The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-03-25
"ONLi 4 JOhE."
4 nit of Good Advice Tor Young Bus
bands.

Mrs Annie A. Preston. IN the Congregauonalist
"A difference in taste in jokes Is a great
stI ain on the affections George Elliott
81 was always always fond Of a
Joke, said Uncle Moses Fuller to the
friends who had assembled to com
memorate the golden wedding OF his
good wife, Aunt Hattie and himself
"But Jokes have their proper times and
places, and that reminds me Of a little
story that ! will relate 90 you young
people, while mother Is in the other
room taking down the old China.
"Some Of You are married now. and
some are likely TO be at no distant
day-if there is truth in signs or IN
hearsay-and none of you will object
TO receiving a mild lesson from an old
man.
81 was always fond Of Joke. as I
was saying, but / never ioked my wife
but once. That was after we had been
married about a week, aud had got
nicely to housekeeping. The old min
lister who had married us and who had
known us both all our lives, and his
wife came 10 make us a call, and Patty
urged them 10 stay TO tea. They &C
cepted the invitation SO cordially given
with evidently pleasure.
"As they were our frst visitors, Pat
" wanted TO put her best foot forward,
Of course: so she made hot buscuit for
supper. | remember as II il were only
Yesterday, how she looked in her blue
home made gown, and clean, freshly
starched check apron, az she was step.
ping around in shy, quiet, womanly
way, making the buscuit, looking at
and turning them in the tin baker be
fore the open fireplace. setting the ia
ble and pleasantly talking with her
guests at the same time for We had no
parlor then.
~ felt quite proud OF her, ! assure
You, when We drew our chairs around
the neatly spread aud bountifully load
ed table, and Just at that moment |
thought more, / fear, Of Parson aud
Mrs. Bancroft's opinion OF Patty's cook.
ing aud housekeeping than | did of
the grace he was saying. Both OF our
guests praised the light, short, proper
ly Drowned biscuit, and Patty's girlish
face flushed with genuine pleasure as
she glanced mp at my face for her hus-
bands approval.
"But did not speak, and presently
she asked timidly: i hope You like
them. Moses, for they are the first bus
cult ! have made since since, Since
you became Mrs. Fuller, said the par
sons wife considerably helping ont
her speech.
'Oh, yes, I replied. hippantly,
thinking il would not do 10 praise my
wife before company, and not relishing
possibility Of losing the opportunityto
get of one OF my Jokes, ] ike them, 90
be sure; but | should hate 10 have any
body throw one Of them at my head,
for the consequences might be serious.
Patty's countenance changed as II she
had received a blow; and wife-like she
tried 90 throw of her ili.concealed
modification at my thoughtless speech.
Although / could find no fault with the
way she performed her duties as host
ess, | mott, ed she ate very little Of the
supper
their home just before dark, and as !
was tucking them up in their comfort
able old chaiSe thought what happy
old couple they we're. When / handed
The uarsou the reins after every thing
was ready, and they had biddeu Patty
good night, aud she had gone back
through the gate into the yard, he
leaned down toward me, and 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
"I felt like brute all the time was
getting the cows aud milking aud do
ing the chores. When I carried into
the kitchen tile brimming pals OF milk,
Patty was washing and putting away
the very china she is now taking down
and | cculd see In the gathering twi-
light that she had been crying. kiss
ed her impnlseively with my heart in
my throat, and, catching the empty
wstcr.pail. started foe the we'll I
didn't make any promises 10 anybody
but myself.
"The moon was shining high in the
heavens, aud as / ran down the buck
et, ! saw Il reflected in the clear water
at the bottom bf the we'll. felt as II
il might be Pattys love going down,
down, far beyond reach, slipping away
from me forever. IA | drew mp the
brimming, mossy bucket, the brilliant
harvest moon was reflected upon that
too, in broken flashes Of light, shining
mp curiously from the dark depths of
the we'll. hurriodly drew up the
smooth pole. feeling that was regain
ing what | had core near losing.
"I set the oYerfowing bucket down
npon The aoft orcon oraaa and LET n