Connecticut western news., 1879-02-12

" Marcia, ain't you most through with that ironing? It's nearly time to set the table for dinner" .-.........
 "Yes'm," answered the girl slowly little hesitatingly, the words broke so sharply upon her dream of rest and coolness. -.s
 eff we could only dress up real nice ly, and sit down somewhere to read ?" Marcia spoke the words aloud almost unconsciously.
 Her mother looked at her in astonish- ment.
 After dinner, do you mean? Dear mel I guess we shall have enough to do without reading, and as for dressing up-why you're most as bad as Joe It'll be pretty late before we're all through, and what would be the sense of putting on good clothes when it would 80 soon be time to get supper, tend the milking, and other things that might spoil 'em? It's not likely anybody'll come here to-day, and if they do, I'm sure we're clean"
 tI wish, Marcia" said Mrs. Moore, after few minutes silence, "that you'd try to hurry mp little afternoons, and find time to get along the patchwork for that quilt faster. You've had it on hand good while."
 t Yes, I know," Marcia answered, hesitatingly, "but then-why, mother, it doesn't seem much use doing it: you've so many quilts laid away now more than we ever use."
 should be ashamed of myself if hadn't" Mrs. Moore responded de- cidedly. "Any good housekeeper will have plenty of bed-clothes, and every girl ought to make up some quilts. Why, I had six that I'd done all myself, handsome patterns, too, when I was eighteen and that's good deal moro than you'll have, Marcia, if you don't rouse up and take little interest in such things"
 Marcia questioned no farther, only sighed as she spread the table, and arranged plates, knives and forks.
 Mir. Moore was in high spirits that noon.
 Simms paid me that money to-day" /" he remarked to his wife, ssand that makes up six hundred. I expect I'd better take it into the bank this after noon, for safe keeping, but I mean to have that south meadow now, before long; I'm pretty sure can get it. !"
 ''I wish you'd buy me pony, all of my own, or boat to sail on the pond, or something to have some fun, cause can't have none" said Joe, dis consolately.
 "Ho P laughed his father. You have high notions, Master Joe! A boy that wants so many things had better learn to work pretty hard, or he'll never earn money enough to get 'em in the world. I wonder how much you've helped your mother this morning ?"
 "Help, indeed l" commented Mrs. Moore, contemptuousIy, recalling the mornings annoyances.
 "Well, don't want to work all the time," persisted Joe; and she won't let me and Jickey go to the picnic, where all the rest of the schools a goin."
 Won't let you go of with lot of other little simpletons, and some big ones, to tear your clothes to pieces, and make yourselves sick with the stufing cake and lemonade, chi? That's Q pity, to be sure!' The fathers ridicule was good-natured. It was such small matter to him, and he never thought what it might be to Joe.
 Jicky," said the boy that afternoon, when after numerous errands to the we'll and wood-pile, his mother was at last busy with the apples, and he de- tected chance to withdraw from active service. "Jicky, let's go down to the pond."
 We'll, !" assented Jicky. She always assented to Joe's propositions.
 The pond, small lake not more than half a mile in width, lay at the foot of a sloping meadow. Joe went to the farm. yard, and, from the contents of an old lumber shed, possessed himself of two small doors that had once been used fo1 an outer cellar-way. These he dragged down to the waters edge.
 "Now," said Joe, getting upon them "Weu be sailor boys runnin' away cause we can't have no good times te home. You get on, too, Jicky."
 "Yes," answered Jicky, serenely- just as serenely as she would have don, if Joe had proposed going to sea in { sieve. But the raft did not work yer, well. By vigorous use of his pole, tht boy contrived to push them out little way, but it was rather heavily laden, tn, water would wash over it now and then and Jicky, moreover, was not the mos tranquil of sailors.
 'Spose you get of, and let me try i alone little first, " suggested Joe, whel by hard pushing he had reached tn shore again." I'll be Sunday-Schoo 'scursion goin' out to look for plac to go to, and then I'll come back fo you"
 Joe was delighted. He pushed ou farther and farther, calling back, laugh ingly, to the little girl, who was tryin to throw acorns far enough to reac him, and using his pole wildly in pre- tended efforts to escape from her. Pres ently, in making sudden plunge wit it, he came into deep hole where would not reach the bottom, and in an