The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-08-26

stlcks-weli, mabOe matter OF pound
of cinnamon, ounce o. nutmegs, six
good juicy lemons, half a pound of his
best HysOn and my yaller box full of
sugar.
" Coed land a Goshen, mother, haul
out yet quill and figger 'em down"
my hands amt lit, no more, be yer,
Aunt Polly's, she's nussin' yer ducks
and BetSey's as busy as a bee in pun
kin blow. Come home around by
Squire Lyonses and ask Miss Whey the
housekeeper to change that setting o.
eggs with me and tell the Squire (rais-
ing her voice. that Betsey's quiltin'
comes off tomorrow and she'll be des-
put disappointed if he and Enoch don't
come round to tea and help us to shake
the quilt in the evening"
80! Mother Remington" said Bet
sey, looking up with a disturbed face
from the fine table cloth she was iron
ing; "you know l don't want 'em, at
least, don't care about their coming"
"Betsey, child, don't be a foolin' with
| good fortin'," said Mrs. Remington,
1--WE told yer pa a thousand times
when he was a livin' that you was Jest
like him. Now that highheadedness O.
yourn is a real Remington streak. What
in posset be you goin' to say to folks;
that's as good as any other noticement
fur tino."
Betsey deposited her iron at the fire
with a will and with her sweet face
somewhat discomposed ran to the door
and leaning far out and speaking in an
undertOne, said, Jim, ask them at the
store if the letters have come this week
and be sure to save y niGepence to pay
the postage and then stop at Eliza
| Moses and tell her l shall expect her
real early and ask her to wear her rob-
roy shawl; l want mother to see it."
! "Boy what?n shouted Jim, 81 can't
! tackle all yer wOmen's names and no.
tions," and the little old pony, obeying
the word of command, started forward
with good courage and the rest of the
| sentence was lost in the crunching of
clam shells under the wheels of the
lumber wagon.
:" Who under the sun be YOU expect
in a letter from?' said Mrs. Reming-
ton, reaching out to close blind and
gazing steadily into the girls face.
Betsey dropped her dark eyes on to
her calico van-dyke with most percepti-
bic confusion.
=" Aunt Beckey might possibly write
to say she is coming over with the girls
tomorrow
write! Your Aunt Becky write a
letter? She might writ if She had
a vision of the Day of Demption, but
nothin' less would hist her to that pitch.
Betsey, be yer senses clean gomez
my senses are not at all bewildered,
mother, and | am not going to be afraid
to tell you that hoped | might hear
from Henry Creighton" and CLEAN Of
honest defiance darted from the full
brown eyes.
- Tee dimon, tee dee! l say fort.
amt you never goin' to cit over the
foolish nonsense you showed for
that schoolmaster?" pursued her
mother, with great asperity. "rve
talked myself hoarse and blind about it.
l should think you'd see" but at this
instant Mother Remington's quick eye
caught signs of over-rising in biscuits,
doughnutS, loaf cake. Quickly convey
ing the two former to a cooler locality,
she lifted huge pan of cake risen to
overlooking to the table and both hands
were quickly employed in its working
over"
"Betsey," she continued, ''your con-
trarinesS win ruin you. Poverty, shift
lessness and book-larnin', it seems to
me, are chains that cling closter than a
! brother to that meechin kind of indi-
vidooul-a teachin' man. How ken you
take up with such a chance and give
/ Squire LyOnses son. Enoch, the 90 by.
I'll venture what you dare he'll make
as good a pervider as you'll find in all
the country round. Why, you d Oughter
seen what a husband his pa, the old
Squire, made his ma, she that was Ma
haly Price. Why, she had a real peg and
fillet for her foretOp and no other woman
in the town wore the bunnit ribbins she
did"
al don't see how they could" said
Betsev, mischievously.
Mrs. Remington taking no notice of
this remark pursued the subject to its
end. The Squire made nothin' of
payin' two and siXpence or even three
and ninepence a yard for 'em. | can't
doubt it for Harri't Enoch tailored there
year after year and she told me. She
had a real sale carpet for her front
room, hull chiny set of flown blue
for her table, a posy bed sOt out each
side of her front door and n chaise to
ride out in, let alone her saddle and
pillion. "
Il shan't NEEDLE with 'em, mother"
said Betsey, provOkingly. q think
Enoch will need them all to help him
settle in life"
We'll, you mark my word, BetSey
Remington. / wouldn't give a four
pen-sappeny towards supporting any
man that didn't pertend to know how
to farm it, and was cracked on gram
mer"
Il wouldn't argue no longer said
mild peace-loving Aunt Polly, who had
just given the finishing touch of polish
to the pewter plates and dishes that
adorned the dresser and now sat meek
ly rubbing the silver spoons.
1t was easy to see, although she had
remained silent during this entire cpl
sode, where her feelings were, from an
occasional beaming and compassionate
look directed over her spectacles at
BetSey. "You know, sister Hetty," she
continued, the good Book says the
greatest of all virtues is Charity"
al don't want none of your blind
passages thrown up to me, Polly. l
never see nothin' in my Bible that sot a
premium fair and square on shiftless-
ness and don't want my child brought
up TO think so either, but you'll beat
round the bush to make it right for her
from now till doomsday. A saint would
grow lawless with you to read his future
for him. BetSey must know the real
ginewine truth of livin', and ! shall see