South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1881-09-09
The Three Toothed Rake.

iittie TneDe Dlru When she set up
housekeeping with Ridgway Dayton,
on the finest farm the country afford
ed, IN n house that, was i'm thorough
repair and fully furnished. 1t was ON
establishment to be proud of, and
people said ii that young couple did
not prosper it would be their own
fault ta.r
1 There, Ridge, said Uncle Aleck.
IS your farm, and stock, and house
ali paid for, and now / shall do no
more for you. If you don't hoe out
your row, you'll have to starvc. I
am going abroad, SO l shan't be com.
ing AROUND to advise You and scold
you, and | expect it will grow pretty
tough with YOU for awhile. But Phe-
be is a sensible girl, | am happy to
say, and | think L leave you in pretty
good hands,
I Ridge secretly felt rather pleased
mt the prospect of being left but he
did not say SO. Uncle Alec< was an
excellent man to provide, but he was
a little sharp i'll his way, as the young
man had occasion to know ut times
III his Juvenile years. The old gen.
tlemau himself had been reared un-
der q system which might be formula
ted in the old couplet--
"a hoy, a dog and walnut tree
! The more you thrash then, the etter they be-.
The system had boon greatly toned
down III the case of his orphaned ne.
phew but Ridge thought it strict C.
4 nough
His choice OF wife had pleased
his uncle rs We'll as himself, for Pine
he was very domestic girl az we'll
as a cultivated one, and it was the
general verdict that .'5oih had done
we'll Sill Aunt Cynthia did tell
RIdgway she wished he had rot a
wife that would make him stand IL
round Il little more
Oh, she'll make mo stand around
cnodgh,' laugecd Ridge. You need
not be concerned about that
She'll have need t". said Aunt
Cynthia, holding her heal sd
gaciously She had known his IN an
ner OF life from his youth up, and
s;ld he was always very goolsboy
If hc only had a steady hand with
him To keep him in order. But
Ridge believed 'annts AMI unclcs
never did appre late fellow Now
it WAS worth while to have the wor-
! shiptul direction of snch sweet, APP
( preciative little soul us Phebe Birds,
and he did think himself Il lucky fell
low, and he was.
a stout, capable hired man was en-
4 gagged ut the outset, VIII o understood
his business and appropriately, recciv-
ell good wages. 80 the cares of life
sat very lightly on the Young farmers
shoulders, though he felt the respon-
sibility OF Atlas when he shouldered
the world, having not only his own,
but his wit,e's domain to look after.
Just when the serpent entered into
this little Eden could not distinctly
be told nave no doubt he wired
in and wired ont among tile vines
I and shrubbcry of that first garden
for sometime before he presented
himself to our first mother
If Ridgway was little cxacting
and very particular, Phcbc was very
self'sacriticing and p1instaling so
there was little jar in the machinery.
lie thought strict order aud system
about work very excellent thing
for other PROFESSIONALLY mans
wife. Breakfast at seven, dinner Mt
twelve, and supper at six, always on
the table ut tire minute, was his stand
ard, but of course If he could not be
on hand just ut that time. it was only
necessary to keep things hot and at
their best for half or three quarters of
an hour, and it would be nice for her
to ill up the time with sewing, or
some little thing of that kind. 1t
need not be lost time to Ter by any
means. OF course mans work is
the important work of the world al.
ways.
Ridge, from his incxpcrienco in
household affairs, had imbibcd the
DRY that If a woman is but economi-
cal, II costs next TO nothing 20 sup
port such small family 'on farm.
lie was astounded at the cost Of sugar
and coffee and tea and the dozens of
little outgoes every week. Ii must
be, there was something wrong some
where. All his pet theories were got
ting Knocked in the head. In vain
F. Phobc mildly reasoned with him;
showed him how long supplies could
reasonably last proposed retrcuching
ON cake for tea, but OF course ho would
not hear OF ;hat. lie liked cake.
She never spoke Of retreaching Of CT
gars, though some women would.
But all her 'argulying' was without
avail
"A man convinced against bis will
Is Of The same opinion still
Somehow, the mole Ridge thought
about 1t, the more convinced 10 was