The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-01-23

moon, I guess,' was Rlody's reply. II
was plain enough that she could not
look on the matter as lightly as did Ler
husband. 'H irs
"Wall, Rhody, amt goin' ter talk
any more about the moon. 'Tain't
likely that all our talking'll make !,
change minute sooner. aud the waite,
to scald him with Is bilin' now That
pint's settled. II I'd made the moon
my elf. of course I'd have fixed it all
right; but you see didn't. I hope
you'll feel thankful to.mprrer, Rhody,
that we had hog to kill"
d" Pm ALWAYS thankful for everything
the Lord gives u.s." said Rhody; but il
does seem sometimes. Ztchems, as If |
married you ag'inst his will"
Zscheus. had left the table, and was
looking Into the boiling cauldron wle,
the last words were uttered, aud prob
ably they did not come with full force
to his ears. II is doubtful whether, Ia
llle steam and noise of the boiling, he
heard them at all. AT auy rate he
made 10 reply.
"The waters hot" eaid he 10 no one
in particular, "sud Sim ouyhtcr be
here now"
Even rs he spoke, the door was open.
ed, aud SIN was there. "AIl ready,
eh," said Sim, looking into the cauldron.
THAT'S good! -thst'll start the brus-
ties! But ynn'lI have ter help me grind
INV knives, Zach. Good mornin' Miss
Timminsl Looks = il you's going t.
have spsrerib for Thanksyivin'." !"
"Good mornin,' Mr.. Llfki q! lhope
we shall all be thankful ior whatever
we gei; but Id rather got along with
out the sparerib.' fni g I'm cUhcerned."
| Mr.. Lufkins gave her all inquiriny
look. 81 don't know of anything
much better'n good roast spsrerib,'
said he.
=" There ain't nothin BETTER" said
Zachcus; "and Rhody likes 'em as well
AS anybody. We've been eaten chickens
all the fall, an now I'm goin' ter have
u sparerib. Well have hxrslet for din.
ner, too, Siml"
to dine. "Pve got to kill shote for
Widow Beaman. arter I've done yours"
said he, but I'll be back by dinner
guess"
The look ofinquiry was now Rhody's.
Did you say you's goim' to butcher
for Widow Beaman to-dayp" she asked.
To-day2" and the look of inquir,
seems reflected back from Lufkins.
What about to-day?"l he asked
amt it good day to kill7"
81 thought you's sensible man. Mr..
Lufkins; don't YOU know it's in the old
1t the inuOn?'
" The did of The moon what be YOU
talkim about, Miss Timmins2 2-the moon
changed ,e,terda,
Al" 1t don't change till scven minutes
past seven Tonight" said she; ~
should thiuk yew men were all outer
yer scnses!"
"Wall, then, oil Bob Thomas has
told lie this time. Where's yer alma
nae, Zsck?-lei's see."
4 Rhody herself tOvk down the alma
nae, aud opened it to the very place.
"There," eaid she, showing it " Sim,
what's that say?"
Sim looked at the day, the hour, and
then at the top nf the page; and then
he looked at Rhody, and at Z.cheus,
with funny sort of look. I" DOM
see how made such a mistake" he said
Accoriim' to 20 IT. almanac the moon
In silent triumph Rhody hung the al
niallac again on It's nail. 81 ain't be-
lievin' in the moon so much as I was,''
said Zlcheus. "Come, Sim, let's grind
the knives"
alt does make difference, though
there's no doubtin' that, said Sim. "BGi
} suppose the brusiles'll have ter come
| If, now the waters hot"
Aud off they came, within the next
half hour; and at noon, Sim hail ais.
dispatched the widows shote, aud was
; back for dinner. The savory fumes oI
!, the fried harslet made Rhody NOR,
r cheerful than she had been in the morn.
2 ing, aud she even expressed hope tha
r the pork wouldn't shrink in the pot, af.
+ ter all.
"I don't hardly believe it will" salt
Sim. "It's cnolin' Oft nicely, an'
: lookin' hard and firm. | shOuldu'
j, wonder ii it spent just Ms well as though
Z you'd killed it in The new of the moon
}, Blu, I'd no idee the moon didm't chang.
till tonight, when came away from
;. hoinc."
And so the killing was done, anl
both the Deacon aud Zacheus had roas
u sp,rerib for their Thanksgiving dinners
e And Ia due time Rhody began to use O
= the salted pork. Thcti, a. Zacheus ex
!. pressed it, he had her. For the pori
l. cooked beautifully.
u 1--WE amt never had no better porl
J.. than this, Rhody," said Zschemr
. +" What dye think Of the moon, n0w7
ol "You wait, Zacheus. Don't bepi
a to crow too soon. Wait, an SEQ how
y - holds ont. -r ~
!. "Ar right. Rhody of course 'twoul
= be too much ter ask We TO give In all {,
once. I'm willin' ter wait"
= And as they continued to use th
- - pork, Rhody became very serious, yer
'. solemn, aud Zschcus proportionatel
- cheerful and eiatcd. 81 hope YOU ain
II agoin' to be sick, Rhody, on account {
- this pork" he said one morning ,
breakfast. You know yourself "
70 never had no better pork than this.
"a wouldn't blame the moon any longe
~ IL | was you."
!, "Ths pork is good enough" sal
:" ~ Rhody; but l guess 'twouldn't happe
~ so agin in Thousand wears!
=. "'Tw"n't he in our time ihen," an
a Zlchrns had good sensc enough to sto
aa,, right there.
=; ;s II happened that he went TO the sio
= that very day-it was about the hegi
ming If the new vear-and when
- came home he brought new almana
81 Nov Rhody," he said, well ~
=" what the weather's goin' to he this year
Iii Iii 81 should think you were old enous
"A 10 know't the almanac can't alters Il
A. A. about the weather." was the rather d
49, coursging reply.
%, al sin't so old AS vou be, by thr
~ years, ye know, Rhody."
hs sits fortunit, perhaps, that yon ain
Nv for 1t does seems If the older you gre
IA the less you know"
~ ~. "Thal's all OWN to the pork. Rhod
II but I won't lay that up aginst We. |
- had only beenIn the new of the moo
~ you know, 'twonld been all right"