The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-06-21

Simmons, with awful solemrity, and with q
long preamble concerning the duty of q
minister to set an example to his flock in
righteousness, asked him if he thought il
seemly and becoming to ask the daughter
of their late Deacon Ephrim Semple to be-
come his housekeeper, the minister quietly
replied that he had never done so.
The committee looked at each other and
everybody elae look at them. Miss Nancy
Perkins felt, az she afterward expressed it,
as if she would like to go through to
Chiny;" but Mis- Ichsbod bore up noblY,
and Mis- Hosea Blodgett relied upon Mis-
/ Ichsbod.
"Didnt you tell committee consistin' OF
Mis- Ichabod Badger, Mis- Hosea Blodgett
and Miss Nancy Perkins that you had done
so2" pursued Deacon Simmons.
al did not" said the minister, with an air
Of bland and innocent surprise.
This was too much for Ms Ichabod. She
arose, and shaking her forefnger impress
sively at the minister, demanded:
didn't you tell us that you had offered
her situation to keep house2 An who in
this livin' world could it be that wanted a
housekeeper but your"
"You misunderstood me-" said the minis
ter, with great politeness. Il said 1 had
offered Miss Semple position, and it was
not to teach school,"
Mis- Ichabod sat down. because nothing
occurred to her to say, and for time there
was silence. Then Deacon Simmons arose,
and said, like n second Adam:
! 81 hope you won't take no offense, nor
think nothin' more about this, Mr.. Stock
bridge. It's somethin' that the women
folks have got up amongst themselves. and
guess it don't amount to but dretful
little"
'.To relieve any further curiosity about
the mstter," tsid the minister, looking
straight at the committee, 'perhaps l had
better xplain-slthough 1t IL an explana-
tiOn which man doesn't often make in
public-that the position which offered
Miss Semple and which she declined, was
that of yoHr minister's wife"
Mis- Ichabod always sverred that if it
hadn't been for bit of cinnamon which
she had on her tongue, she should have
tainted then.
The Church-meeting broke up suddenly,
the ointment which Mis- Hosea Blodgett
expressed being apparently the sentiment
of all-that she should have died in FIVE
minutes if she couldn't have got out where
she could talk it over.
"Don't talk to me about that grill" ex-
claimed Miss Nancy Perkins, with deep
feeling. "There never was q man that II
took so much faculty to get as the minister"
''And she wouldn't have him2 Depend
upon it, there's more in)that than meets the
eye. She's deep" SAID Mis- Ichsbod.
what do you think Mis- Moses Gregg
whispered to me in meetin'2" said Mis-
Hosea Blodgett. "She says Pamely sell the
pictures she paints for money-sends 'em
off to the city. And besides supporting
her and Ketury, she's a-goin to pay off the
mortgage on the farm"
81 hain't never been sorry that 1 was
brought up to work, " said Mis- Ichabod.
Vanity and folly may prosper for season,
bat we all know where the downward path
ends. If Pamely Semple hadn't been sent
away to that academy she might have been
as likely and well-behaved as any girl in
Brim olecom-f she hadn't any faculty."
And with these remarks Mis- Ichabod with
drew herself from the council.
Ga the even tenoro her way went Pamela,
working early and late with her brush. and
before lcng q report found its way to Brim-
blecom that she was considered a remarkable
artist and some things were evident to
Brimblecom senses: the mortgage was being
paid of, the crops were in a prosperous con-
dition, and old Keturah was renewing her
youth.
Brimblecom began to be proud Of PANE
Ia. 1t was almost forgot that it had ever
been afraid she would become q pauper.
Nobody seemed to remember that she had
been thought to have no faculty-nobody
but the committee.
One or two persons were actually heard
to say that it was pity she wouldn't marry
Mr.. S.ockbridge, but perhaps she had
right to look higher than the rest of the
Brimblecom girls. Mis- Ichsbod always
shook her head with mysterious meaning
when Pamela was mentioned, and said,
grimly, Them that live longest will see
most"
One cay triumph came TO Mis- Icbsbod.
The committee were in the Post-office--
Mis- Ichabod and Mis- Hosea Blodgett were
often so kind as to assist Miss Nancy Per-
kins in asserting the mail-when II came
Mrs. Deacon Simmons, who was fat and
scant of breath, and in such case of ex-
element that the committee had, all and
severally. 10 fan her vigorously before her
news could be extracted.
Don't you think, .as true as I'm livin' wo-
man and not a corpse, rs 1 might expect to
be, hearin' such upsettin' things and hurry
in So"
$50 on, go on don't lose your BREATH"
cried the committee, in chorus, tanning Wig
orously. "We'll never b. esthe it to SOUL"
"Oh, it's all over Brimblecom. That
good-fo-nothing cretur Ben Seaverns has
come back, without hardly so much as a
coat to his back, and the rheumatic fever.
Been cast away on desert island. and eat
up by Gamer balls most-which nobody
can't say want exactly like him-snd moth
ing but skin and bones, and the doctor says
most likely won'tnever be good for anything
again. not to mention that be never was.
And Pamely's took him in, and she and
and ketury is a-nussin' him up. And that
amt the worst of it, the minister went up
and married 'eml She's took that good.for-
nothin' cretur to take care of for life-her
that might "a had the minister"
"They never got me to believe that she
had any faculty. said Mis- Ichabod.
APHORISMS.