The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-10-14
THE CHEST OF DRAWERS.

ried! And without neither wedding-cake
nor new bonnet, nor so much as a neigh
Dor called in to witness the ceremony?
And to Abel Jones. as is as poor as pow
erty itself. Mary, never could have
believed it of your
Pretty Mary Bubbles eyes sparklcd,
half with exultation, half with vague fear.
"It 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. alllegal and right-see, moth
err! 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 flinging both
arms around the old lady's neck, % if
you'll forgive me for disobeying you
this once Ineyer, neUer will do it again.
So Mrs. Bubble-although, to use her
own words, she never could get over the
modification of having daughter mar
ried by ssJustice of the eace''-finally
forgave 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 Pm quite sure" said Mrs.
Bubble, ssthat 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
life's sunshine, old Crpsus is one too
many. Let him go his way; who cares
for him?
1--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
flounced white muslin stopped at the
Bubble farmhouse to drink a glass of
milk and eat some Of Mrs. Bubbles
cherry short-cake.
II hope the bride is WE'LL" said Mrs.
Larkins, laughing.
"Torable, thank you," said Mrs. Bub-
BILE. ''She's gone up to Deacon Fara-
days to get their recipe for maxim soft
soap. Abeps 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 face, and her term at boarding
school, she'd ought to done better.
''What beautiful old chest of draw
ers!" cried Miss Wynward, ecstatically.
.'What lovely brass ornaments! And
what picturesque claw legsr'
20, yes," said Mrs. Larkins- sIt is
over hundred years old. Everybody
has heard of Mrs. Bubbles antique chest
OF drawersp''
20, ma am. it amt the same" said
Mrs. Bubble. sIt amt the old one at
all. sold the old one month ago."
'.Sold it?" echoed Mrs. Squire Lar
kins.
II 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 furnitoor was divided. NV 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 knew was bein' cheated then;
but, la! what's the use of trouble among
ones relations? So says 1:
"'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
1t was handy to keep old letters, and
samples Of patchwork, and paper pat
terms in. But when that fine young iady
from the city, as is boarding at Doctor
Holloway's, offered me twenty-five dol
lars for it, it seemed wicked sin to re-
fuse 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:
'Sophiar, don't you s'pose you could
sell The Death of Jonathan for the same
money!
''And 1 knew Just how she felt, and I
wasn't bit sorry for her, for she always
was a graspin' thing. But after it had
gone away in Doctor Holloway's wagon.
began to miss it, and fairly sat down
and cried. And Abel, he says:
"'Cheer up, mother says he IN
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 il down and lied it up, and turned
out claw legs and beat out set of old
brasses to cover the keyholes, until you
never would know the difference. And
I'm just as well satisfied rs ] was be-
FORE"
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 un-
chronicled age -alighted from their open
bOv Svanor> and vfns,v,od IN fo,. q <lr;,,G <.f