St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-07-20

selves at these thoughts, and had al
most overtaken his head, when behold
at a sudden turn in the road there stood
Miss Rachel Doolittle, picking barber
ries from wayside bush. "My sakes
If she amt right here, like Rachel in
the Bible !" CALCULATED Captain Ben,
taking heart at the omen.
Miss Doolittle looked up from under
her tied-dOwn brown hat in surprise at
such salutation. But her surprise
was increased by Captain Ben's next
remark.
"It just came into my mind" said he,
"that you was the right one to take
Lyddy's place. You two used to be
such great knit-ups that it will seem
most like having Lyddy back again.
No." he continued, after little ref1ec
ton, 81 don't know of anybody had
rather see sitting in Lyddy's chair and
wearing Lyddy's things than yourself"
"Dear me, Captain Lundy, couldn't
think of it. Paul's folks expect me to
stay with them while the boarder-
season lasts, and PveI as good as prom
ised Jacobs wife I'll spend the winter
with hern
"Ain't that hard life you are laying
ooO iOi JOalSCiI Auu py
you will get old or sick ma be, and who
is going to want you around then +?
Every woman needs husband of her
own to take care of her."
"Tm able to take care of myself as
yet, thanks to goodness And l am
not afraid my brothers will see me suf-
fer in case. of Sickness" returned Miss
DOOlittle, her cheeks flaming up like a
sumach in October.
"But hadn't you better take a little
time to think it overt a'be it come
sudden to YOU" pleaded Captain Ben.
''NO, thank you. Some things don't
need thinking over" answered Miss
DoOlittle, plucking at the barberries
more diligently than ever.
81 wish Lyddy was here. She would
convince you you are standing in your
own light" returned Lyddy's widower
in perplexed tone.
81 don't need one to come from the
dead to show me my own mind" re-
torted Miss Doolittle, firmly.
"Well, like enough you are right"
said Captain Ben, mildly, putting few
stems of barberries in her pail "ma' he
'twouldn't be best. 1 don't want to be
rash.n
And with that Ire moved off, on the
whole cOngratulating himself he had
not decided to marry Miss Doolittle.
81 thought, after she commenced her
miserable gift of the CAB, that Lyddy
used to be free to admit she had fiery
tongue, for all they were such friends.
And I'm all tor peace myself. l guess,
on the whole, ma be she amt the one
for me, perhaps, and it is as we'll to
look further. Why! what in the world
Well, there what have l been thinking
of? There is Mrs. Davids, as neat as a
new cent, and the master hand to save.
She is always taking on /; and she will
he glad enough to have somebody to
look out for her,-why, sure enough
And there | was right at her house this
very day, and never once thought OF
heri What an old Ounce ~
But, fortunately, this not being a sin
of commission, it could easily be recti-
fed and directly Captain Ben had
turned about and was trOtting again
toward the red house on the beach.
"Pound for pound of the best white
sugar." he heard Miss Tame say as he
neared the door.
"White sugar !" repeated Mrs. Davids
her usual sigh drawn out into little
groan. White sugar for cram berries
Who ever heard of such thing? I've
always considered l did well when
had plenty of brown"
''Poor creeter! ~ thought Captain Ben
''How she will enjoy getting into my
pantry. Lyddy never complained thai
she didn't have enough of everything
to do Uith."
And in the full ardor of his intended
benevOlence, he went right in anC
opened the subject at once. But, tt
his astenishment, Mrs. Davids refused
, him. She sighed, but she refused him
''I've seen trouble enough already
without my rushing into more with my
eyes wide open,n sighed she.
"Trouble ? Why, that is just what
/ was meaning to save you ~ exclaimed
the bewildered widower. "Pump righ
in the house, and stove e'enamost new
: And Lyddy never knew what it was t,
want for spoonful of sugar or pOunt
) of -four. And such handy butter,
: and sink Lyddy used to say she fel
the worst about leaving her buttery o
anything"
1 "Should thought she would" an
swered Mrs. Davids, forgetting to sigh
t "However, can't say that feel an,
, hankering after marrying a buttery
I've got butteryrOOm enough here
, without the trouble of getting set up il
: a new place"
1 ''Just as you say" returned the re
jected. ~ amt sure as you'd be ex
g actly the one. | pas thinking of look
ing for somebody little younger"
g "Well, here is Persis Tame. VIII
< don't you bespeak herr She is younger
and she is in need of a good home.
3 can recommend her, too, as the first
= rate of a cook" remarked Mrs. Davids
: benevolently.
D Miss Tame had been sitting littl
! apart by the open window, smiling t
q herself.
< But now she turned about at once
a "Hm !" said she, with contempt. ''
should rather live under an umbrell
= tied to stake, than marry for ham.
So Captain Ben went home witbou
Q engaging either wife OF housekeeper.
d And the first thing he saw was CAP
:" tain Jacob DOolittle's old one-eye
horse eating the apples Loizah Muller
j. had strung festoOned from nails agains
t the house, to dry.
o The next thing he saw was, tha
: having left window open, the her
had flown in and gone to hOusekeepin
on their own account. But they wei
not, like Mrs. Davids, as neat as ne
\ cent, and not, also, such master hand
;, to save.
''ShOo shoe! Get out. Go Ion
a there with you !" cried Captain Bel
', waving the dish-cloth and the poke
n 81 declare fort it 1 most hadn't Ougl