The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-10-25
SELECTED SKETCH.
THE CHEST OF DRAWERS.

IHE CHESI UF UKA w ERS.
Married !" said Mrs. Bubble" married !
And without neither wedding-cake nor new
bonnet nor SO much as a neighbor called in
to witness the ceremony And to Abel
Jones, as is as poor as poverty itself !
Mary, never could have believed it of you I"
Pretty Mary Bubbles brown eyes sparkled
half with exultation, half with vague fear
:. 1t was out in Squire Larkius' garden
MOTHER said she esquire Larleins was
there, and Miss Jennie Wynward, and Mr.
Hall. Abel was shingling the ice-house
roof, and he said it must be now or never,
because he couldn't endure the suspense
And the squire is justice of the peace, and
I've got certificate, all legal and right-see
mother And as for being poor, why, Abel
has his trade, and no one can deny that he
is an industrious, temperate young man /;
and please, mother" finging both arms
around the old lady's neck, "if you'll for
give me for disobeying you this once, l
never, never will do it againi"
So Mrs Bubble although, to use her
own words, she never could get over the
modification of having daughter married
by a Justice of the peace finally forgave
bright-eyed Mary, and consented that Abel
Jones should set up his shop at the foot of
the farm lane, there to commence the con-
hict of life.
Though Pm quite sure" said Mrs. Bub-
bic, " that he mover will earn his living and
did hope, Mary, you would have married
some one who could at least have cleared
the mortgage off the old place."
But Abel and Mary were happy Where
Youth aud Love are sitting in lifes sunshine,
old Groesus is one too many. Let him go his
way ; who cares for him
We shall get along said Abel.
"Of course we shall get along" said
Mary.
And thus matters stood, when Mrs. Squire
Larkins, with young friend in founced
white muslin, stopped at the Bubble farm
house to drink glass of milk and eat some
of Mrs. Bubbles cherry short-cake.
81 hope the bride is WE'LL" said Mrs.
Iarkins laughing,
"Tolable, thank you, said Mrs Bubble.
''She's gone up to Deacon Faraday's to get
their recipe for maxim soft.soap. Abel's
well, too, thankee. He's in the shop, now,
at work. His hammer is sort O. company
for me, when set here alone. don't deny
as he's decent young man enough, if he
wasn't rs poor as Jobs turkey! And with
Mary's face, and her term at boarding school,
she'd ought to done better"
"What beautiful old chests of drawers"
cried Miss Wypward, eestaticaliy. " What
lovely brass ornaments And what pictur-
esque claw legs!"
"Oh, yes" said Mrs. Larkins. sit is
over hundred years old. Everybody has
heard of Mrs. Bubbles antique chest Of
drawers !"
ooh. maam, it amt the same" said Mrs.
Bubble 1t amt the old one at all.
sold the old one month ago."
"Sold it !" echoed Mrs. Squire Larkins.
- didu't want to sell it" said Mrs. Dub
bic looking imploringly over the edge of
her spectacle glasses. '' 1t was given to me,
you know. ma'am, when my fathers estate
was settled up, and the old furnitoor was
divided. My brother Johns wife, she
wanted THE Death of Jonathan in gilt
frame with cord and tassels so she hays,
says she:
90 sophiar you can take the old chist o.
draws"
And knew was bein' cheated then ;
but, la what's the use of trouble among
ones relations? So says L
go Have it your own way, Abigail Ann
q And she took home the The Death Of
Jonathan, and took the chist o. draws.
And Abel he fixed it mp dreadful nice, with
a little sand-paper and varnish, and it was
handy to keep old letters, and samples Of
patchwork, and paper patterns in. Blu
when thar rine young lady from the city, as
is boarding at Doctor Holloways offered me
twenty-five dollars for it, it seemed wicked
sin to refuse SO much money; so sold it.
And Johns wife, she couldn't hardly believe
her ears when she heard tell of it. And she
says, says she: e
80 Sophiar, don't you s'pose you could
sell "The Death of Jonathan for the same
money!
''And knew just how she felt, and
wasn't a bit sorry for her, for she always
was graspin' thing. But after it had gone
away in Doctor Holloway's wagon, l began
to miss it, and fairly set down and cried.
And Abel, he says:
"sCheer up, mother, says he .pl
make you another one just like it,
ssAnd so he did And there it is" added
Mrs Bubble, with honest pride, and you'd
never know but il was the same old chist o
draws. He's darkened it down, and lied il
up, and turned out claw legs, and beat out d
! set of old brasses to cover the keyholes
until you never would know the difference
And I'm Just as well satisfied as I was be
| fore.n
! So Mrs Bubble put on her things and
went to the sewing society when Mrs. Lark
ins and Miss Wynwnrd were gone SO tha
there was no one in the big, airy kitchen
when Professor Eldred and his two daugh
ters-maiden ladies of an unchronicled age
| --alighted from their open box-wagon, ant
stopped in for a drink of water.
There was the well, under the bower,
apple--blossoms at the back and there wa.
the gourd-shell, lying in the grass beside ths
sweep and the cleanly-scrubbed kitchen
floor, with its rag rugs at the doors and the
.ae.ent clock, ticking away in it's corner
,nd the old chest of drawers, between ths
swo windows