Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-08-18
What Mrs. Packer did with her Sub
scriDiiOn Bible

That's Just like man! | declare I've
no patience with John, not bit said little
Mrs. Packer desperately, twisting in her
fingers bit of paper which she had just
fished out of the depth of her husband
coat pocket, and-with wife's assumed
privilege-at once had read A subscrip
tion to Van Horen's illustrated Apocryrlta
Bible! I've always wanted handsome
Bible; but to have it in such way! A
dollar number too; why, it will cost a
| fl rtune. Let me see Counting on heT
dimpled iingers); Genesis, one; Exodus
two. um-um; Nehemiah, sixteen um-
um-um; Habakkuk, thirty.fve. Why
the man must be crazyl And it only
comes once month, suppose-all SUBJ
scriptlon things do; that will bring it to
the middle of next year before we get
| Proverbs. and I'd like to read to John this
| blessed minute that--- Just then Mrs.
Packers eyes wandered to an illuminated
text that hung upon the wall; soft
answer turneth away wrath, and as she
| thought of the context she started: but
grlevous words stir up anger. Was she
about to anger her kind husband, who, she
well knew, in all things sought only her
petsureP But oh! she had wanted some
money fOrSo long, yet had not dared ask for
| it, sine John grumbed so about hard
times. There was that lovely gold and
| blue tea set at Stevens; that she really
must have, for the sewing society would
meet at her house next week, and the old
white dishes Ton which varies domestics
| had kept very calendar of chips and
notches) would never do. She could surely
have the new set now, if there was money
| to spend $3.50 downright foolishly.
Mrs. Packer was not by any means so
heathenish as her words would seem to
imply, and when her husband came home
at night she greeted him with extra
warmth as if to atone for her anger of the
morning (of which he was yet in blissful
haps, the supper was unusually tempting
but all the cracked dishes in the house
were brought forth to spread the table, and
the most dilapitated of these assigned to
Johns use, while with secret serenity Mrs.
Packer herself drank her tea from the only
cup adorned with handle. She was de-
! lightfully amiable, yet in some undetinable
way John Packer felt wretchedly uncom-
Portable
When supper was over, and the dishes
well out of the way
Nv dear-said Mr.. Packer, hesitating-
ly.
Yes, JohnP inquiringly.
The centre table in the parlor looks kind
of empty, dosn't itP Wouldn't hand.
some Bible be Just what we need to fill il
up, eh?
Yes; but we cannot afford it, said Mrs.
Packer, biting her lips SO hard to keep
back some differ ent words that wanted to
come, that those she did speak sounded
very short.
That's Just it, said Mr.. Packer, bright
ening up ut this leading; that's just it. A
good Bible costs so much to buy all at
once, we can't afford it, as you wisely say,
my dear; but a subscription Bible, now
that's different thing. You only pay a
dollar number, so little you don't miss
it, and
Yes, and there are sixty six numbers,
and you pay sixty six dollars for your
Bible, and it only comes once month,
and it takes five years and half to get ii
all, and if you take the Apocrypha that
costs fourteen dollars more, and then il
isn't bound! and little Mrs Packer, breath
less with her long speech, broke into sobs
| at the thought oil 1t all.
Why wife! exclaimed John Packer, ut
terly astonished at this outburst: / had ne
idea you were so quick at figures.
| found the paper in the coat you lief
home to be mended. and | counted it al
up this morning. averred Mrs Packer from
behind her handkerchief.
Oh ! said Mr.. Packer. The agent was
a very talkative, pleasant man, and didn'
seem to think of it in that way, he con
tinued, smiling feebly as he met Mrs. Pack
er's eye thought you'd like it.
The freight glanced on the wall, bring
ing out with the magic of its flames tn,
blue and gold and scarlet of those precious
words A soft answer.
john dear, said Mrs Packer, going owe
to her husband and dropping soft little
kiss upon his forehead, 1Cut like it | wal
angry at first, but Pm almost sure In
glad now But isn't it II good deal 0
money for us to pay?
Not more than can afford, a dollar at
time; aud John patted his wife's prett'
head, feeling that some way that imper
ceptibe cloud which had lowered between
him and her sweet face had vanished
But, man like, he did not even dimly al
| ilUt 10 tIlt ltt Stl anu uttD UOWu III NlI .
Packers heart the disappointment ranked
in and fretted till she felt rs if she mas
speak for he had promised her the yer.
first money he had to spare for that.
, How glad she was she had refrained
any wife will know. when next evenin,
John returned somewhat earlier than usua
from business accompanied by an express
man and large box which, ON bein,
opened, was found to contain the identica
blue and gold set she had so long coveted
Stevens had no afternoon delivery, an,
: | couldn't wait till tomorrow, so
brought it home myself, said Mr.. Packer
beaming on his wife.
3 Oh! you dear old John! she cried, hid
ing her face on his shoulder. And | wa
7 so hateful to you this morning; giving yo
/, your coffee scalding hot, when yo
were in such hurry, in a cup ths
:, hadn't handle when there was one this
D had. | shall never enjoy them; never
b letting her eyes feast on the beauty of he
new possessions.
Yes, you WILL said John, gayly. Yo
; will begin and enjoy them this yer
minute. Take these old wrecks off th
, table; give me an apron and | will was
, these blue things myself. (The last hetr
i ! less had been dismissed some days befor
for an unusually fragrant smash, givn
rise to the brilliant and original remar
: from Mr.. Packer. that, amid the ruin
: nations might now be included the dowr
fall of China). And when the table wa
: finally set with new things (as John il
Z reverently called them), what prett
sight it was to see little Miss Packt
giving the final loving pats and touches
y the dishes, whose brilliant blue her happy
bright eyes rivalled.
. The next morning early a gentle an
a insnuating ring at the door interrupte
u Mrs. Packers household duties. Even
= the midst of work she was neat, tril
Z little body as one could desire to see an
} except that her cheeks were rather redde
y than usual, and her pretty hair littl
,, more fluffy, she showed no sign of he
= =, skirmish with a refractory range fire i
u she opened the front door in answer to tn
r bell. There stood a we'll dressed, rattle
professional looking gentleman, who ca
oi red an rreproachable umbrella, and Wa
Is literally supplied with the purest of liner
II Behind him was a knobby Il use this wor
d advisedly) angular boy, who had an cd
III nf hainu pnoda II Of ON, N a =,