The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-09-20
DAWES WIFE.

~ law udS uIOuSHb HIS WIFE
home?"
Deacon Somers cut a larger chip from
the stick he had been whiting down to
a very fine pointas he answered Deacon
Bradlaw's query by the n monosyl.
liable: Yeas"
"Got home last night, I hear"
yeas" and the stick was coming
down to a very fine point now, so as
siduously was the deacon devoting all
his energies to it.
Deacon Bradlaw waited a moment,
with an expectant air; then he clasped
one knee with both hands, and leaned
forward toward his neighbor.
"Well, what do you think of your
boys chofce?" he asked. .sWhat sort
of woman does she seem to be2 Think
she'll be a help in the church,"
Deacon Somers was silent a moment.
Whirling the whitfield stick around and
around, he sqainted at it, with one eve
closed, to see if it was perfectly SYM
metrical. deacon Somers had a very
mathematical eye, and he liked to have
everything plumb" as he expressed it.
He had been known to rise from his
knees at a neighbours house in prayer
meeting time and go across the room
and s%traighten a picture which offended
his eye by hanging ttaskew.") Having
convinced himself that the stick was
round, the deacon tilted back against
the side of the country store where he
and his companion were sitting, and
began picking his teeth with the afore-
said stick, as he answered Deacon Brad
laws question by another, and q SEEM
ingly irrelevant one.
"Do you remember Dawes boss
trader"
"No," answered the deacon, sur
prised at this sudden turn in the
conversation, 81 can't say't I do
"Wa'al, just after he come home from
college, two years ago, he got dread
fully sot against the bay mare I drove.
I'd had her for years, and she was a
nice steady-going animal. We had a
four-year-old colt, too, that 1 drove
with her. Wa'al, Dave he thought it
was a shame and a disgrace to drive
such a Unmatched span. The young
boss was right up and off, and the bay
mare she Jagged behind about half a
length. The young boss was a short
stopper, and the bay mare went with a
long, easy lope. They wasn't a nice
matched span, l do confess.
s.Wa'al, Dave he kept a-talkin' trade
to me till I give in. He said he knew
of q mighty nice match for the young
hoss, and if / would leave it to him
he'd make a good trade. So l left it to
him, and one day he came drivin' home
in grand style. The old mare was
traded off, and a dappled-gray four
year-old was in her place. A pretty
creature to look at, but 1 knew the
mint | sot eyes unto her that she'd
never pull a pillow through the stubble
ground, or haul a reaper up that side
hill o. mine.n
".Isn't she a beauty, father?' said
Dave.
eyes says L; but handsome is as
handsome does applies to bosses as
well as to folks, 1 reckon. What can
this ere mare do, Dave?'
dawes face was all aglow. sDo?'
says he. why, she can trot a mile in
two minutes and three -quarters, father,
and l only give $75 to boot 'twixt her
and the old mare
"Wa'al, you see, I was just struck
dumb at that there boys folly, but l
knew 'twan't no use to say a word then.
just waited, and it came out as 1 ex-
peeted. The dappled-gray mare took
US to church or to town in fine style
passed everything IN the road slick as
a pin. But she baked on the reaper
and give out entirely on the pillow. And
he'd to buy another mate for the boss,
and let the dappled mare stand in the
stable, except when we put her in the
carriage"
Deacon Somers paused, and his
glance rested on Deacon Bradlaw's
questioning, puzzled face.
"Well?" ~interrogated Deacon Brad
law.
"Wa'al," continued Deacon Somers,
"Dave's marriage is off the same piece
as his boss trade. Pretty creature, and
can outstrip all the girls round here in
playin' and singin' and paintin' aud
dressin', but come to washin' and
bakin' and steady work-why, we'll
hev to get somebody else to do that,
and let her sit in the parlor. Mother
n 1 both see that at a glance;'' and the
deacon sighed.
81 see, I see," unused Deacon Brad
law, sympathetically. ''Too bad! too
bad! Dave knew her at college, 1 be-
"Yes; they graduated in the same
class. She carried off all the honors,
and the papers give her a long puff
bout her ellycution. Dawes head was
completely turned, and he kept runnin'
back and forth to see her, till 1 thought
the best thing for him to do was to
marry her and be done with
it. But Sara Jane Graves would have
suited mother N me better. You
know Dave and she was pretty thick
before he went off to college"
''She's a powerful homely girl,
though" Deacon Bradlaw said; 'sand
the awkwardest critter 1 ever see stand
in a church choir and sing. Seems to
be all elbows somehow"
"Ye-a-s-ye-a-s; a good deal like the
bay mare Dave was sot against-awk,
ward, but steady-goin' and useful
more for use than show. Wa'al, wa'al,
I must be goin' home; all the chores to
do, and Dawes billin' and cooin'.
GoQd-afternoor, deacon. Come over
and see u.s."
When Dave Somers and his bride
walked up the church aisle, the next
Sunday morning. over Parson Elliott's
congregation there passed that indefina,
BILE fiutter which can only be compared
to 4 breeze suddenly stirring the leaves
of a poplar grove. Every eye was
turned upon the handsome, strong
limbed young man, and the fair, deli
cate girl at his side, who bore the
curious glances of all these strangers
with quiet, well-bred composure.
After service people fingered in the
aisle for an introduction, in the manner
of country village churches, where
Sunday is the day for quiet sociability
and the interchange of civilties. And
after the respective friends of the family
had scattered to their several homes,
Dawes wife was the one universal topic
of discussion oyer the Sunday dinner.
"a mighty pretty girl" "a face like
a rose," Too cute for anything"