The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-04-13
ONL I Il JON II.


"a difference of tastes in jokes is a great
strain on the affecti1us.''-Ge Eliot.
81 was always fond of a Joke said
Uucle Moses Fuller to the friends who had
assembled TO commemorate the golden
wedding of his good wife, Aunt Patty, and
himself. But jokes have their proper
times and places, aud that reminds me of
a little story that | will relate 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 distant day
if there is any truth in signs or in hearsay
and none Of you will object to receiving
a mild lesson from an old man.
Il was always fond of a joke as | was
saying, but ! never 'ioked' my wife but
once. Tha: was after we had been mar
ried about week, aud had got nicely 10
housekeeping. The old minister who had
married us, and who had known us both
all our lives, and his wife, came to make
us call. aud Patty urged them to stay To
tea. They accepted the invitation cor
daily given with evident pleasure.
"As they were our first visitors, Patty
wanted to put her best foot forward, of
course so she made hot biscuit f1r supper.
| remember as If it were only yesterday,
how pretty she looked in bef blue home
made gown, and clean, freshly starchcd
check apron, as she was stepping around
/ i'll her shy, quiet, womhnly way, max ing
the biscuit, looking at and tgrning them
in the tin baker before the open fire place,
setting the table, and pleasantly talking
with her guests at the same time for we
had no parlor then.
Il felt quite proud of her. | assure yOu,
when we drew our chair around the neatly
spread aud Snuntitul!y loaded table, and
just at that moment | thought more, /
fear, uf Parson and Mrs. Baucroft's opinion
of Pattys C Joking and housekeeping than
| 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 shyiy
glanced up at my face for her husband s
approval.
But | did not speak, and presently she
asked timidly: i hope you like them,
Moses, fuT they ale the first biscuit | have
made since-siuce-' Since you became
/ Mrs. Fuller said the parsons wife, con-
/ siderately helping out her speech.
. q" oh, yes" replied flippanIly, think
, ing it would no: do to praise my wife be-
! fore company, and not elishiug the posi-
/ bility Of losing an opportunity to get of
one of my jokes, i like them, to be sure
but | should hate to have any body throw
one of them at nay head, for the Conse-
! quenccs might be serious Patty's coun-
tenance changed "a if she had received a
/ blow and wife-like she tried 10 throw of
/ her i'll concealed modification at my
thoughtess speech. Although / could
fiud no fault with the way she performed
her duties as hostess, / noticed she a.e
very little of the supper.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bancroft started for their
home just before dark, and as | was tuck
ing them up III their comfortable old
chaise thought what n happy. contented
old couple they were. When handed the
parsOn the reins, after everything was
ready, and they hard hidden Patty good
night and she haG gone back through the
gate into the yard, he leaned down towards
me, aud putting his trembling hand on my
shoulder, said My son, bear in mind
that pure, Furnished gold even may be
scratched and defaced by rough usage
Il felt like a brute all the time | was
getting tie COWS and milking and doing
the chores. When | carried into the
kitchen the trimming pals of milk, Patty
was washing ana polishing and putting
away that very china she is now taking
down, and / could see in the gathering
twilight that she had been crying. | kiss
cd her impulsively with my heart in my
throat, and catching he empty water pai
started for the well. ! didn't make any
promises to anybody but to myself.
"The moon was shining high in the
heavens, and as | ran dowu the bucket,
saw it reflected in the clear water at the
bottom Of the round, deep well. | felt as
if il might be Paity's love going down,
down, far beyond my reach, slipping away
frvm me forever. As drew up lie bTiEl.
ming, moSSy bucket, the brilliant harvest
moon WAS reflected upon that. too, Ia bro
ken flashes of light. shining Hp cuIiousiy
from the dark depths of the well. | hur-
riedly drew mp the smooth pole, feeling
that | was regaining what had come neal
losing.
Il set the overilowiug bucket down upon
the soft green grass, ana let ii be uLtil the
pelturbed water became still and smooth
ike mirror. Then hooking into it saw
tie moon peaceful and lin once more.
emptied the bucket into my paii, ana as
lid so, said aloud Il Will never joke
Patty again. She is gentle ana sweet, aud
sensitive fan too good for a runGh fellow
like me. | will never gIievc her tender,
lowing heart by my peculiar kind VI Joking
again
7 "And have kept my word. We were
married fifty years ago to- day, and although
| have had my jokes with other people
inkeS that they say are rather cutting,
though Uncle Mnses don't mean anything
i have never juked my wife. She has
proved to be Gua!!oyed gold, aud thanks to
the good old paIsuu's advice. it has not
been defaeed OF had its luster dimmed 10y
see the moon reflected in the old we'll with
o;,t The memory of those supremely unhap-
py moments coming back tn me. Life IS
short at the best. yonng people, and yon
cannot be too careful ,bout wounding ihe
seusibilities of those whc are nearest and
dearest to YOU"
\ REMARKABLE TURTLE SFDaY. W c
have all heard of the fog story, hut we
have the land turtle this time Ia chop
ming down uee aboGt tSo tceI IN diane
ter. tle other day. We were surprised 10
find embedded Ia the heart of the tree,
surrounded lay sulId wood an ancient aud
remarkable specimen of the land tuf le
srecies. We accidently cut the animal
slightly, but when exposed to ihe warmth
al the sun it became exceedingly hishy
The rings uf the tree showed that the az
inlal must have been impI isuned aboat Out