The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-09-28

swell, 1 don't know as Pm thinking Of
marrying" returned Miss Maria, modestly;
but her color deepened a shade, and Mrs.
Smith saw it.
'sDear me, mol But none of us can tell, you
see, what may be a-comin' round to us. l was
jest a-thinkin'-'twas that ma lie me speak SO
of my niece Phemy. You know she's calcu-
iating to marry Philand I Dunn unn, IN mt th ,sa ran
passes me. He's such a soft spoken man, a
housekeeper would run ri sht over him, even
il he could get one in West Canton, which
Amino ways likely. And a housekeepers a
poor substii ute for q ~wife-don't you think SO,
Miss Stonef"
Aunt Phemy, as she took up a st tch, stole
a glance over her needles at her auditor, who
sat stiffly before her. She understood, OF
course, and surely that deepening flush in her
sallow cheek was a sign of encouragement:
Privately the good woman had always doubted
Miss Maria's oracular utterances on the mar
rage question. She could not imagine a SEN
sible woman declining a good offer, and since
Miss Maria was that, and this plainiy-as the
advertisements would say-"as superior oppor-
tunity,' - she did notdoubt as to her answer.
81 was a-tellin' hin only the other day."
she went on, plaintively, hitching her chair a
little nearer Miss Maria. "Ihat he'd ought to
be thinkin' of it seriously. Hetty's the last
one to want him to stay o widower always, and
Phemy she's set her heart on bein' married
come September. Her fathers got everything
of the best for her; he always was a good
provider. Hetty, now, she was a master-hand
for fine linen an chany, an the house, is full OF
it.n
''I'm sure Tve always heard Mr.. Badger
well spoken of" rejoined Miss Maria, stif1y;
but she kept her eyes on her knitting.
"Whateyer you've heard, it's no more than
he deserves. He's jest the best-d:spositioned
msn-always willing to put up with a cold
bite when Hetty had extra work, an get IN
her every last thing she wanted for the house.
The parlor sofy was got jest the year before
she died, an she t ok the best there was in
the store. He never spared no expense to
please her."
Miss Maria, dryly, as Aunt Phemy paused to
take breath.
"Well you may so: but not SO well off as
the next one I'll be. Hetty hal her hard times
when they was first married. They had to
sc"ape along most any way some few years
then. That's one good thing, l always say,
about marryin' late in life. IT you marry
young. Miss Maria, you do have a good deal
to 20 through. There's trials and trIbulations
in every state, as the good book SAYS, an
, FAINT the worst luck to keep single till you
can really better yourself.n
Miss Maria shut her lips and turned her
head from Aunt Phemy, as II she might make
a good many answers TO that remark if she
was carried quite away now by her own elo-
quence, and she did not doubt tn vt the sDinS-
ter's silence mean consent. !" And as L was
sayin', 1 was tellin' him only the other night
hC VI w III tud tiOu. an .
pleuty to choose from in Canton. An he an
swercd me-yOu'd ought to heard him-'Phs-
N.Y., the amt but one woman in Canton that
can take He ty's place. AM / knew right OF
nearer IN an unmistakablc manner; but he's
so shy he can't bear to speak"
"Ifyou mean me-" NJ IS Maria said, clear
ing her throat, ppm much obliged, but 1
couldn't til nix of leaving father"
why, there's Prudence"
"Pruly's far to) young and Tightly" an
swered the %spinster, 10 whom-herself past the
dangcr-point of forty-her sister, five years
Younger, seemed still a girl. 81 coul Int think
l. of putting such a care on her. But there's
plenty more in Canton, as you just saiI, u she
added, with a family ironical emphasis
make nodoubt some of them would be glad OF
the chance"
But Aunt Pheny was too dazed 10 answer.
Was her brother in law, Joseph Badger, being
refused? She colld not believe her ears.
And just then old Mr.. Stone came hobbling
up the path, supported by a cane AMI his
younger daughter. Miss Maria ran to him at
once, and supplanting Prudence, guide him
to a chair. She was occupied with him long
enough for her visitor to recover, and perhaps
she needed the time to regain her own COM
posture. When she turned again to Aunt
Phemy the color was gone from her cheeks,
and her manner was quite as usual. But Mrs.
Smith did not say to tea. Her visit came to
an end as soon as politeness wo lid permit,
and she left the house a wiser II not a sa ider
| WODldlE luG sue ndu TCCOVCTtu ues SplrlGS uy
the next morning. "Perhaps it's for the best,
after all,' she said to herself. "Maria's capa.
bic, but I've always heard she had a temper,
and Joseph ID ra her have Abby s ebbins.
she's younger, and she's pretty appearin', an
they's no danger but she'll be glad of the
cllnce. COIN about sewin' is a miserable life
anyway"
In fact, Aunt Phemy felt her second mission
one of peculiar beneYo.cnce, aud thouT,,
warned by her previous experience, she set
| ahOut IL WI IN mora caution anil mon inua1 NO
names until she was obliged, she felt very
sure of her prize thist time. But the rosy title
seamstress, who had only her fingers, and her
trife in the bank against the dty when those
fingers failed her, proved no more tractable
than Miss Maria. She declined to be pitied on
her desolate condition; she only laughed
when Aunt | henry spoke of the advantages oil
a good home and a provision for the future
YOU'RE very kind, Pm sure, Mrs. Smith;
but l see nc reason to change my state. L,
Pm satisfied to depend on myself, other folks
needn't worry over me. / know Pm sick some
times, and | can't always count on the work;
but l do pretty well, considering. As for a
home, | could go to James any day, AMI wei
come."
"But that amt all the same," cried Aunt
Phemy; sam of course you don't wInt to go
to your sisters, with her seven children and a
sickly husband. 1 always did say that for so
smart a girl as Jane was she had Door luck
mIrrying But that needn't set you all against
it; and i.As clear fyfn' in the face of Provi
dence to refuse a real good home now. You'd
better take a little time to think it over. l
suppose it's a mite surpris n to you may be. :"
81 don't need no time to Think retortcd
Miss Abby, grimly. 'I'm not obliged to
marry for a home; AMI if 1 wanted to, |
needn't have waited till this time, thank
you"
swell, / dunno what the world is comm
to-" groaned Aunt Phemy, as she walked
home, "when women won't marry a man like
Joseph Badger. It's all these new notions
about its hnin1 So fine tn ha indaDaDdaut. huf
1 did think Abbey Stebbins had more sense.
There's one comfort, she won't tell of it. ]
wish l could be as sure of Maria. l declare to
goodness Ib'lieve I'll tell Joseph he must git
q wife for himself. l didn't count on its bein'
any such work.
She wiped the sweat from her brow as she
spoke. The road was dusty, the day was hot,
and her Office was proving burdensome. And
just then, at a turn of the country way, she
cen a most tuckcrcd out" she painted. "Il
jest go in an see the wilder Holmes a spell
an git rested. She'd be a good one for JOSEPH
if he wa'n't sot aginst widiers. But there,
amt a goin' to ask any more folks to have hiH
jest yet"
The widow Holmes was slight, pale, with
pathetic remnant of lost beauty in her fade
cheeks. She had been left alone in the work
five years before, with only this little HON
between her and starvation; but by stitching
in winter, and city boarders in summer, sh,
pieced out a narrow living for herself and he
only child. The little house now was full t.
OVERLOOKING, and she came to the door hot ani
flushed from the kitchen. But her greeting
was as cordial as heart could wish. "WhY
Pm real glad to see you, Mrs. Smith. d.
come right in. I've had to give the parlor NJ
TO a boarder; bu there's no one in this room
and you LOOK al. beat out with the heat"
swell, I am considerable tired,' admitted
Mrs Smith, as she sank into the old-fashionet
rocker the widow brought forward, and tool
a great turkey-feather fan from her hand
"I'd no idee it twas so hot. or wouldn't ,.
come out. But now Pm afraid Pm disturbin
you. You was DOM suthin' out in TIN
kitchen, WANT you?" She glanced as sh'
spoke through the open door into the littl,
lean-to that serve at once as dining-room ant
kitchen. The sitting-room was cool AM
pleasant, and though small and poorly fur
nished, was in perfect order. She had seel
that as she took her seat, and her respect TO
the widow rose as she noted the same spotles
~neatness in the room beyond. Cant | jes
go right out where you are? You're putin
up fruit, 1 s'pose?
"I'm just through" nswer the widow
obeying the hint by leading the way ou'
''There it is; a hushel of blackberries and no