Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-01-12
cROppLE.CROWN'S WEDDING.

nOt?' ~
Dead silence, broken only by the
rattle of beans from hand to pan. :.
"You can't cover it up nor nloe H.
nohow; Slocum saw ye, an more
once, too, an he knows there's lei
ters." a
Sin silence Mrs. JenniAon pushed
nm her glasses, gave pull TO the black
siik sheath which did duty as cap, and
from which her wisps Of gray hair
seemed to sprout, and gasped once or
twice az words crowded faster than
tongue could manage or thought ar
rage. Then she burst out, determine
ton evident under a snarllng tone,
which migat have been taken as an
indication Of mere peevlshness, haa
not the face held something much
stronger and more persistent IN quail
to than would be indicated by any
characteristic marked as peevishness
alone.
you'll 60 your own way "neh
you're twenty-one, an not gay pe
fore. Talk to me- 'olah ferKlhs
boss drivin', goddess Teller, never INSIDE
meetin' house onless he's on the
lookout for some gal, an never tne
same gal three months runnin'. Ills
father afore him, way for way, the
same, an not two gals in the boro' that
he .idn't cackle over their wearln' the
willow for him. A thrif'less, mls'aoie
act. an wash my hands O you II you
give in to one of 'em. Now, mark my
works. Out OF this house you don't
90 without me. | haven't slaved an
Loiled an brought you to be some
stand by to me to have you thro" IL
away on 'Siah Perkins. That's the end
ont" -.
Mrs. Jennison picked up her knit
ting. dropped in the energy OF accusa-
lion, and knit round with her sharp,
ANAL ewes still fixed on the flushed
cheeks turped from her and bending
over the pan of beans. Midsummer,
il ia true, and pork and beans hardly
in order, even for the most ingraIned
New Englander, but to Mrs. Jennlson
beans and dried apples, Goldfish and
salt pork represented all the possibit-
ties, and compressibilitias rs well, OF
food. Who 81 ghcd for anything be-
;ond was guilty Of worse weakness
Than the old Israellt9s III their moan
for the leeks and onions-even string
beans being wild and wicked waste,
a reckless destruction of what should
mako six dinners, where, in their in.
amt state, but one could be- had.
For Mrs. Jennison belonged to the
happily decreasing number of women
who, having been born to the New
England farmers unCeasing struggle
with tho foundation of she earth, which
crop up more persistently aud battle
with the soul more steadily there than
in any other portion Of the farmers
territory, valued proportionately every
other product wrested from the soil.
Hardscrabble had been her native
district and Hardscrabble it remained,
The hillsides u wilderness Of lodges or
rolling stones, and the sunnlest mead
ow still holding more stone than grass.
Many children came up to the quaint,
sharp-faced mother, and one by one
took their places in the lengthening
row on the Higgins lot. Whatever
love might have helped them to lin
ger longer and gradually died out. In
teruptions from beginning to end,
Peter Higgins, lean and weoz 3ned,
with myriads of fine wrinkles about
his ewes, aud the look of a mustv
parchment--had always regarded
Them, and frowneA determlnedly on
any attention not absolutely essential,
and on some that were. Patient, bony,
sad-eyed little objects, the babies, lay
where they were put following the
mothers steady progress from one
niece of work to another with looks a.
ways more and more wistful, till the
low, damn kitchen, suAless and cheer
legs in which the grinding days went
by, had done its work, and the starved
little lives went out, to find kindller
welcome in country where the lnhab-
liant. take time from the reservoir
known M eternity.
In such homes now and then grows
IN u flower delicate and fragrant as the
arbutus in its setting of rough leaves,
but to the Huggins homestead none
had come. Huldah, the last, and with
apparently less vitality than the seven
others who slept quietly under the
small mounds and headstones, held to
life with tcnaeity unexpected; but,
on the whole, welcome, and ut four
stood on cricket IT, wash dishes and
mound clothes; and mt five made q bed
quilt, and ut ak could knit her fathers
stockings. Punched and preternatur-
alIy old, she followed her mother
ahoat like some gray, uncanny elf or
snome, born in mine or mountain, aud
hid ALWAYS from sun or air She knew
the market value of every egg, the pos
sibility of every drop of cream, and at
seven had made bargain with her
father-a bargain which drew nom
him u chuckle of admiration to ex-
change the sugar of her crust coffee,
or occasionally cake on doughnut, tor
it's full equivalent in money.
Schooling WAS had ,ly that Peter
Higgins might secure his share OF the
tax, grudingly paid, and grumbled over
from one collecting time to another,
and Huldah learned quickly and WELL
taking especially to figures, and cast
ing up in interest with something a.
most enthusiasm. The sugar fund
grew wear by year in the Clairmont
Saving Bank, and Peter shook his head
over the bargain which he was too hon
est to evade or end, for honesty ruled
and was the one saving grace. Mean,
misery, narrow almost beyond belief,
he never lied and never cheated, and
Auldah grew to womanhood-s gtr!-
hood being left out altogether-so true
a copy to him that the neighbors, who
at long intervals penetrated the myster-
ious region Of the best room, said
''lt's q pity she haden't been q boy,
to keep up the farm after old Higgins
lied.
Old Hussins died at last, followed
quickly by his wife, who lived to long
under the direction of his tile-hke voice
to find independent action possible;
and who closed her eyes, rs he had
done, with no s;gn of what picture
either past or future held in that last
moment of psuse between the two.
Huldah regiued alone, and conteuted
to be altne; and, when the long winter
ended, hired silent and wiry little
Frenchman from the hollow, and ran
the farm on shares. Whatever
thought Antoine Deprtz may have had
rs to possible money to be made out
of her ignorance or oversight was
quickly dismissed; and the farm, where
long ago every loose stone had taken its
place in the well-huiit walls, came to
be regarded as one of the best pieces
OF property in that region.
In time Miss Huldah, as she came to
be called, owned her shay and drove
II. l.. 49, 49,