The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-02-28
THE CHEST OF DRAWERS.

r1eQ! ana WlInOuI neitner Weuuln2-ca
nor new bonnet, nor so much as q neigh
Dor called in to witness the ceremoHse
And to Abel Jones, rs is as poor as pow
erty itself. Mary, 1 never could have
believed it of your'
Pretty Mary Bubbles eyes sparkled,
half with exultation, half with vague fear.
ut was out in Squire Larkin' s
garden, mother" said she. "'Squire
Larkins was there, and Miss Jennie
Wynward and Mr.. Hall. Abel was
shingling the ice-house roof, and he said
it must now or never. because he couldn' I
endure the suspense. And the Squire
is Justice of the Peace, and I've got q
certificate. alllegal and right-see, moth
eri And as for being poor, why, Abel
has his trade, and no one can deny that
he is an industrious, temperate young
man; and please, mother" fiinging both
arms around the old lady's neck, 4 il
you'll forgive me for disobeying YOU
this once never, neUeT will do it againr
So Mrs. Bubble-although, to use her
own words, she never could get over Che
modification of having u daughter mar
ried by Justice of the Peace''-ffnally
forgave bright-eyed Mary, and consent
ed that Abel Jones should set up bis
shop at the foot of the farm lane, to com.
mence the conflict of life.
Though I'm quite sure" said Mrs.
Bubble, "that he never will earn his Hv.
ing; and did hope, Mary, you would
have married some one who could az
least have cleared the mortgage off the
old place.
But Abel and Mary were happy
Where Youth and Love are sitting in
life's sunshine, old Crnsus is one toe
many. Let him go his way; who cares
for him?
ave shall get along" said Abel
OF course we shall get alongr' said
Mary.
And thus matters stood, when Mrs
Squire Larkins, with young friend in
founced white muslin stopped at the
Bubble farmhouse to drink n glass ol
milk and eat some of Mrs. Bubble:
cherry short-cake.
II hope the bride is well," said Mrs
Larkins, laughing.
"Tor able, thank you," said Mrs. Bub
ble- "She's gone up to Deacon Fara
days to get their recipe for maxim soft
soap. Abers well, too, thankee. He'i
in the shop, now, ut work. His hammel
is sort o, company for me. when Sc
here alone / don't deny as he's de
cent young man enough, If he WASH
as poor as Jobs turkeyl And will
Mary's face, and her term ut boarding
school, she'd ought to done better.
''What beautiful old chest of draw
ersr cried Miss Wynward, ecstatically
''What lovely brass ornaments! AnC
what picturesque claw legsr'
20, yes," said Mrs. Earkins. "It i
over a hundred years old. Everybody
has heard of Mrs. Bubbles antique ches
of drawersP"
20. ma'am. it amt the same" sale
Mrs. Bubble. ''It amt the old one a
all. l sold the old one y month ago"
''Sold it?'' echoed Mrs. Squire Lar
kins.
al didn't want to sell it." said Mrs
Bubble, looking imploringly over thu
edge of her spectacle glasses. at wa
given to me. you know, ma'am, whei
my fathers estate was settled up. an,
the old furnitoor was divided. Ny brothe
Johns wife, she wanted The Death 0
Jonathan in gilt frame, with cord ant
tassels; so she says. says she;
'Sophiar, you can take the old CHS
o. draws
"And knew was bein' cheated then
but, Ia! what's the use of trouble amons
ones relations? So SAYS l.:
Have it your own way, Abigail
| Ann
"And she took home The Death o
Jonathan and took the chisi o. draws S
| And Abel he fixed it mp dreadful nice
with little sand-paper and varnish, an
ii was handy to keep old letters, an,
samples of patchwork, and paper pal
terms in. But when that fine young lad,
/ he. 20 ., H.,
Hoiloway's, offered me twenty-five dol
lars for it, it seemed a wicked sin to re
| fuse so much money; SO / sold it. AM
Johns wife. she couldn't hardly beliov
her ears when she heard tell of it. AM
she says. says she:
"'Sophiar. don't you s'pose you coui,
sell The Death of Jonathan for the sam
money?'
''And knew just how she felt, and
wasn't bit sorry for her, for she alway
was q graspin' thing. But after it ha,
gone away in Doctor Holloway's wagon
began 20 miss it, and ] fairly sat dow
and cried. And Abel, he says:
"'Cheer up, mother says he, rl
make you another one Just like itn
"And so he did. And there il is,
added Mrs. Bubble, with honest pride
"and you'd never know but il was tn
same old chist o draws. He's dark
encd it down and lied il up, and turned
out claw legs and beat ont set of oil
brasses to cover the kaTholes, until yov
never wodll know the difference. An,
I'm just az well satisfied as | was be
forc"
So Mrs. Bubble put on her things AM
went to the sowing society whan Mrs
Laikins and Miss Wynward were gone
so tina. there was no ono in tho big. air
kitchen when Prof. Ellrod and his tw
dnughters-maiden ladies o. an IN
chroniclcd age -aiighted from their opel
box wagon and stopped in for drink o
water.
There was the well, under the bow
cry apple-Llossoms at the. back; an,
there was the gouri-sheii. lying in tn
grass beside the sweep aud the cleanl,
scrubbed Kitchen i'oor. with Is rag rug
at the doors: and the aaciant clock, tick
ing away n its coraer; aud the oil
chest oil drawers. between the two WIN
dows.
.'pa," cried Miss E;leldreda Elired
putting up her Eyeglasses, what
lovely riece of workmanship ipr'
"Quite medievalr' sighed Miss Er
menyardo. .'We mnSi have this al,
Revolutionary relic in oui drawing room
par
The Professor stared around him.
There's nobody to ask tie price OF
my dear, said he.
That's just like pa"' sail Miss Ethel
dredA. 'DDn't you hear somebody ham
mering somewhere? There's oarpeu
tsr shop Just down the lane. Go an,
inquire-dor'
Abel Jones was workiDg diigentl