Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-05-17
Training n Husband.

Training Husband.
50 you want ter know how came ter hev |
Caleb, when l knew Jest heow he used |
Nancy, his first wife. Wal, III tell ye all
about il.
You know Dan1 left me pretty poorly off.
he'd two little children, an what ter dew |
didn't know. The mortgage was ter run
eout in about year an half arter he died.
I'd sent the children down to brother Johns
ter go to school. Brother John wanted me
ter give them to him, an he'd do well by
'em, an was medtating on it, orful 10th TO
dew it. But what else could dew with
them when the old farm was took away
from me 2
One day, when the time was near eout,
was a hoein' the beans side of the fence
| iinin Calebs cornfeld. l tell yer Hannah,
| never felt bluer in all my born days. I'd
alters lived an worked on a farm, an
couldn't do no. other kind Of work 80 what
was to become of me didn't know.
"Purty good hoein' for green hand"
sez somebody over the fence.
"Yes," sez l, "I've done enough of it
since / was left Alone" "Practice makes
perfect" we used ter write in our copy
book when we were child'en," an l couldn't
help heaving sigh.
|
to be in the same fix. You need man to
do your hoeing and sich, an l need woman
to see ter my house, an if you're agreed
we'll hitch horses and work in double har-
ness. can't find no hired help that'll do
as Nancy did" Thinks l to myself, an
you'll never find another twill, either) +" So
what dye say, Emmeline ?"
P'r'aps didn't think o'nothing for the
mex few minutes. 1t all flashed over me in
a secont what an unfeelin' man he'd alters
ben. Poor Nancy had ter dew all the house
work. an good deal belonged ter him ter
dew, an'he was stingier than an old missr,
tew.
/ knew he was smart man ter work, was
forehanded and was able to live in good
deal better shape than he did, an you know,
Hannah, that poor Daniel was just the op-
persite. He was a norful clever man, was
Daniel but kind O. shiftless an easy an it
alters worrited me so much tew hev things
goin' so slack. Sez ter myself, a body can't
hev everything; theirs alters some eouts, an
poor mans better'n none. So speaks
right up an sez
"Caleb, we've been nabors for many
year. know your failin's an s'pose you
know mine an so, ef you say so, all right !;
, p'r'aps we both might do wuss."
, Wal, ter make long story short, we
agreed to have the business dun right off.
Caleb said that it was stylish to go on
} weddin' tower nowadays, and, as he
wanted ter go deown to Bangor to see
about selling his wool, an as Sarah Jane
Curtis (who used ter work for him) lived
about half way, an we could stop there both
ways and not cost us anything, he thought
! we'd better go. His niece, Rebecca Gil
man, yer know, lives there, and we could
make her visit at the same time. Brother
John lives there, tew, you know, an I'd
:. made up my mind that I'd jest bring home
the child'en.
, An 80 / did; but Caleb he was orful sot
agin it, but sed of course they can come
and make visit" an let him think so,
= cause wasn't quite ready to have words
: with him, yet.
t We stayed about week, an got home
. along in the afternoon all right. The mex
mornin' woke up purity airly, an sez to
+ myself: "Courage, Emerline, now or never. ,
J. KEEP still, for Caleb was still a-snorin', but
9 bime by he fetchet an on n'airthly snort that
= wake't himself up an wen he seeas it wa;
' gettin' daylight, he nudged me and sez he
& awake up, Emmerline Emmerline, it's
broad daylight; come, come, git up, we
j. shan't hev any breakfast ter-day."
r. / was orful hard ter wake, but after a
. while managed tew, an while was a rub
o bin my eyes, sez, "Got a good hot fire
r. amt ye, Caleb ?"
n "Fire !" said he. "No, never build any
a fires. Nancy alters built the fires"
"Did she 2" sez |, as cool as q cucumber
', $50 did Daniel"
II turned over and went to sleep agin-or
at least, he thought | did.
Wall, he wiggled, and turned, and twisted
an he didn't move ter get up for about al
hour, an when the sun rose an shone inte
d the bedroom winder, he got up and built tn
70 fire. There wasn't no kindlin's, nor a sticl
ia O. wood, an he had to skirmish round livel
"a an get some in.
'e Arter the fire got tew cracking in goot
'f shape got up. ! didn't hurry none, let m
h tell you. was most dead lying abed 8
ID long, but sez to myself, Z" Ell make tn
N fires now, I'll prob'ly hev to do it in col
~ weather, an won't do it for any man."
g. He was pretty snllen all day, but didn
E. take no notice of him, an he got over i
@. The next day he was ter begin hayin', al
- the work, an take care of the milk al
i'd churnin', an it was no fool of Job. Com
s. time ter get dinner, an there wasn't slive
at O. wood cut. i sent Johnny Che was the
a about seven years old) out in the field te
~ :, tell Caleb wanted him.
k He came in looking savage enough, an
IN wanted TO know what it was l wante,
80 Sez L
4 al want some wood ter burn"
~ "Wal," sez he, there's whole woo'
I'll pile out there. Help yerself."
'y An not stick split" sez |. "You wi
I'd hev ter git bigger stove to burn that"
IN "Wal, it amt such hard job ter spl
20 it," SEE he. "Nancy used tew of'en, when
10 was bizzy,"
oy "Did she 2" sez l. $50 did Daniel"
IN He got the wood, an said as he was goin
out, that he didn't want ter be called in oil
O. the moving field again, unless twas fC
victuals.
"All right" sez l.
If The mex day twas the same thing; nj
ot a stick split Thinks /, "Old fellow, 70
" amt got no Nancy here. I'll larn ye lit
nu somethin' that p'raps yer don't know"
ey when it was dinner time blows the hor
so an in comes all seven of the men an SCI
tn down ter the table, Sich 'stonished looki
", faces as they had as they viewed the gru
M There was the biscuit Just dough, the pc
u- taters, an meat, an vegetables, and ever
lis thing was washed clean and put ON ra,
re Not thing was cooked.
st. Caleb looked blacker'n as a thunder clou
DIS "What does this mean 2" sez he.
re :" 1t means what II MEANS, sez l. fo
er, said yest'day that you didn't want ter
ID. called in from the mowin field again, unle
in it was for victuals, an here they are"
$50 "Nice shape, tew," SEE he.
ty, "Wal, | can't cook 'lhout wood" sez
he drily like.
ds With that all seven of 'em started for Il
door, an they never left that pile till it wi
ready for the stove. never was bothert
er- for wood again.
'ut A few weeks after | wanted some mont
ter purity bad | wanted ter send Johnnie al
Nellie back ter school, an | was bound tn
OF they should have some clothes fit 10 wear.
or asked Caleb a number of times TO let II
,et, hev some, but he he'd all kinds of excuses
lie didn't tell him what | wanted of IL, mir
lly ye So one day along comes peddler tn
Ith bought butter'n eggs. ! had considerab
set on han that Caleb was intending 10 car