Litchfield enquirer., 1878-02-21
sberufT
WHOLE NO. 2699

 cule or contempt to be associated with Miss Roxy, whatever she chose to wear. The squire was as urbane as he knew how to be- 's9'rL
 s'Set down, Cousin Roxy, set down. I'll take ye oyer to the house in a mint. I've he'd to put in new clerk, ye see. John Bliss he thot he could do better ih sthe city, 50 he up an left me sidden--too sudden, reilly, consid- erin him anh me, he'd ben together so long an's now 'Lisha Squires has took his place. Lishas likely young man, for what I know-weI eddicated fathers @ minister O the Gospel; got run down a-preachin' his wife had means not muchs not much, but 'nough to buy farm so they traded with me for tn old hum- stead, an he's a-farnfn ont, an 'Lisha he's gin up goin to college, 'ansstook John Blsss place here He's ruther high -strung,t to be sure, but he's smart, real smart, an l don't know as I could ha' did better. He's a-onheadin' some barrls now. A-h there he is. v sIhi@ '.
 And handsome young fellow, grave and sad beyond his years, came up from the cellar with a hatchet in his hand. Miss Roxy's keen eyes read that open face at once. She felt the purest pity for the misplaced boy, whose edu- cation was wasted and his nature disgusted by Q the repellent character of his duties as well as his employer. Elisha was indeed misplaced but he was in his daily way, hero and to be heroic in the petty drudgery of & distasteful life is thousand times harder than to win splendid battles. He had given up every thing to help his feeble father and his six sisters so had his mother; and neither of them looked upon their sacrifices as more than matter ot course, which, perhaps, was the one touch su- perior even to heroism.
 But Miss Roxy, used to that sort of inter- course with many, perhaps most, of the faml- lies in her neighborhooe which is attributed to the proverbial UGlet de chGnsbre, was yet SO much more perceptive than that stupid French man. servant that she knew hero even in country store and she turned away with the squire, carrying in her heart fund of admir- ation and goodwill that was to stand Elisha in stead at future time of need | In the library of Squire Larkins time the next hour was spent by Samuel Paine and I Roxy Keep in passage of arms. He was de- | termined to secure Roxy to manage his estab- l lishment on his own terms; and she was will | ing to be secured, but it must be on her terms, | and being tailoress she carried the day. In consideration of the little home she left in Her mon and the lucrative trade she left, she re- quired of the squire written guarantee that her services should continue for two years in any case subject only to her own change of mind, that her salary should be paid quarterly, under pain of her immediate departure if it | failed to come to hand, and that the aforesaid salary should be a sufficient equivalent for the | trade she gave up After much conversation | the squire yielded all these points, though with no good grace.
 | "Well, now Eve gin up to ye," said he, 'Td 1 like to know how soon ye can come, Roxy. | Things is a-goin' every which wag here. Lowisy's good girl-shes good enough girl. l but she ain't nothin' but 6 girl, ant no moro | fit to run a house'n she is to preach sermon; so I'd like ye to come back as quick as ye can"
 'I dono's need to go" curtly and promptly answered Miss Roxy II reckoned should stay when come, SO sold out my house to Deacon Treadwell's widder an l fetched my trunks along; they're over to Reading depot, and the stage-driver he'll take the checks to- morrer and fetchem back. l don't never let no grass grow under my feet, Squire Paine" l Hand alive I should think not !" ejaculat- ed the astonished squire. So Miss Roxy staid
 and the house was stirred up from beneath to meet her. Bridget gave notice just in time not to have it given to her, and brush in hand the fiercest of bandana handkerchiefs tied overher crisp black hair, Miss Roxy began that awful
 ''setting to rights" which is at once the privi-
 Iege and the necessity of strenuous souls like hers. At first Louise was half inclined to re- bel the slipshod family rule-or msrule-had just suited her youthful carelessness; but Miss Roxy's keen humor, pleasant common-sense l and comfortable efficiency soon enlisted Louise l on her side, and the girl could not help enjoy ing the bright order, the speckless comfort, the savory meals, the thrift that was not meanness, and the frugality that could be discreetly gen. erous which followed Miss Roxy's reign, and at the end of two years the squire was glad enough to renew the guarantee which this foreseeing woman still demanded of him. Well for her, well for all of them, was it that he did 80 sign!
 In the mean time Squire Paine had gone his way, buying and selling and talking much about the golden rewl," and many small tiffs had ensued between him and Miss Roxy on points of domestic economy but the squire knew if he had never read, that discretion is the better part of valor, and considering just in time that housekeeping was not his forte, and was Miss Roxy'sh he always beat retreat after these battles and not always with flying | colors. But now, toward the beginning of this third year, there began to be trouble in tho camp. Elisha Squires in common with vari- | ous other youths of Bassett had found out that Louise Paine was charming above all other girls of the vicinity, and the squire's house be- | came sort of besieged castle, greatly to his disgust and indignation.
 II won't hev it! won't hev it." stOrmed he, one fine night, when the last of seven callers had gone from the front door, and Louise judi ciously slipped off to bed
 Wont hev what ?" calmly inquired Roxy who sat by the keeping room" table toeingolf a stocking.
 "Why, won't hev so many fellers a-comin' here the hull etarnal time. There aint no use ont, an tell ye won't hev it. l won't, us | sure's ye live"
 "What be you goin to do about it ?" was Roxys cool rejoinder.
 | ''Ill lock the doors."
 ''Then they'll come into the back winder," smiled the exasperating spinster. Look here, Squire Paine" and she laid down her knitting with thump, and confronted him as one who
 ''Drinks delight of battle with his peers,"
 'tyou're master-hand to talk about the geld | en rewl how'd you ha' liked it ef Squire Lar l kin had locked the door to this house on you ?"
 "He hadn't no call to he was dead" "Now don't jump nOfences that way; spose he'd ben alive ?"
 II dono's I'm called to tell ye Pm pro lessor in good an reglar standin', an the golden rewl hes alters ben my standard O Twin, an' | the sperrlt an principle O the golden rewl is l to do to others as you'd wish to be done by an eff was gal should be glad to hev the doors locked on passel O fellers that come | foolin' around nights"
 sYou're life-everastin' sure O that, be yeY" was the dry rejoinder.
 l "Well, ef she ain't she'd orter be an I'm | free to conclude that Lowisy does what she'd orter bein my child-an' her mas" q don't believe no great in hinderin' young folkss ways Squire Paine it's three wheels 1 to a wagon to be young, an hinderin don't overset nothin; it's more apt to set it, long sight Don't you never expect LOwisy to git I married 2"
 q dono's do, an dono as do. Married | life is an onsartin state. Mebbe Lowisy'd be better of to stay to hum with me. Anyway, there ain't no sech hurry taint the best goods go off the first an tell ye what, Roxy, do expect she'll hark to me about who she mar ries, and not go an git tied up to some poor Jack"
 ''Then tell you what, Samwell Paine, you expect nothin' an you'll sup sorrow! Girls will pick out their own husbands to the day after never, for all you! 1 always hold that there's two things a woman had oughter pick out for herself, spite O fate. and them two is l her husband an her carpets"
 ''An' expect to pick 'em both out for Low isy," answered the undaunted squire, as he