Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-07-27
Johns Wife.

Whatever possessed brother John to go up
to the city and marry that little yellow
haired, blue-eyed bit Of a school girl, when
he could have Just had his pick of girls
nearer home, was something | never could
understand. There was Ida Handscombe,
just dead in love with him, as anybody could
see, and the best bread-maker in the whole
country, besides taking prizes at the state
fair for pickles and iellies, and ever so much
better looking, too, than Myra. No yellow
bangs over her eyes she just combed her
hair back off her face and did it up in a
hard knot that staid. She sent John a
birthday cake and knit him a comforter,
and everybody thought it would be match,
but John said he didn't like her eyes they
were handsome eyes, to my idea, and could
look through and through, they were that
clear and bright but did you ever know a
man to take advice "Marry that ferret"
said John, "and never have any peace in my
life well, guess not |" and with that off
he goes to town and telegraphs back, " ex-
pect me and my wife," Dear such shock
as it gave me, and our spring cleaning not
done, and the minister coming to board with
us while his wife went home on VISIT
was a trial you may be surel
And when she did come, it was more like
having wax doll in the way than anything
else, with her big wondering eyes and silly
questions, and hanging on Johns arm and
leaning over Johns chair, with two insig-
nifcant feet in the rung at the back, and
her clothes Such fallals, just like dolls
rigging, and just set my foot down that if
she was to live with us she must conform to
our ways. l hadn't been forty years in the
world for nothing. If she wanted to wear
fine white laces and rufied aprons she had
to wash and iron them herself. | wouldn't
be her slave. And such silly questions she
asked, they just made me sick
"Were there any dear little yellow chicks?"
"Dear little yellow chicks, indeed they
were dear enough before we raised them
and got their heads off, and had them ready
for Market and if that silly child didn't sit
down and cry because they were killed ; said
she had named every one Of them and
watched them grow up. And she our Johns
wife bah
Then she did the slliest thing of all went
and bought book called, What / Know
About Farming" and used to sit out under
tree, studying it by the hour, and one
night when she went down to the bars to
meet John, heard her ask
"John why don't you get washing ma
chine and wringer, and save your own
flesh and blood. Look at the blsters on my
hands |"
And the next thing it was the talk of the
neighborhood that we Elliots who had set
our faces against modern Improvements,
had given out before that little pale-faced
thing, and not only got wringer and washer
in our kitchen, but several hundred dollars
worth of farm machinery at work. John
said he could afford it, but / spoke my
mind and told her what | thought of it al
ter he went out to work. She looked kind
OF frightened, and pretended she was going
to cry, and then she spoke up quick like,
and said:
" Sister Janet, it's triumph of mind over
matter. You can wash now, and not be at
all tired out, and sick and nervous and-and
John can afford it."
Perhaps if had known that she had paid
for it all, and it hadn't cost John cent, /
might have been more forgiving, but just
Strengthened up and said
Mrs. Elliot, you may go on and ruin your
husband with your boarding school ideas,
but as for me, I'll never touch the things. l
can work, thank goodness, while I've got my
health. | wasn't brought up in idleness.'
She never took it to her heart a Bit the
next thing l knew she was at the little par.
lor organ she had, singing and playing as if
that was all there was in life.
And that silly old minister-men never
do have bit of sense, but you expect more
of preacher Of the gospel-but he just sat
and talked to her as if she was a companion
for him, and they walked about the fields
and stayed down where John was working
and all around 'em souls perishing for the
want of the bread of life; such a sinful
waste of time | never saw
L. 1. L.
asked one day when l was securing the
do them for me, but law, her white hands
were not fit for anything so useful.
glove the hills Well, I'd like to know
what there is to love about them. CUES.
If you climbed them spell you wouldn't
love 'em much"
"They're so high and grand" she said
looking up to them; "they seem so near the
cool, far-off heaven I'd love to climb to tht
top and drink in the sweet, fresh air it does
me good here-here."
She laid her hand upon her heart, anC
stood looking off with strange expression
upon her face, and ! thought maybe sh,
was homesick and told her to go in and GU
some carpet rags, and sew EN- together, anC
would you believe it she up and refused.
"No !" she said, al cannot cut any car
pet rags. | hate 'em!'
81 never saw her so excited before.
"A fine temper you have" was all tn
answer made her, but | never felt 80 in
suited in all my life.
For a week or two / didn't see much o
her; she was either out with John, "sketch
ing" as she called it, dabbing away at som
bits OF pasteboard with a lead pencil o
up in her room, where | never went. Sh
came down singing away, with large pack
age in her hand, and they drove off to tow
laughing like two children. hope none o
the neighbors noticed them. Anyway, the
never saw him conduct himself in that wa
with me.
When they came home she was all tire
out, and they had big roll of stuff the
dumped down in the entry.
cts something for you, Janet" she sale
laughing, hysterical-like. Z" It's carpet-rags
Iunrolled it, and there were twenty ward
of bright, ingram carpet !"
"hyra y said |, " this is wicked extra,
agance," for knew her money was all pal
out.
"But it isn't" she said, laughing;
earned it myself by drawing aud paintin
those bits of sketches. / sold them all, an
can sell all / can do. That was my way {
cutting carpet rags"
Well, we put the carpet down, aud it di
look pretty-though didn't say SO. 1t ism
my way to spoil anybody with hattery, and
saw Johns wife was getting the upper han
too fast The neighbors were beginning
notice her, and that foolish old ministe
when his wife came back had been oy
there; and she led the singing in churc
and pretended she had got religion, and :
the time she never scrubbed floor,
washed dish, or put her hand to the chur
"John can afford to keep hired help" 81
said to me one day, "and I'm not We
strong, and my mother died of consum
tion." Then she began to cry like bah
and John came in and looked at me as if
was my doing.
must say she could succeed in doing
sorts OF useless things-raising flowers
every nook and corner, making pets of
the animals, and painting, or playing ON /
organ. She was real ornamental and a.
pose some folks thought she was pref
John did for one. / don't know that :
made much work, either. She did her O,
washing as long as John would let her, a
kept her room neat enough. thougb N q