Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-04-11

tain kindliness that he himself felt TO
he his weak spot, all these were to be
read in Freedom Wheeler's we'll
bronzed face, sturdy figure, positive
speech and blunt manner.
lie strobe up to the fireplace, sat
down in an armchair rudely shaped
ont of wood by his own hands, and
plunged, after his fashion. at once into
the middle Of things.
Aunt Huldy and Aunt Hammer,
I'm a-goin' to git married" The do
nestle bomb shell burst in silence.
Aunt Hannah dropped stitch and
couldn't see TO pick it mp for at least
minute. Aunt lIuldah's scissors
( shipped at the rags with vicious snap.
I rs if thev were responsible agents and
/ she would end their proceedings then
and there presently she said. We'll.
J am beat !" to which rather doubtful
/ uttcrance Freedom made no reply,
and the scissors shipped harder vet.
Aunt Hannah recovered herself first :
We'll. I'm real glad on't!" purred
She it was her part 10 do the few
/ amenities Of the family.
Il dunno whether | be or not, till |
/ hear who It's answered Aunt
IIuliah who was obviously near akin
to Freedom.
ATS Lowlv Mallory" said the short
T spoken nephew, who by this time Was
whiting busily at a peg for his OK
yoke.
"Du tell ?" said Aunt Hannah in her
/ lingering, deliberate tones, the words
running into each other as she spoke.
shes jest : clevcr's the dav is long {;
You've done 4 good thing. Freedom.
: sure's YOU live
He might ha' done wuss. that's a
fact" And with this approval Free
dom seemed satisfied, for he brushed
his chips into the fire. ran his fingers
through his already upright hair. eyed
his peg with the keen aspect of a critic
in pegs, and went or TO the barn; he
knew instinctively that his aunts must
have chance To talk the the matter
over.
This is the beatcrce :" exclaimed
Aunt Huldah as the door shut after
him. 'Lowly Mallory. of all cretnrs
Freedoms as masterful a. though he
was the Lord above, bv natnr. and cf
he s~ts lectlc softly cret,r like that.
without no more griffin a November
chicken, he'll ride right over every
thing, and she won't darst to pccp Ior
muitcr "a mite. Good land 80
well. we'll" murmurcd Aunt Han
nah. she IS o kind o feeble piece Int
she's real clever: an | dono but what
it, a. good hv could do. ,f =l'y ' -
like to him, hard-headed n sot 10 her
WAY. | tell We. IIuliv, the fur'd hy
nightly, and its putty bad to have
fight To home. when there's a family -
fetch up"
Well, YOU be forccastin' | must
say. Hammer; but maybe you're about
right. Besides, I've obSarved that
folks will marry to suit themselves,
not other people; an mabbe it's the
best way, seems its their own loss or
likin' more'n anybody else's."
But, IIuldy. pears as ifyoud for
got one thing | expect we'd better be
a-moyin' out into the old house ef
there's goin' to be more folks here
well, ! declare | never thought
ont. 'Tis best, guess. wonder ef
Freedom got the idee -
Il dono; but that hadn't oughter
make no difference there never was a
house big enough for two families. an
ef We 90 before were ohlecgcd N. it,
sight better'n stayin' till we be"
That's SO. Hammer; YOU alters was
a mastcrhand for takin' things right
end foremost. I'll sort out our linen
right off, nd set hv our furnitOor into
the back chamber. | gaess the old
house'll want a leetle paintin' an scrap
in. It's dreadful lucky Amasy flints
folks moved to Nobhit last week
seems as though there was Providence
about it,"
II shouldn't wonder ef Freedom had
give 'em sort o hint to 90 Hu'dy."
"Well, you do beat all u ] presume
likely he ibid"
And Aunt Huldah picked up the
rags at her feet. piled them into
splint basket, hung the shears on
steel chain bv her side. and ffting her
tall gaunt figure from the chair betook
herself upstairs. But Aunt Ham ah
kept on knitting; she was the thinker
and Huldah the doer of the family;
now her thoughts ran before her to the
coming change, and she sighed. for
she knew her nephhw thoroughly, and
she pitied the gentle sweet nature that
was to come in contact with his.
Dear Aun, Hannah, She had never
had any romance in her own life; she
did not know anything about love ex-
cept as the placid and quiet crear-eyed
affection she felt for Freedom, who
was her only near relation, and she
saw little Lowlv Mallory's future on
/ its hardest side. But she could not
help it. and her nature was one that
never frets against a difficulty. any
more than the green turf beats against
| the rock to whose edge it clings.
So the slow. sad New England
I
| ing SHOWS and beating rains. worked
its reluctant way into May; and when
the lilacs were full of purple and
white plumes, delicate as cut coral
spray. and luscious with satiating
odor. and the heavv-headed datiodils
thrust golden locks upward from the
sward, Aunt Huldah and Aunt Hannah
moved their wool-wheel and their flax
wheel. the four stiff-backed chairs. the
settee and big red chest, the high four
post bedstead. and the two ru sh-bot-
toned rockers that had been Grandslr
Wbeeler's, back into the small red
house for which these furnishings had
been purchased sixty years before,
laid the rag carpet that Aunt Huldah
had sewed ami dyed and woven on the
.settin,room' floor, and with barrel
of potatoes and a keg of salt pork went
to housekeeping.
frt.xa ,uo, oo,.~a homo mazda lnpn