Litchfield enquirer., 1881-06-02
MRS. DOBBS MISTAKE.
BY S. NJ. HARTEAU.

out Mrs Dobbs, going to the door and shading her eyes with her hard; "Billy!"
 "What, mother," answered boy. He was sitting under peach tree, whittling, trying to shape out an arrow.
 ''Come here.
 The tone was imperative and the boy hast | ened to his mother.
 ..Here, take this basket down to Mrs. Car ter's; and do you go quick and come right straight back. Do yor here?" l. "Yes'm"
 ''Well, start then, and put away that stick If you take that with you. you wout get back to-day"
 The boy laid down his stick, put his knife ] in his pocket and. taking the basket from his mothers hand, started slowly away.
 ''Meve faster than that" sine shouted, as she entered the house.
 Don't speak SO cro Mary" said an old lady who sat sewi'-, .rpet rags and rocking :he cradle with her Iu,-
 II can't help it, ,swered the woman. live got to speak just so. ne wont move step, he's SO confounded lazy."'
 If any one else should say he was lazy, you'd be apt to resent it," said> the old lady, ! in quiet way.
 Billy is smart enough when he's mind to be-" said his mother, vigorously stirring up the fire ''But he is so tantalzing sometimes He always rokes along when he knows Pm in a hurry. Where's Harry" | sHera mother" said bright, handsome boy, who stood by table mending his kite ! Is a wonder you're here when you're Wa s.l Go get me some wood Come moye, she added, as the boy entangled his | kitt cI..
 lie ; .rted instantly, moving lively and lodging as he passed his mother, for fear Of blow. lie soon brought in the wood. 1 ttNOW down to the tater patch and Qlg a few taters for dinner" Landing him bas- ket "Be quick.
 ''Mayn't pick up my kite first ?" said the boy. ......
 .'Yes, pick it up and take it out of my way, | or Pll stick in in the stove," said his moth-
 The boy gathered up the kite and started on Lis errand
 Dear me-" said the woman, cit seems to me that everything goes contrary this morn | Ing it's eleven o'clock and my dinner scarce 1 begun, and there's that baby waking up | too P
 ''Ill take care of him, Mary" said the old lady. Don't get so Hurried, Mary, it don't pay; be a little patient.
 ''It's very easy for you, Aunt Beckey. to talk about patience, but it's different thing for a woman to practice it who has five chll- dren to do for and the work besides. Seems l way to heaven without any other prepara- tlon, and Mrs. Dobbs rolled out the pie-crust, sapping the rolling pin down with such force | that the six months old baby raised up Ill his crib.
 If we could enter into the sheep-fold, by | virtue of our own works, perhaps It wond, said the old lady, taking up the baby.
 Il tell you it takes all the romance out of onr lives to be always drudglng," said Mrs. hx,lNlN 1lI,n Inc h in each hand
 l ''There's many one has harder lot than you do," said the old lady.
 She was standing in the doorway with Mrs. Dobbs' big fat baby in her arms the clear September sky reaecting it's serenity in her calm face. Surely one would say that she had passed over so far calmly but show me one who has seen fifty years and not weather ed rough gales. There's many a harder lot," she said, in lower tone of voice. ''Theres many a one has sickly children and a drunken father for lem. That's something you know nothing about Mary Dobbs."
 Mrs. Dobbs was sitting more four into her pan as her aunt said this. She turned around and looked Aunt Becky straight in the face, | and said
 ''If had drunken husband, he'd rue it as much as 1 would"
 ''I reckon he would," said the old lady. ''But what would you do." ''What would do? Aunt Beckey Rey- holds, do you ask me such question. know what would not do. 1 wouldn't work | ny finger ends off, then turn round and give him the money to spend for grog, as Lucindy Morse does 7"
 "You don't know what you'd do," said | Aunt Becky, as she walked back and forth through the kitchen, with young Dobbs in | her arms II don't see any reason to suppose that shall have any chance to prove what l would do"
 II shouldn't wonG:, Mary Dobbs," said the old lady, in nei cus manner, ''if you would have some jud. .nent sent on you for not counting your blessings as they come."
 II should like to see them first" answered Mrs Dobbs, snappishy. If houseful of young ones and scant purse are blessings can count the faster than 1 want to-
 ''So you ought, so you ought, repeated the old lady. "'Theres worse evils than house. ful of healthy children and scanty purses"
 ''I don't want to see them then,' said Mrs. Dobbs
 "Didr't I come back soon, mother 2" II was Biliy's voice; sounding so chcefily that it mig have served to drive all the. dissatsfac- tion nvt of the woman's heart but sbe would no. sntfor it. "Yes, for once," she an- sweEe3 Run quick and fetch me some | wood"
 The boys countenance changed instantly and he walked slowly off, inuttering to him. self the while.- its DO use trying to please mother. She | never gives us any credit Cor it anyhow 1 did hurry down there and back .again, think ing she'd say something kind about it. wish now that 1 had gone with Phil Carter down to the lake, he wanted me to go; but thought | 1 would hurry back, and all get for it is a growl wish was big; would't stay around here long I'd go out west" Thus l musing he entered the house just as Harry re- l turned with the potatoes for his mother. Billy" said Harry, "I wish you'd fix my kite for me-"
 Now Billy was usually kind boy, but just now he felt l.urt, so he answered-is 'sFix your own kite" u @5-' He glanced up and saw Aunt Beckey look ing with sad eyes at him. He felt guilty, so | he turned and said. ti , Well bring it out doors, aud I'll fix it for you.' -, s... a..s..
 Beckey Reynolds was Mrs. Dohbs maiden aunt She had little home of her own, in the neighboring village, but spent the most of rstme among her relatives, especially with Mrs Dobbs. She would come and remain | weeks at time, and during her visit it was 1 almost incredible how many jackets and trowsers were made and repaired. to say nothing of the carpet rags and patch work l which were sewed up. Mrs Dobbs had but little time for sewing. for she had large family to work for with no help except what Grace, the oldest child and only daughter | could render, out of school hours. Her hus- band, Robert Dobbs was, as Aunt Beckey often declared, '.just the best man in the world" He never was known to complain if the dinner was not ready when he came in, but always had pleasant word for the chl- dren and 'sCan Ihelp you, Mary ?" for his wife, who, it must be confessed, very often answered in no amable mood. But he was always making excuses for her-Mary had So much to do and so much to yex her that she could not always be pleasant, and then she was neat housekeeper, good, careful wife and a thorough worker. No man wore whiter shirts than his were and no one's children