Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-01-18
Written for the VERMONT PHUNIx.l
OVEN WOOD.

The pale, pearlgray robes worn by the
goddess Of morning grew pinker and pinker,
till she suddenly shook from her rosy skirts
such shower of dazzling sunbeams over the
green earth that 1t woke with a start to its
joyous life and gadness. The flowers smiled,
the birds sang and the pearls Of dew twink
led into diamond stars on blade and leaf.
Farmer Martins low, brown house received
its due share Of lighting up from the jeweled-
fingered sunbeams that danced on the green
sward, played hide and seek among the
creeper vines at the window, and flung rare
mosaic of quivering light and leaf-shade on
the spotless kitchen floor the pride Of its
mistresss heart.
Not many of US, / think, have ever seen
just such a room AZ was that ancient kitchen
Quaint and picturesque it would seem to us
of to-day, new from its very oldness. 1t was
common enough, however, to its inmates /;
they were perfectly familiar with the low
hanging, oke-dsrkened beams, wide
mouthed fire. place and snowy floor. Neither
were the porty dresser, shining from the
borrowed brightness of it's pans and platters,
the straightest Of straight backed chairs, the
pegs on the wall nor the huge wooden latch
on the door, novel sights to them.
The sunbeams found life and stir in the
Olu IOOut tue hOuuu VI hhlN lOOAbAtDh GULL
ing and going, and the brisk cracking of the
FIRE. A pale blue banner of smoke had lifted
itself above the Martin roof-trees, even earli-
or than usual on this particular morning, for
there was great amount OF work to be done
aud Rachel Martin, the farmers wife, was
not the woman to shiTk her duty. She had
need on this day Of both willing hands and
swift feet, since beside the every day sweep
ing Of floors, washing Of dishes, making of
beds, skimming Of milk feeding Of hens and
turkeys aud dressing the children for school,
there was dinner to get for the six hired men
and her spinning was behind hand.
She was by no means a stranger to labor,
and went on with her work briskly, only stop.
ping moment at the open door to call after
the vanishing form OF her husband, John I!
John! you must get me some ven.wood
before you go again. have lot OF things
to bake, you know"
Guess know that" foated round the
corner Of the wood. shed, and Rachel was at
her work once more.
And very pleasant sight to look upon was
she, standing there in her shortskrted, home.
made gown, with little ripples of golden sun
shine stealing through the trembling green
ness Of the creeper vines, and touching the
dress, the brown waves of hair, the white
throat and the cheeks round and red as win
ter apples pretty, old styled picture, with
that kitchen for background.
But Rachel. we would wager, had never q
thought like this. She was thinking, more
likely, Of her lege lords aversion to prepar-
ing oven. wood. Her eyes wandered ever and
anon to the open door way, where the pink
and blue morning glores were swinging their
dainty cups, but she was not looking at them,
pretty as they were.
"Oh, mother, look What a lot Of eggs
and l didn't drop one, either, did ?" said
little Johnnie rushing in suddenly and hold.
ing up the eggs he had successfully wrested
from a certain speckled biddy who was pos
sessed Of a hennish determination to enlarg e
the farmers stock OF poultry
"You are mothers good boy" kissing the
flushed, up. turned face, ''and will take the
eggs Now run out and tell your father that
he must not forget the oven wood"
Johnnie disappeared and was back in a
moment He will remember, mother but
he can't get it now, cause he has got to
grind" was the report, with which Mrs. Mar
tin was forced to be content. So she finish
ed packing dinner into the funny little bas-
ket. which Johnnie and Susie bore away to
school, filled to the very lid every morning.
and brought back guiltless of even a crumb
every night.
few moments later, as Susis's soft, fax
en- hair was being braided into tight little
tags, q dark shadow fell across the sunfecked
floor, and Mr.. Martins voice was heard from
the vine-wreathed doorway, saying; I'm
tell you what, Rachel, l can't stop this morn
in for no oven wood. II took a good while
to grind and the men don't put in 30 well
when Pm gone. You can pick up some limbs
and little stuff around in the pasture. Most
any thing II do, l guess" Having thus de-
EvaraA hiuaalf ha uhnuldaraA hiu nyg 4
marched oomposedly heldwsrd.
"P'raps l oughter have got some," he
unused, with an uneasy recollection of the eX-
preston in his wife's brown eyes, "but then, "
consolngly, II guess Rachel will dK it some
way. She always did" This settled the
matter and he reached the field with mind
at rest and as peaceful a countenance Rs the
sun shone on.
John Martin evidently rated his wife's ca
psbilities very highly, and believed that she
was equal to any situation, this one in partic-
ular. He found that she was
Without word Rachel turned away and
quietly put the finishing touches to Susie's
hair. She had not believed that John would
leave her without stick with which to heat
the huge brick oven when there were pies,
brown bread, q pudding and beans to bake
for dinner. She knew he had been lax be-
fore, but he had never deserted in such an
hour of need. Her smile was Just as bright
however, as she kissed the children good bye,
giving the dinner basket to Johnnie, and the
one little primer, shared by both, to Susie.
Then she stood under the swAying vines and
gazed after the two small figures that trudged
so oheerily towards the school house that
stood around the bend and beyond the woods.
Real little objects of curiosity would they
seem to us now in their tiny old-fashioned
buN nd Nhax
looked in the tender mother-eyes that watch.
ed them out of sight.
There was a look of determination on
Rachel's face as she took up her round of du.
ties and never, though the neighbors called
her "spry," did her work proceed more rap,
idly and though she was accounted "a pow,
erful good cook" by the same authorities
she was never so painstaking with her Viands,
so careful as TO the quantity, the quality, and
the exact time that each article should remain
in the oven, as to-day. So we'll did every
thing progress that dinner was waiting or
the table and Rachel, stepping to the door,
summoned the men just as the sun reached
the twelve O'Clock mark.
The instant the magical sound of the din
ner.hoTn reached them, seven hungry mer
shouldered their scythes and took their way
toward the house. They left behind them
the entire field covered with dying flower
and grasses, with scarcely a blossom or tuf
of grass left standing to tell the tale.
John Martin was proud of his oomely wife
he was proud, also, of her cooking, and h,
had fancy for showing off both on this las
day of his haying. Everything had pro
ceeded in the most approved manner. II,
was feeling we'll. Not cloud darkened hi
mental horizon-he never thought of oven
wood
l