The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-16
THE CHEST OF DRAWERS.


Marriedn' said Mrs Bubble-''mar-
ried! And withoutneither wedding-cake
nor new bonnet, nor so much as neigh
Dor called in to witness the ceremony?
And to Abel Jones, rs is as poor as pow
erty itself. Mary, l never could have
believed it of your
Pretty Mary Bubbles eyes sparkled,
half with eXultation, half with vague fear.
. 1t was out in Squire Larkin's
garden, MOTHER" said she. Esquire
Larkins was there, and Miss Jennie
Wynward and Mr.. Hall. Abel was
shingling the ice-house roof, and he said
it must now or never. because he couldn't
endure the suspense. And the Squire
is Justice of the Peace, and I've got a
certificate, all legal and right-see, moth
er! 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" f1inging both
arms around the old lady'S neck, {" if
you'll forgive me for disobeying YOU
this once never, neUer will do it againr'
So Mrs, BubbIe-although to use her
own words, she never could get over the
modification of having a daughter mar
ricd by Justice of the Peace finally
forgaye bright-eyed Mary, and consent
ed that Abel Jones should set up his
shop at the foot of the farm lane, to COM
menCe the conflict of life.
" Though I'm quite sure" said Mrs
Bubble, that he never will earn his liv-
ing; 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 and Love are sitting in
LIES sunshine, old Crpsus is one too
many. Let him 90 his way; who cares
for him?
1--WE shall get along" said Abel.
Of course we shall get alongn' said
Mary.
And thus matters stood, when Mrs.
Squire Larkins, with young friend in
tlounced white muslin stopped at the
Bubble farmhouse to drink a glass of
milk and eat some of Mrs. Bubbles
cherry short-cake.
Il hope the bride is WE'LL" said Mrs.
LarL>ins. laughing.
''rop able, thank you," said Mrs. Bub-
BILE. ''She's gone up to Deacon Fara-
day S to get their recipe for maxim soft
soap. AbeHS 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 de-
cent young man enough, if he wasn't
as poor as Jobs turkey! And with
Mary's face, and her term at boarding.
school, she'd ought to done better.
''What a beautiful old chest of draw
ers!' cried Miss Wynward, ecstatically.
'What lovely brass ornaments! And
what picturesque claw legsn'
80, yes,' said Mrs. Larkins. at is
over a hundred years old. Everybody
has heard of Mrs. Bubbles antique chest
of drawers"
80, ma'am, it amt the same" said
Mrs. Bubble. at amt the old one at
all. | sold the old one month ago.
"Sold it?" echoed Mrs. Squire Lar
kins.
Il didn't want to sell it," said Mrs.
Bubble, looking imploringly over the
edge of her spectacle glasses. at was
given to me, you know, ma am, when
my fathers estate was settled up, and
the old furntoor was divided Ny brother
Johns wife, she wanted The Death of
Jonathan, in gilt frame, with cord and
tassels; so she says, says she:
'Sophiar, you can take the old chist
O draws
"And knewI was bein' cheated then:
but, la! what's the use of trouble among
ones relations? SO says [:
Have it your own way, Abigail
Ann
And she took home The Death of
Jonathan and took the chist o draws.
And Abel he fixed it up dreadful nice,
with little sand-paper and varnish, and
IL was handy to keep old letters, and
samples of patchwork, and paper pat
terms in. But when that fine Young lady
from the city, as is boarding at Doctor
l1oIlOWay's, offered me twenty-five dol
lars Tor it, it seemed wicked sin to re-
fuse so much money; 50 l sold it, And
johns wife, she couldn't hardly believe
her ears when she heard tell of it. And
she says, says she:
'Sophlar don't you s'pose you could
sell The Death of Jonathan for the same
mOneyP
And knew just how she felt, and l
wasn't bit sorry for her, for she always
was a graspin' thing. But after it had
gone awayin Doctor Holoway's wagon,
began to miss it, and fairly sat down
and cried. And Abel, he says:
Cheer up, mother says he. ri
make you another one just like it,
And 50 he did And there it is,''
added Mrs. Bubble, with honest pride,
land you'd never know but it was the
same old chist O. draws. He's dark
ened it down and lied it up, and turned
out claw legs and beat out set of old
orasses to cover the keyholes, until you
never would know the difference. And
I'm Just as well satisfied as was be-
fOre.n
SO Mrs, Bubble put on her things and
went to the sewing society when Mrs
Larkins and Miss Wynward were gone,
so that there was no one in the big, airy
Kitchen when Prof. Eldred and his two
daughters-maiden ladies of an I'M
Gchroniced age -alighted from their open
box wagon and stopped in for drink of
water .....,..
There was the well, under the bow