The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-30

good TO see some company"
why, | Dunno" Aunt Phemy hesitated
modestiy 81 only Jest dropped in; but senc'
you're so urgent No, no, III jest drop m.
| bonnet off here's (resisting Miss Maria's at
tempt to take it,. ''He's gone to mill to-day
an the Want nobody but the cat to hum. L
seemed sort O. lonesome, an set me thinKln
| of you. It's been along spell sence see you
An how is your father! He don't git over MI
stroke, hears
so, he's good deal better of it. He set
! up most all day now, and he gets out abou
| the farm some. He's down in the south 10
now with Prudy, but he'll be back soon. HI
| likes to keep an eye on things himself"
swell, you do hev your hands about full
don't you, Miss Stone?' began Mrs. smith
who, considering the absence OF the others
favorable dispensation Of Providence, rathe
hurried to her mission. "The folks wouldn'
know what to do without you. But it's {
little confinin', to my thinkin,' Tor woman
like you. Ye'd ought to git out more. :,
source ever see you to meetin', an you dom
know what you lose Parson Bellows give III
powerful sermon last Sunday"
mo, can't git out much" Miss Maria an
swered and Aunt Phemy fanced little sad
ness in her look and tone. "Father seems te
need me most all the time, and there's gooc
deal to see to about the farm. Joel is honest
and faithful, but he hain't much head, and Of
course, being the Oldest, take most OF the
care of things"
snow l should think,n ventured Aunt
Phemy, "Prue an you'd take turns SEEM to
things an takin' care o. your father You
could git out more then, an it 'ud sort o. di-
vide equal-cares an pleasures, as the hymn
book says. If you was to git marrid, now,
what would they do!"
"Well, l don't know as Pm thinking OF
marrying" returned Miss Maria, modestly
but her color deepened a shade, and Mrs
Smith saw it.
"Dearme, mol But none of us can tell, you
see what NAV be a-comin' roundtb us. / was
jest -thinkin'-'twas that made me speak SC
of my niece Phemy. You know she's calcu-
lating to marry Philander Dunn in the fall
and what poor Joseph will do when she leaves
passes me. He's such a soft-spoken man, a
housekeeper would run right over him, even
If he could get one in West Canton, which
amt no ways likely. And a housekeeper's a
poor substitute for wife-don't you think so,
Miss Stone?n
Aunt Phemy, as she took up a stitch, stole
glance over her needles at her auditor, who
sat stiilly 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 sen.
sible woman declining good offer, and since
Miss Maria was that, and this plainly-as the
advertisements would say-"a superior oppor-
tunity," she did notdoubt as to her answer.
81 was a-tellin' him only the other day.
she went on, plaintively, hitching her chair a
little nearer Miss Maria, "that he'd ought to
be thinkin' of it seriously. HettYs the last
one to want him to stay 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 good
provider. Hetty, now, she was master-hand
fN.G lfrnnN ,7gl,n ell -
it."
"Tm sure I've always heard Mr.. Badger
well spoken Of reioined Miss Maria, stiffly
but she kept her eyes on her knitting.
Whatever you've heard, it's no more than
he deserves. He's Jest the best-dispositioned
man-always willing to put up with a cold
bite when Hetty had extra work, an gettin'
her every last thing she wanted for the house.
The parlOr sofy was got jest the year before
she died, an she took the best there was in
the store. He never spared no expense to
please her."
81 am glad to hear she was so well off" said
Miss Maria, dryly, as Aunt Phemy paused to
take breath.
swell you may so; but not so well off as
the next one IL be. Hetty had her hard times
when they was first married. They had to
scrape along most any way some few wears
then. That's one good thing, | always say,
about marryin' late in life. If you marry
young, Miss Maria, you do have good deal
to go 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"
Miss Maria shut her lips and turned her
head from Aunt Phemy, as if she might make
a good many answers to that remark if she
chose; but her visitor did not notice it. She
was carried quite away now by her own elo-
quence, and she did not doubt that the spins
ter's silence meant consent. " And as / was
sayin', / was tellin' him only the other night
he'd ought to git married, an says |: There's
plenty to choose from in Canton. AM he an
swered me-you'd ought to heard him-'Phe-
my, the amt but one woman in Canton that
can take Hetty's place An | knew right off
who he meant" she went on, beaming on her
nearer in an unmistakabe manner; but he's
so shy he can't bear to speak"
If you mean me" Miss Maria said, clear
ing her throat, PPM much obliged, but
couldn't think of leaving father"
Why, there's Prudence
"Prudys far too young and Eighty" an
swered the spinster, to whom-herself past the
dangerpoint of forty-her sister, five years
Younger, seemed still girl. 81 couldn't think
of putting such care on her. But there's
plenty more in Canton, as you just said," she
added, with a family ironical emphasis. " |
make no doubt some of them would be glad OF
the chance"
But Aunt Phemy was too dazed to answer.
Was her brother-in-law, Joseph Badger, being
refused? She could not believe her ears.
And just then old Mr.. Stone came hobbling
up the path, supported by a cane and his
younger daughter. Miss Maria ran to him at
once, and supplanting Prudence, guided him
to chair. She was occupied with him long
enough Tor 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 stay to tea. Her visit came to
an end as soon as politeness would permit,
and she left the house wiser if not a sadder
woman. But she had recovered her spirits by
the next morning. "Perhaps it's for the best,
after all" she said to herself "Maria's capa,
BILE, but I've always heard she had temper,
and Joseph d ra her have Abby Stebbins.
She's younger, and she's pretty-appearin', an
they's no danger but she'll be glad of the
chance. Coin about sewin' is miserable life
anyway"
In fact, Aunt Phemy felt her second mission
one OF peculiar benevolence, and though,
warned by her previous experience, she set
about it with more caution, and mentioned no
names until she was obliged, she felt very
sure of her prize this time. But the rosy little
seamstress, who had only her fingers, and heI
trifie in the bank against the day when those
fingers failed her, proved no more tractable
than Miss Maria. She declined to be pitied or
her desolate condition; she only laughed
when Aunt Phemy spoke of the advantages OF
good home and provision for the future.
YOU'RE very kind, Pm sure, Mrs. Smith
but see no reason to change my state. II
Pm satisfied to depend on myself, other folks
needn't worry over me. | know I'm sick some
times, and can't always count on the work