The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-06-02

uHtIuN, III Kept nome. lie placed b
hat on the floor beside the chair, di
playing his scant, gray locks ingeniou
~ plastered over the top of his head
as TO cover as much of the bald su
face as possible Then there was lon
pause
+" Anything going on, deacon ," aske
Miss Kezia, resuming her knitting. Sh
was greatly puzzled TO account for thoS
Sunday clothes.
= Nothin' within the range of my oil
servation. There won't be much agoil
on now till lection time; things II b
pretty lively then
Want to buy any hay this year
chirped Miss kezia Mine is extr.
good this season: my hired man say
its the heaviest yield in town"
: rayther guess I'll hey enough Il
carry me thro' the winter. If l dom
! shall know where TO come for hay a,
Is hay | declare your farm does bear
all! l feel kind o rugged like when |
| think the best farm in town Is managed
by woman.
Miss Kezia smiled graciously, and
the deacon drew his chair little nearer
his hostess. 1t must be great load
for We to carry alone. Such a large
farm Is a tremendous responsibility for
a lone woman.
3" Oh | don't mind it; it keeps me
proper busy"
The deacon hitched his chair along a
few inches farther. ''Yed oughter hey
brother or cousin. or some relative
| like, to share the burden with We"
NJ ubl,1Jar- GRO ,,laptN- 5fp1,,,r -
returned Miss Kena good naturally.
I'm glad to show folks that there are
women who are good for something be
sides giddy-gaddying and tattling."
"Yis, Wis" answered the deacon,
eve can all testify to your vally and
worth. You're a really honor to your
sex. You're-vou're a bright and shin
in beacon light to the trifin' and vain
minded women Of the world :" and the
speaker waved his hand at the conclu-
sion Of this little oratorical flourish.
Then hitch, hitch, hitch went the
chair Miss kezia-ward. Don't We feel
sort o lonely at SPELLS he asked insin-
uatingly.
Miss Kezia glanced suspiciously at
the rapidly advancing chair. She drop
ped her knitting, and went to the fire
and piled up the blazing sticks of wood.
Then she came back to the table and
set her chair on the farther side of it,
thus putting a barrier between her and
her visitor. I'm never lonely, dea-
con; plenty to do IS the best medicine
for loneliness
" But woman's tender, dependent
creatur. Woman's vine" (here the
deacon assumed his weekly prayer meet
ing drawD land needs suthin' to cling
to when the troblous, desolating' waves
and winds o affiiction and sorrer roll |
over her"
9 Stuff and nonsense :" exclaimed |
Miss kezia with a contemptuous sniff. |
Il shouldn't have expected that a man
Of your sense, deacon, would repeat |
such silly trash. | have no patience
with the people who are always talking
as if woman couldn't stand alone, and
needed propping up, like a rag doll that
such creeping, helpless thing, | can tell
you. | can stand alone as well as any
body, if the Lord so wills it, altho' |
admit, deacon, that its pleasanter to
have some one to keep you company"
That's jest it; We hev' hit the nail
squar' on the head :" 1t is pleasanter
to hev' company in our sojourn on this
mortal earth"
The deacon seized his chair with both
hands, and by circuitous line of hitch
ing placed it within three feet of Miss
Kezia's table you're a forehanded
Miss Kezia I'm man of
prominence and influence in the com
nunity; it seems to me that it would
De a good thing if we could walk hand
inland thro' this vale of tears Provi-
lence seems to pint its finger that way"
The deacon was thinking at that very
moment Of the money he would save
~ a thrifty manager like Miss Kezia in
he place Of his inefficient, wasteful
lired woman.
Miss Kezia was dumbfounded. She
dropped her knitting, and the ball of
arm rolled across the floor. Mercy
he finally gasped,
''Tll make We a first rate husband
md ye'll make me a good wife We've {
,een members Of the same church for
hirty years or more, and we've been {
members Of the spiritooal family, we'll s
low be members of the same human
amily."
Miss Kezia Strengthened herself up in
Ter high-backed chair and drew in her
hin, while her voice rang out shrill
nd clear: Il rather guess it'll take
wo to make that bargain"
a second look at her aged admirer,
Who was edging up to her with a sheep
sh shipper, exasperated the old woman
,eyOnd control. The old foOlr she |
aid wrathfully.
The color came into the deacon's thin
heeks, and he started to his feet, look
az anxiously toward the door, as if
leditating a hasty retreat. But the
arm was wound around his boots, and
e was forced to remain.
Miss Kezia likewise rose, and folding !
er hands primly in front of her, re
marked grimly: when you first began
alking | hadn't the least idea what YOU
7ere driving at. | thought you were
hitting about Betsy Hill, and wanted to l
axe me into your confidence. | never
reamed you meant me. Why, sup ]
osed every one in town knew that I
couldn't give up my freedom for the
est man living. Betsy Hill is a pious,
kelly woman she'll make good home
or you and she needs home herself"
The deacon looked completely wither- '
d, and Miss Kezia continued: If you'll '
tep around a little livelier, deacon, and
lex up the stones on your lots and put h
hem into good fences, and NOW down :
ONE of those pesky weeds, there's no
arthly reason why your farm shouldn't
1ok as well as mine If I've said any a
hing to hurt your feelings, deacon, l i
ope you'll overlook it. Why, you are r
Il twisted up in that yarn I'll untangle
t."
The delay in unwinding the yarn from ]
he deacon's feet gave Miss Kezia a !
nance for further remark: Zone word
lore, deacon; have you heard about the
Western lands ?" t
The deacon wished he was anywhere
ut of the range of those merciIess black I