Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-08-02
THHEE-T00THED RAKE.

|
THREE-T00THE0 RAKE,
suppose tho girls Of Milburn would
all resent the imputation II SHOULD
say any of them cuvicd little Phcbc
Bird when she set up housekeeping
with Ridgoway Dayton, on the fines,
farm that the country afforded, in Il
house that was IN thorough repair on(
fully furnished, 1t was IN establish
mcnt to be proud Of and people said
that ir lhat young couple did not pros
per, It would bc their own fault,
There, Ridge said Uncle Alcck,
is your farm and stock and house all
paid for, aud now | shall do no more
for you, II you don't hoe out your
row you'll have to storvc. am going
abroad, so | sllau't he coming around
to advise you and scoll you, and cX'
pcct il will come pretty tough with you
for n while. But Phcbc is II scnsibl,
girl, | am happy to say, and | think
leave you in pretty good hands
Ridge secretly felt rather pleased at
the prospect of being left, but he die
not say so. Uuclc Aleck was an cx'
cellcnt man to provide, but he was I
little sharp in his way, as the young
man had occasion TO know at times il
his juvenile years. The old gentleman
himself had bceu reared under system
which might be formulated in the ol'
couplct;
"A boy, n dog, n walnut tree,
Tho moro you thrash them the better they be.
The system had been greatly toned
down in the case Of his orphanc,
nephew, hut Ridge thought it stric
enough.
His choice of wife had pleased hi
uncle as well as himself, for Pheb'
was very domestic girl as well as
cultivated one, aud it was the genera
verdict that both had done well.'-
Still Aunt Cynthia did tell Ridgewa.
she wished he 'had got u wife wh'
would make make him stand arount
n little more
'Oh, she'll make me stand aroun'
enough, you needn't be concerned
about that said Ridge.
She'll have need to- said Aun
Cynthia, nodding her head sagacious
". She had known his manner Of lif
from his youth up, and said he wa
always a very good boy if he only hat
a steady hand with which to keep hin
in order. But Ridge believed 'aunts
and uncles never did appreciate fel
low Now, it was worth while t.
have the worshipful direction of such
sweet, appreciative little soul as Pheb
Birds, and he did think himself {
lucky fellow; and he was.
A stout, capable hired man was en-
gagged at the outset, who understood
his business and appropriately receive'
good wages. So the cares of life sa
very lightly on the young farmer
shoulders, though he felt the response
bility of Atlas when he shouldered tn
world, having not only his own, bu
his wife's domain to look after.
Just when the serpent entered int
this little Eden, could not be distinct.
told. have no doubt he wired il
and wired out among the vines AM
shrubbery of that first garden TO
some time, before he presented him
self to our first mother.
If Ridgeway was a little exactin;
and very particular, Phebc was self
sacrificing and painstaking, so ther
was little jar in the machinery. IL
thought strict order and system abou
, work very excellent thins-for othe
, people-espccially for mans wife,
! Breakfast at seven, dinner at twelve
i and supper at six, always on the tabl
!. at the minute, was his standard; bu
l of course if he could not be on ham
lust at the time, it was necessary t
keep things hot and their best for hal
or three-quarters of an hour, and
: would be nice for her to fill up tn
time with sewing, or some little thin
of that kind. 1t need not be lost tim
r to her, by any means. Of course
/. mans work is the important work j
the world, always,