The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-02-20

evening sermon the parson DESTROYED tn,
lovely ediace he had 90 carefully laid NJ
their usual level 3; fscins sSout soassev
unlucky Jim Beebe, who sat, as usual. in th,
gallery, In the face and eyes Of the cougreQs
ton, and remarking, in q loud voice: "There
young mani have preached three sermons
to-day, and have not mentioned the name o
Confusion twice confounded fell upon jim
and Squire Battle, and q light rustic OF chokeC
and stthed laughter ran through the church
while the Parson in . sonorous voice gave ou
"why do the wicked boast abroad7"
Under cover OF this remarkable incident thi
publishment Of Cal and Polly went into OBJ
scurity, and in due time they were married
and Pollythf was installed in the little rec
house. She came In as with a bosom of de
struction, fetching store of linen and blank
cts, fresh plint-bottomed chairs, q new clock
a set Of blue-edged crockery, and sundry othe
longings were hustled into the second story
and she herself bundled out of her warm bed
room opening out Of the kitchen, into one o
the two upstairs, which were under the roof
and In this July weather sweltering hot; but
Polly announced at once that she "wa'n't
a-goin' trapesin' up and down them stairs fol
evermore," and granny, being in Q feeble
minority, crept up the sharp ascent, and be
fore long ceased to come down, but lay there
lonely and drowsy, day after day. Polly die
and was kept painfully clean. A little tender
ness would have reconciled the old lady to
fewer scrubbfngs and less food, but Polly gave
what she had to give. Can any Of us do more
Cal was good to her in his lazy way, but Ca
was never SO put about in his own house be
fore. No peace was left him in those easy-go
ing precincts where he had been used to liz
round at his leisure; for now the floor was
white with abundant soaping and sanding in
the kitchen, the sills polished with scrubbing
the hearth Immaculate, the very jambs white
washed, and great corn-husk mat lay before
every door, whereon he was obliged, at the
point Of the broom-handle, to rub his boots
before he could enter; white curtains adorned
every window, the walls glared with fresh
whiteness, the most elaborate quilt forbade
him to nap on the bed-to rest his head or
those shining linen pillow-cases would have
made 1t as uneasy As to wear q crown-and the
chintz cushions In rocker and armchair were
beautiful for sight and situation, but theil
poppies and roses were never meant to sii
down on.
1t is true that Cal had never before been re-
galed with such food as Pollythi prepared
Her bread was whittier than milk, light as cork
delicate as cake; she wrought 1t after a secret
process that Bassett maids and matrons pined
70 discover, but never attained; and the game
Cal brought In was converted into savory
stews and crisp broils that would have done
credit to q French chef. But what atones fol
domestic peacea How pathetici is the declar 9
tion of solomon: ut is better to dwell ina
corner Of the house-top than with brawlinp
woman In q wide housei"
man with dyspepsiai And II Solomon left
him out in this specification, It is because he
was q man himself, and there Is q way made
and provided for men or women to defend
themselves against their own sex, which does
not hold good against the other.
Ii Cal Culver had taken into his house q
brother whose days were spent in swapping
and snariing, in sulking silently, or scolding
mercilessly, he would forthwith have extended
his good right arm and knocked dyspepsia
out Of him summarily; but against woman,
and that woman his wife, ne was compara-
lively powerless-almost as powerless as the
dyspeptic's wife or children would be against
his afhictive manners and customs. So Polly
thi pursued her triumphant career, and Cal
inhabited the barn and the woods chiefly
through the summer. and became almost q
fixture by the stove of Squire Battles store in
winter. Folly grew more and more furious
over his detection and shortcomings, and
rather than consume with speechless wrath
she spent her time, between the occupations
OF housekeeping, in pouring that wrath into
poor old granny's ears a. she lay on her
feather-bed in the loft. Granny was help
less, for winter had now set in and bound her
not even creep up and cit In her rocking
chair, which Cal had insisted should be carried
up there, but 1t was mighty convenient for
Pollythi, who sat there BY the hour, rocking
and scolding and knitting, till granny learned
to think the hiss of rushing SHOWS, the crackle
Of sharp sleet, or the tireless drip Of chilly
rains upon the roof SO close to her head q
song OF comfort In comparison with Polly's
long diatribes; and when Cal came home at
night, or occasionally TO dinner, the tongue
tempest ragged frantically, all the more that he
seemed neither to hear nor fear this wordy
assault, but bore himself like
Beather-bed 'twixt castle wall
And heavy brunt of cAnnon-ball"
eating his dinner as placidly and deliberately
As II Polly and he were Darby and Joan.
. He dfu feel one thing, though he diplomat
ically concealed 1t, and that was his mothers
whimpered her wOes to him whenever they
had . moment together. and he saw that her
life was Q burden to her because of this
daughter Of Heth. But Cal could not help 1t,
and his lazy, sunshiny nature shook of
from her packed and glossy feathers; he said
nothing to Polly, nor even let her know that
he appreciated his mothers sufferings; dis
cretfon was eminently the better part of valor
here.
The year rolled on into summer again, and
again found Cal and his crouy fishing in latter
May on Long Lake; the orchards were heaped
with rosy bloom, the woods fresh and odorous
with young leaves; gold and crimson colum-
bines danced on the rocky shores, and nodded
to their vivid counterparts in the stilI wave
below, and the first wood-robin blew his fairy
clarion, resonant as . silver bell, sweet as
hute, yet shrill as . violin, in the very highest
boughs Of the forest; but Cal and Jim, blind
nor heard the beauty and songs about them !;
they were absorbed In discussing the rules
and regulations Of q hunting club to which
they both belonged, and which gave prizes for
by the sight Of a heifer calf, ap-
parently pure Devon, grazing peacefully in q
near pasture. 1t was Calls calf, the captive
Of his bow and spear, In one sense, for he had
won 1t as last years prize.
Pretty critter, Amt it!" he said to Jim. .
"Well, yes: middlin'. l dono but what I
should think twas ALFRED handsome ef I'd
got It as easy as you did, Call"
Easyl tell ye 1t took some huntin's to
git all them heads;" and Caps blue eyes
"Haw! hawl haw! You be the beateree,
Cal Cul, of any critter ever see; there amt
another Teller in Bassett would ha' thought o.
fetchin' in 800 mouse heads to the last mint,
,ouldn't help but give ye the prize"
"Wel, they was game-dreadful lively
game, too. I'arned the prize, ef ever q man
al say fort Cal: ef you had as much grit
up for Guv'nof, or hog herd, or suthin, afore
ye de-"
Mebbe I should-mebbe should; but
taint wuth the trouble, Jim. Pm 'ficted
with chronic overdld from my youth up'ard,
- al sou HoupAuS IuiSut say. uOu see no
payin' property in workin' yourself to death
lfore your time"
Its awful lucky you've got real smart
wife, now tell ye."
Well, there might be two ways o. lookin'
1t that, now, Jim Bcebe. There is sech a
thing as befn' too everlastin' smart and
spranxious for feller's comfort"
That's eo," briefly assented Jim.
Now l don't say but what Pollythi's q
smart woman-an orful smart woman; but
she's got kind of q mighty way with her, SO
70 speak kinder peppery mater, that makes
Things lively as q bumble-bee's nest in hayin'
time"
"She's dreadful neat, amt shef"
Neat! She's cleaner'n creation arter the
Hood. There dursn't SO much as one small
dy skip round where she is; and as for skeet-
ers-my land! she'd ketch 'em and soap their
feet ef they burst to hum one time to our
house. b'lieve, 'twixt you and me and the
post, she's most washed mother away; there
amt but mighty little left OF her."
Why, she used to be kinder fat when
see her"
Fat! well, she's bout as fats hens fore