Lish' Man. chester married, he was a poor man, with mebbe a hundred or two dollars he'd laid up keepin' school /; an twenty-five hundred dollars thot old Mr. Whnalnol1 rrin ful was what started him on the farm where he lives now, but she never he'd a cent on t, principal nor int'rest an would no more a dast to hev gone to his purse than to the greatest strangers. Deacon Manchester pays taxes now on thirty thousand dollars, and he owns more woodland than any two farmers in Sehan- net, but in his wife's last sickness, if he could ketch her alone in her room, he'd complain of the wood that was burnt ill her ire, pick off every brand but one, an set em up endways in the corners of the fireplace, an then, mebbe, go out, pious old critter, and lead in family prayers P
 But his onfeelin ness was the worst of all. went on Amt Nabby "Mis' Man chester knew we'll enough that she'd owed her hard life to cruel master; if ever she said anything about married life, you could see t she felt as bitter as gall about 1t; an yet she couldn't help carin' for her husband, worryin' about him when he was out in storm, and that he should have everything to his mind in the house; and when he'd come into her room and snap at her, or stay out on t for days, 1t cut her dreadfully. He never come a-nieh her for three days afore she died, and each mornin she'd ask one O the gals, Has your father gone to the city another day without comin' in to see 2 and then sigh. turn away her face, and keep very still good while The gals got so beat out with his doin's at.last that they spoke out about them 10 whoever was by, and one day, when we thought Mis- Man chester was asleep, Sophrony was s-tell- in me how t when her mother was took worse, two ar three weeks before, it was at night. She ooughed terribly, and at last got up after some medicine, and be- fore she could git back she found her. self all to oncet quite helpless, and fell on her face across the foot of the bed. Then the deacon got up, and says lie, If you're a-goin' to keep up sech a barkin' and racket must clear out; can't stand beln broke O my rest ? and off he went, leavin' her lyin' there, and Sophrony thought she might Aa' smothered. only she heerd her moanin and jumped up and ran in to her. Sophrony was scoldin' about this to me, when Mis- Manchester heerd her. Oh, Sophrony, don't ? she called out; 'he's your father r He was off on the market wagon when she died. He come home, and was fussin' round as usu- al with his bags and baskets, and gittin' his exes greased, and at last one of bls darters went to tue door. Father says she, did you know mother is gone ? He only nodded, went on with his work, and when he come in. eat his supper. and sot down to h1s account books as if there want nothin' more n common the mat ter a4s.5 .-.
 ''And chirker widower than he was, the very day O the funeral. you never see r struck in Mrs. -Strophe 1n this raven duet. ''Refore that he'd been frettln' at the gals because they would hev their mother buried with her false teeth in The teeth want none O his get