Democratic messenger., 1881-10-01

else. The city-bred young lady knew
that COWS had to be MIXED, but she haG
never associated her husband with the
one that performed the operation, anC
now turned an astonished face to that
I gentleman and the assembled Macon
sons.
"It must be fun to milk" she re.
marked, determined to put the best pos
sible face on affairs. "I'll go and see
you"
"Not in that dress, hope" said Mrs.
Mazonson, as Mr.. Stickney left the
room. 81 was going to say, little
while ago." she went on, that seeing
as you were dressed up, you needn't
mind about the Dishes"
! The dishes? What in the world did
this dreadful woman mean? Before she
had time to inquire, her tormentor had
left the room and now, more perpleZed
than ever, Mrs. Shckney went in search
of her husband. She found him at last
in the barn-yard, and in the excitement
of new sensation almost forgot the
disagreeable things that had preceded
it. In dilapidated straw hat, patched
coat, and blue overalls, she did not at
first recognize her husband; but when
she did, she clapped her hands like a
child, and laughed as merry laugh as
was ever heard on the Stickney farm.
=" is that the way people always dress
when they milk?' she inquired, touch
ing the old coat caressingly with her
little white hands.
Zone must dress according to ones
work on farm, Florence" Mr.. Stickney
remarked, sententiously.
Something in her husbands words or
manner must have recalled her late an
noyances, for the smile faded from her
lips, and her eyes grew sad and trou-
bled.
Hubert" she said, softy, "who are
those-those ladies at the house ?"
Why, they are the Mazonsons,
Florence - Mrs. Mazonson and her two
daughters" the master of the Grange
replied.
cit was very kind OF you to ask Mrs.
Mazonson and her daughters to meet
me-" the young wife resumed, with a
touch of something in her tone that her
companion was not familiar with, "but
can't understand why they should
seem SO very much at home, Hubert. F"
Mr.. Stickney moved the three-legged
stool to the side of another COW, and
commenced milking again, before he re-
piled.
"Didn't mention to you, Florence,
that these ladies lived with me ?' he in
quired. 81 know / didn't dwell on the
subject" he went on, "but | must have
spoken of it.
Mention to me that these ladies
lived with You - Mrs. Stickney repeat
ed, oblivious to the rest of her hus-
bands remark, a hard look settling
round her pretty mouth. "May ] ask.
Mr.. Stickney, who these ladies are? |
know they are the Mazonsons, she
added, in the same singular tone, "but
what are they to you?"
"They are relatives of my first wife, "
the gentleman replied, in a voice that
had the calmness of desperation III it.
81 must have taken for granted that
you knew, Florence Mrs. Mazonson
was Mrs. Stickney's mother, and Maria
and Susan are her listers"
''And they have always lived here p
'For some time before and ever since
Mrs. Stickney died Mrs. Mazonson has
been my housekeeper, and the girls
have been her assistants"
"Why was there nc servant, Mr..
Stickney, to wait on the table this
evening ?" was the lady's next ques-
ton.
"We have no servants. Florence. It
is not the custom with Vermont farm
ers, my dear"
''And all the work of your house is
performed by the Mazonsons ?"
eyes"
"Who did it before the Mazonsons
came?'
''Mrs. Stickney, my dear"
For moment there was silence in
the barn-yard. Then there was rustic
of retreating silk, light step going
swiftly toward the house, and thus the
singular interview ended. This was
very unpleasant commencement, Mr..
Stickney told himself, and for while
this gentleman's milking was purely
mechanical. From the bottom of his
heart he wished he and his wife could
be alone. On the other hand, there
was a great deal to do in the house.
much more than Florence could ever
manage if she worked night and day.
At this point Mr.. StIckney really did
have serious doubts as to the wisdom of
this second marriage of his. For the
first time he asked himself whether it
would be right to impose the drudgery
of farm work on this young and deli
cately nurtured woman. He had thought
very little about the domestic part of the
programme He was accustomed to see
ing the women about him constantly oc-
cupied, and Florence knew she was ac-
cepting a farmer when she agreed to
marry him. Then, too, Mrs. Mazon-
son was exceedingly competent; iE;leed,
no housekeeper could be more so; and
Mr.. Stickney summed it all up by as
suring himself that Florence could get
along with the Mazonsons easily enough
if she had only mind to think so.
in the meantime Mrs. Stickney had
locked herself in her room, and with
clinched hands and flashing eyes was
recalling every moment of time since
she first met the man she had married.
She had been grossly deceived and i'm
posed upon, and worst of all, the decep
ton and imposition had come from the
one who had promised to love, honor,
and cherish her to the day of her death.
The drawn lips grew tender aud pitiful
as she thought how utterly she had
loved and trusted him, and how entirely
she had believed in his affection for her.
self. "To live with these solemn and
automatic Mazonsons would be worse