Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-06-11
ONLY A JOKE.

assembled to commemorate the golden
wedding of his good wife, Aunt Patty,
and himself. But jokes have their
proper times and places, and that re-
minds me of little story that l will re-
late to you, young people, while mother
is in the other room taking down the
old china
Some of you are married, now, and
some of you are likely to be at no dis
tant day-if there is any truth in signs
or heresay-and none of you will object
to receiving mild lesson from an old
man.
| was always fond of joke, as l was
saying, but l never joked' my wife but
once. That was after we had been mar
ried about week, and had got nicely
to housekeeping. The old minister who
married US, and who had known us
both all our lives, and his wife, came to
make us call, and Patty urged them
to stay to tea. They accepted the invi-
tation SO cordially given with evident
pleasure.
AS they were our first visitors, Patty
wanted to put her best foot forward, of
course; so she made some hot biscuit for
| ouDnar T roroopo bor n, &c - rrono oxl,,
yesterday, how pretty she looked in her
blue, homemade gown, and clean, fresh
ly-starched check apron, as she was
stepping around in her shy, quiet,
womanly manner making the biscuit,
looking at and turning them in the tin
baker before the fireplace, setting the
table, and pleasantly talking with her
guests at the same time: for we had no
parlor then.
l felt quite proud of her assure
you, when shosdr our chairs around
the neatly spread and bountifully loaded
table, and just at that moment thought
more, fear, of Parson and Mrs. Ban
crafts of Patty's cooking and house.
keeping than l did of the grace he was
saying. Both of our guests praised the
light, short, properly Drowned biscuit,
and Patty's girlish face flushed with
genuine pleasure, as she shyly glanced
up at my face for her husbands approx
oil.
But | did not speak, and presently
she asked timidly: l hope you like them
Moses, for they are the first biscuit |
have made since since-since you be-
came Mrs. Fuller, said the parson's s
wife, considerably helping out her
speech.
o, yes, 1 replied flippiantly, thinking
it would not do to praise my wife in
company, and not relishing the posi-.
bility of losing an opportunity to get of
one of my Jokes l like them to be sure
but l should hate to have anybody throw
one of them at my head, for the conse.
quences might be serious. Patty:
countenance changed as if she had re-
ceived blow; and wife-like, she trieC
, to throw off her ill-concealed mortifca
tiOn of my thoughtless speech. AL
though could find no fault with tn,
3 way she performed her duties as hos
a tess, l noticed she ate very little of tn,
supper.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bancroft started fo
their home just before dark and as
was tucking them up in their comforta
D BILE old chaise l thought what happy
cOntented old couple they were. Whel
y l handed the parson the rains, afte
: everything was ready, and they ha,
e hidden Patty good night, and she ha'
gone back through the gate into th
yard, he leaned down toward me, an
!. ! putting his trembling hand on my shoul
: der, said: My son, bear in mind tina
= even pure, FURNISHED gold may b
e scratched and defaced by rough usage.
1 felt like brute all the time / wa
d getting the cows, and milking and dc
, ing the chores. When / carried int
q the kitchen the brimming pals of mill
d Patty was washing and polishing an
putting away that very china she is no
l. taking down, and | see in the gather
is ing twilight that she had been crying
le / kissed her impulsively with my hear
y y in my throat, and catching the empt
~ water-pail, started for the well. l didn
a make any promises to anybody but my
self.
b. The moon was shining high in I'll
Iy heavens, and as ran down the buckle
Dr. saw it reflected in the clear water :
y the bottom of the round, deep we'll.
7 felt as if it might be Patty's love goir
n, down, down. far beyond my reach, sill
G. ping away from me forever. AS DIRE
up the brimmipg, messy bucket, IL
~ brilliant harvest moon was reflected Vi
70 on that too, in broken flashes of ligh
a shining up curiously from the dal
'e. depths of the well. l hurriedly Dire
oi up the smooth pole, feeling that vi
III regaining what | had come near losing
Ies l set the Overhowing bucket down
the soft green grass, and let it be uni
at the purturbed water became still al
! smooth like mirror. Then lookil
ys into it saw the moon peaceful al
ng