Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-04-25
A SLIGHT MISTAKE.

The sun had gone down in q red
river of threatening cloud the storm
which had been impending for some
days had broken at last, in a wild
whirlwind of snow and tempest; and
Mrs. Abraham Ackley had just put the
tea-kettle on for the evening meal,
with Abigail, her daughter, stirring a
saucepanful of mush on the stove, and
Maria, her niece, hard at work, stitch
ing theupperparts of cheap cloth shoes
for manufacturer in the neighbor,
hood. For the Ackleys were a thrifty
family. Nothing was lost, nothing
wasted, not even that slippery commod
ity-time.
The Ackleys were feminine house
mold that night, for Abraham himself
the grizzled head of the family, hat
gone to the city, to put in a claim fol
a pension, which, according to lis ideas
ought to have been paid half century
back, to some old Revolutionary ances
tor or other.
81 amt to be done" said Abraham
winking his watery blue eyes, "not
even by the United States government
itselfp
So it had happened that Abigail
had foddered the cattle, fed the fowls
and locked the barn door. coming in
all powdered over with snow, her mid
dle-aged nose blue with cold.
"Never mind, girls" said Mrs. Ack
ley, with % subdued chucllle, "wher
we inherit your Cousin Jones proper
ty we shan't none of us have to worl
no more. We can be ladies, and Sc
up in sage-green dresses, playin' witt
peacock feather fans. Did you get th'
best chamber ready, Marier?'
"Marier" gave grunt in the affirm
ative, as she bit off the end of he
thread.
81 didn't light the fire yet" sal,
she. Thought it warn't no use burn
in up good hickory logs, until w
knowed we was goin' to want en-
Scarcely was the sentence well ou
Of her mouth, when tattoo sounde,
loudly on the warped panels Of the I'm
painted front door.
LANDS sake alive!" said Abigail
dropping the wooden spoon into tn
mush-pot, while Maria straightene'
herself up with a jerk, dts Cousil
Jones already"
Quick said Mrs. Ackley, in
shrill stage whisper. "Put the mus
! in the closet, and fetch out the col
chicken and raspberry preserves; an
the best cups, Abigail, and the three
tined forks, and the table cloth wit
the border of daisies"
And she turned to the door, with
haring, home-dipped candle in he
hand.
as this Mrs. Abe Acklcy's?" d'
manded a shrill voice. Il was tol
she lived halfway up Pine Crass."
"Ain't this Mrs jones' said Mr.
Ackley, in her softest accents.
"That's the ticketr' said tn
stranger. "Do open the door and Il
me in. I amt no burglar, nor yet
sneak-thief."
I'm delighted TO see you," said Mr.
Ackley. "Do pray walk in, and let I'll
girls take your things. Marier, Alb
gail, this is Mrs. Jones, as you'N
heard 50 much of. Your room will
warm d'reckly. We've set gre;
otore by your comm, l do assure you
"You're very kind" said Mrs. Jone
shaking the snow off her shabl
shawl and pinched silk bonnet,
amt no beggar; l calc'late to pay II
own way"
The three women smiled obsequiou
ly. They had been given to unde
stand that Cousin Jones from Ne
York city was very eccentric--th
she particularly disliked any allusiC
to her relationship, and that there W
no accounting for her various peculia
tiles.
"Of course" said Mrs. Ackle
"that must be as you please"
81 don't choose to be beholden
any one," stiflly added the new-foul
relative.
"Of course not" said Maria, hel
ing her off with her rubbers. "UnC
Abraham will be so sorry that he isl
here to welcome yod."
81 can stand it, if he can," said t
old lady, warming her gaunt han
before the cheerful blaze. "Eh, dOy
live as high as this every day?' as
saw the liberal preparations for supp
1--WE are economical people," So