Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-12-06

but that letter business was 80 exactly like
men-folks."
A chorus of voices echoed the request
there were only about ten people at the
quilting-it was the regular sewing.circle
meeting of Oakley-so Sarah consented.
"Well, faint much 10 tell, but if ma
wants me to. You know, Toms horse is
real young aud kind of skittish, and if there
Is one thing above another I'm afeared Of,
it's horse"
Bless your soul and body" put in her
mother, al never see the thing yet you
want afeared of, Sary, horse or not"
"Oh, | know 1t, ma, but I'm awfully
afeard of a skittish horse Tom, he don't
really sense it, and he says Jennie amt
ugly; she's just full of play and l s'pose
she is she's knowing as a dog, and l give
her bite of somethin' every time he fetches
her round, and she knows me real well, but
she will jump and lash out and shy some
times, and it makes me Just as weak as
water. 30 | don't never drive her ef can
help it."
"You don't mean to say you ever do drive
a cretur when you feel that kind O. way
toward it ?" queried Miss Patty, sharply.
"Why, | hev to sometimes, ye know;
there's oft-times day Tom can't leave the
hayin', or harvestin', or plantin', or some
thing, and there has to be things fetched
from the store, and no way to get em ex-
cept go for 'em, so Tom he Jest tackles up
and go for em he don't really mistrust
that I'm scared, and don't never tell him
that be what's the use ?"
| "Well," said Miss Patty with sniff no
type can express, and Sarah went on;
$50 week before last Aunt Simons writ
and said she was comm out to stay day
or two before she went back south, and she
was goin' to fetch Joe, that's her eldest,
along with her she wanted for to have US
meet her to the station, but she said she
shouldn't come II it rained she's got dread
full weak lungs; but she'd telegraph if she
want coming. Well, Wednesday morning,
the day she sot to come, it did rain, sure
enough, and, seeing there was the donation
party to be got up, sided my work away
early and walked over to the Center for /
knew / should find all the folks I'd got to
see to home. I'd just got ready to start for
home about noontime, and | bethought my
self to step into the postofiice, for l knew
there'd be the mail for the creamery, so /
got double handful of letters and papers
and set my face toward home, when who
should come up but Tom in the buggy.
"Get in says he I'm agoin' to the
station
"What for p says l.
Why says he, they hain't sent no tel
egraph so they're coming
But it rains says |, and Aunt ST.
mons said she shouldn't come if it rained.'
WELL says he, Il obey orders and
break owners she said she'd telegraph if
they want comm; and how do you know
but it didn't rain there p
so got in and put the mail down into
the seat, and he driv like Jehu, for we heered
the train whistle; and says |, 'Oh, Tom
don't drive up the hill to the station. I'm
so afraid Jenny'll be scared"
ale laughed little. I'll bet she wouldn't
be half so scared as you,' said he 'but I'll
leave you at the foot of the hill, and if they
come III holler down to you, and I'll get in
and go up to t'other station, and put 'em
into the hack that waits there, for there
can't four get into this buggy and you
drive along up to that station and then I'll
put you into the hack with Aunt Simons,
and I'll take Joe along O. me in the buggy.
So sayin' he jumped out, for we was there,
and run up Just in time to catch the train.
didn't have thought that they'd be there,
but they was, and he called out, They're
here, drive along knew twas the quick
est way to take the road alongside the track,
but the Tuck train was due, and Jen is skit-
tish, but thought I'd ought to, so drove
right along there wasn't no train, but
right in the road, where l couldn't turn nor
back, see two loose horses-and if there is
a thing that puts lightenin' into Jenny it's
loose horses. | tell you the shivers run
down my back, but knew the only chance
was to go so fast she wouldn't think about
side shows; so l jist laid the whip onto
her, and she sprung so and went by them
horses quicker Well, the hack was going
over the bridge but l catched up with it,
and Joe he got out with Thomas and took
the buggy and I got in with Aunt. Tom
had got to go up street to get can for the
creamery. | called out to him as he went
off,
"Look out for your mail on the seat" and
we drove along. But we hadn't gone half
mile before Tom he came tearing along and
stopped the hack.
"Where did you put the mail ? says he.
9" Why, on the seat of the buggy says l.
%" No you didn't says he there wasn't
nothing there but papers,
al guess gave you the letters then.
sort of thought did, says l.
"Well, haven't got 'em, anyway, says
! he. Look in all your pockets, Sally, they
amt in mine So looked and looked, but
hadn't letter. l knew l hadn't, but
e looked to suit him. Then thought how
J drove by the side road, and | told him
, guessed they'd jolted out of the buggy when
| driv so fast.
"Dear me says he, must have those
: letters to-day. I've got to; III go bach
over the side road and see if | can hear any
thing about em So he turned round.
!, tell you, felt real bad | couldn't think
|, = anyway in the world what did with then
letters, and | see he was worried to death
After we got to the house, and Aunt Simoni
was fixin' herself up stairs, he drove up with
: Joe.
I "Sary, said he, do look over your
pockets again for them letters; | expec
I there was a three hundred dollar check il
y u one of 'em, and we can't afford to lose it.
y !. | was just ready to cry, tell you, but
I overlooked the pockets again; they wan
u there, and he said there wasn't any sign o.
;, hearin' of 'em on the road. | felt as though
y | should give up when he turned and wen
. out of the door, but just as he swung tn,
!, gate to, he hollered out
!. u "'Sally Sally aud l run. Il cave !
" says he, laughing here they be in my owl
pocket you did give 'em TO me-
! Sure enough | did, but he put 'em int
. pocket he didn't use for letters ordinarily
I, so he never looked there aud there wan
y no check at all in any one on EN-"
al guess you was mad =" "queried Mis-
!, Patty.
"Well | was little stirred up, | don
deny set right down and cried quite
. : SPELL
u "Wa'n't that real mean ?" Mrs. Peel
I" asked of the audience with tone of fin
. scorn
" "Did thee wish then thee'd never see
: thy husband p" asked Aunt Marcia o
Sally.
The anxious face flushed and the sad eye
i sparkled.
"Aunt Marcia, | should not know how I,
q live without Tom any way in this morts
IT world |" And the clear voice broke dow
as if the thought of such a contingency wa
>, too much.
4 Aunt Marcia smiled.
- 81 expect there are faults in all huma
q creatures. Male and female created
!, \ them,' though; and we can't set out great
to better the Lords plans. We couldn
= really get along, thee knows, without me
y folks, and they could not without us; but
y expect if thee could hear them talk anon
;, themselves, Miss Patty, thee would hea
a a quite frequent Just like woman"
y Miss Patty could not deny it.-Christia
Y Union.
i DURING Martin Van Buren's brief missio
to England, it is said, he attended one O
n the soirees of Queen Adelaide; at which i
It conversation with him, she inquired hoy
L.. 4 l.. 4 -. ~