Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-07-14

scdtlo uylng DaCh over the renee Win
their necks wrung; and when herhus-
band brought in the stiff and lffeless
careasses and mildly suggested that they
had better be dressed off to save them,
Mrs. Robbins indignation rose sosildden-
" that it overtiowed its legitimate chan
mel, and the meek victim before her had
no time to escape its inundation.
"Do you think | can ever dress off
| and eat those beautiful hens?" she de-
| manded. "The first mouthful would
choke me. You'll have to dress them
yourself if. you want it done. If you go
on this way, Philo, ard never stand up
for yourself ct ell, that man will ride
over us rough-shod. Next news, one of
the children viii crawl through thefence
by mistake and be flung back with his
neck wrung. Don't 60 to scalding that
| hen in the dinner pot; there's dish
kettle. Oh, how L wish you would ever
try and spunk up a little: l wonder
what he will think he can do to US next"
Mr.. Robbins, who had pulled off the
first handful of feathers, was much
embarrassed by the unpleasant way in
which they stuck to his fingers.
"Wife," said he, helplessly, "what
shall do with these?n
1 1Ou vel GFtI pICh llifst hChs oIO
declared. "Here, let me take it. |
damages. You'd have strong case
against him, and d taste of the law
would give him good scare"
eff you really feel as if you couldn't
eat them," said Mr.. Robbins, who wa.
picking the feathers from his fingers,
1--WE might dress off pair and send
them to Mr.. Fargo, and say we were
very sorry for the damage they have
done l should be very glad to give
those poor folks good dinner, and it
would be heaping Goals of fire on his
head"
There was a faint suggestion of Turk
ing mischief in his eyes as he spoke.
Mrs. Robbins found it too great a
strain upon her self control to remain
speeches. with Indignation, as she first
intended.
"Philo Robbins, do believe you are
crazy?" she burst forth GAS if Goals Of
fire would make any impression on his
tough old head! And you wouldn't
catch the town poor getting anything so
good; he'd eat them all himself
first. He came to the Sunday-school
festival with bag of peanuts he got on
the Christmas tree last winter. and a
roll of butter he couldn't sell at the store,
for his contribution, and then sat down
and ate two plates of biscuit and a whole
hen. No, indeed! I'll eat them myself
before he shall touch a mouthful-
besides, I'm going to send a pair over to
Mothers"
Mr.. Robbins discreetly retired from
the discussion, but his wife made the
neighborhood ring with her grievance.
} Every good housewife who owned a
J flock of hens was ready with her sympa.
thy, and there was q general opinion
current that Philo Robbins chad stood ii
} about as long as he'd ought to-
He's afraid of him; that's what's
: the matter,'' declared Abel Crafts
sWhen Fargo's cattle got in last fall and
. ate up his corn, l told him then that il
) he'd sue him for damages it would be
} more help to his fences than anything
: he could do. You see Fargo knows
J he'll never touch him, and that's what
, makes him so bold. I'm real sorry fol
, Mrs. Robbins, she's q smart, likely
woman, and they say.she's clean out Of
} patience with her husband. She'd sold
J twenty-five dozen eggs this spring from
, them hens, besides what she's set, and
J haint been sparing of 'em in the house
nuther.''
, Philo Robbins pursued his peaceful
way apparently regardless of the crit
cisms of his neighbors and the vehement
, opinion of his wife. He gave the sub.
ject much prayerful attention, and list.
ened quietly to all the advice given him.
: forming slowly and deliberately resolves
that would not easily be shaken. There
were rumors that he had once or twice
, | ION
, with his refractory neighbor, as they
hoed their potatoes in adjoining fields
, but as these reports did not chance tc
{ come to Mrs. Robbins ears, 1.-The secret OF
the interviews was not wrested from
. him. The summer went on; by the first
of August his having was over and he
could rest little from the severe tension
of mind and body wrought by the SUI
preme crisis of the farmers year. He
sat one evening on his pleasant piazza
, in the calm enjoyment of a mind al
peace with God and with himself, sur.
, veying the smiling fields that lay spread
out before him. One moving in partic-
ular was his especial pride, a rich,
smooth field without tree, rock or stump
to mar its even surface, where the grass
grew so luxuriant that it produced two
crops year. 1t was always cut at the
first of the haying, and even now the sill
yer wave ran over it at each breath OF
the evening breeze. Mr.. Robbins had
felt little anxiety concerning his rowen
crop, on account of the unusual number
of grasshoppers that had lately APP
J peared. Some of the Oldest inha bitants
remembered when they had done seri-
, Gus damage to the crops; others talked
of the mischief wrought in Kansas, and
| guessed we'd have them as bad in
/ Massachusetts, yet" Mr.. Robbins had
| Just returned from his favorite moving
/ and remarking to his wife that "the
, grasshoppers were pretty thick, but he
| guessed the grass would get ahead Of
them, and if she drove the turkeys down
they would trample the rowen and dc
: more harm than the critters would" sat
, down to enjoy the beauty of the summer
t evening and dismissed ali anxieties from
/ his mind. His peaceful mien seemed
, to extend even to his wife, who sat neal
: him her keen and anxious face subdueC