Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1879-07-15
The Old Cream Jug.

"Stuf and nonsense, /" said the Widow
Wallis, austerely, haven't you got your
work to do-milk to skim, butter to
work over, dishes to wash, and two
dozen shirts just sent in from the laun-
dry to finish off before d:nQer time p
Go about it at once, and don't let me
hear any more folly about apple-blos.
soms."
For Mrs. Wallis belonged to the work
ing brigade of the world end did not be-
lievS in aesthetics OF any Kind.
Buttercups and red sunsets and many
tinted rainbows had always been a
standing problem to her, and she could
not understand how man of any sense
cceEld possibly prefer golden hair to red,
or 3 daisy, pink eomplexion to honest
freckles.
And her two eldest daughters, Naomi
and Miranda Ann, agreed with her en-
tirely on this as on all other subjects.
But Ruth was different Ruth trea-
sured up half open rosebuds in surrepti-
tious glasses of water, sowed flower
seeds under the dairy window, ri ad
poems in her own rooms, and cried when
the honey suckle vine was razed from
before the porch pillars.
"Retting all the posts and harboring
earwigs and spicers," said the widow
severely.
But the flowers are SO pretty" plead
ed Ruth.
Pretty snorted the widow, as if the
terms were synonym for all absurdity
and weak-mindedness. II do think,
Ruth, you are almost fool"
So upon this golden May morning,
when the lilacs were nodding their pur-
pie plumes and the apple blossoms spread
their sheets of billowy pink over all the
orchards, Ruth was condemned to milk
skimming in the dairy and the finishing
of the shirts in the kitchen.
She was standing in front of the milk
room window, busy with her shining
pans-after all there was q certain poe
sudden a whiskered and mustached face
presented itself, all framed in the case
ment.
Goodness mein cried Ruth, with a
violent start which nearly upset one of
the vessels, and then recovering her
presence ofmind she added: "What do
you want ?"
II beg your PARDON" said the appari,
tion-and Ruth began to perceive that
it had very ane eyes, and was no lon :
er q very young apparition-"I am
afraid startled you"
Eyes, you did-rather," admitted
Ruth. "But if you're tramp, please
60 on, for we never give to tramps.-
And II you're 9 sewiEg-mach;ne agent,
or anything else Of that sort, it's no use.
And-n
'You are Mistaken" said the owner
of the dark eyes, with a comical curl of
his lips. II am none of these. am
in the china business"
"Oh," I" said Ruth, beginning to COM
prehend. VASES, and little dogs and
parrots, for cast off clothes. But we
wear all our things out, and neither
makes rag carpets of them afterwards. !"
'Very laudable of her, 1 am sure, !"
nodded the stranger. "Rut- may ask
what you will take for that twisted
cream pot on the shelf just over your
head2"
Ruth glanced up with startled eyes.
ut was my grandmother Crocus's, !"
said she; t.and it's 80 old fashioned we
never use it. Manma keeps radish seed
in it."
"Hxactly." said the stranger. "It is
very old, and that is the reason want
Ruth thought of the Jews who had
been traversing the country in search of
antiques, old furniture and articles of
vertu.
Could this be one of them? But his
nose was certainly straight and slender,
No. she decided with herself that he
could not be Jew.
TITS mine," she said, coloring deeply.
my grandmother Crocus left it to me
in her will"
"Wouldn't you rather have ten dol
lars to buy yourselfa q new hat ?" said the
stranger, coazingly.
"Qh, thousand times,n cried Ruth
eagerly.
"Then it is bargain,n y said the gen.
tleman, taking out a pooke book which
seemed 9 @ 70 Go perfectly apoplectic with
mo, it isn't" said Ruth. "I-I
couldn't sell it, indeed.p
"Ah," said the stranger, .'perhaps
there are Old family relations connected
aoh, no T never saw my arandmoth-
er Crocus," Ruth replied rather bewild-
ersa; 3D. ,,x.ntu
ingly;
cannot sell it.,'
ny mTou are devoted to old china, then. /"
me Iace came nearer, the eyes spark
leu as II tnelr owner was convinced that
ne 1ao FOUND kindred soul.
=! hate it,n said Ruth.
1t1re Tns darK eyes recoiled pace or two.
Inen you'll let me have the old
persuasively. soy. :.
Bet tsusn would only reiterate, with
doWncast .sT eyes and deepening blushes-
MI. Wynfeld Napier walked away,