The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-01-31
Jumpers J Wife.

BY EDWARD IREN EUS STEVENSON.
Il say it again, think that when a
man is as Old as you and as well-to do he
ought to have wife, repeated young
Parson Frank stoutly.
Ebenezer dropped the axe. "Look-a a
here, Master Frank. Don't ST. Paul
give kind of gineral order that men
folks are better single ! lIain't had the
hall superintendent + this big farm for
your ma while you've been off to YOUR
commentaries and Hebrew? Come now I.
BE reasonable. Besides, the kittervs
hain't never been marryers- -haint trou-
bled none Of your cloth much"
"Ihere's your brother Juniper in
terrupted the young man pertinaciously
"l es-theres Juniper, an a pretty
time he had tyin' himself up. Humph
Not but that he done well enOugh-verv
we'll in fact, when he'd accomplished it,"
The young mans ears itched at once.
Tell NE about that, Ebenezer," he
said arttully. II never heard how Juni-
per came to be married."
Ebenezer began his narrative with ii
pretense at cEopping while it proceeded
From this he took to balancing the axe
on its head ; from that to sitting down
opposite the reverend Frank and carving
letter Of the alphabet absent -mindedlv
on bit of pine.
'Iou see, Master Frank, Juniper was
not OF the same disposition as me and
brother Dan. He was the best lookin' of
the three; straight an supple, an with a
sparkle in his eye that he hain't lost vet
The girls to our village-it was when We
was all livin' at the homestead, with faith
er an mother-all liked bin; an twas
reclpperated. First juniper was goin to
singin' school with katey Parker, an
then twas all over the place that he an
Liberty Ann Myers was engaged Next,
twas Gineral 10 Banks eldest daughter
i dsremtmher her name-an before
we'd fairly began plagu'in him on the
subject o Gineral JOS daughter, he was
attentive to Mimy Bunce. Brother Dan
an sister Lie an me finally paid no heed
to the town gossip. but quietly went our
ways an let June 90 hisn. We was sat
istied that he was merely nibbln' here
and experimental there; didn't mean to
settle down on anybody yet awhile
''Now down to the lower end of the vii
lage lived Widow Amanda Gayler an her
three daughters. The widow was very
smart, capable woman, an her three
daughters-WeIl, three handsomer, clev-
erer, livelier gals never grew. Every
body liked em. Before long, Juniper
was frequent caller there. He rode out
with Anna, the eldest; or he'd come to
church with Jenny, the second; or he'd
be heard of over to Il dance at the Cor
yEit PIIth no
sisters were wonderful fond of each other
an fond of little quiet mischief to-
gether, too. | don't think they kept any
secrets from one another. 1t didn't oc-
cur to me, Master Frank, for some time,
that brother Juniper really wanted to
marry one o. these girls-an couldn't
make up his mind which he wanted But
that was Just the state he was in You
see ned grown up with 'em all three an
been so intimate with 'em, even while
he'd been keeping up his attentions to
halt-a-dozen other girls, that no one Of
EN- had apparently ever made a deeper
impression on him than the other They
was all alike so friendly an so kind an so
full of fun. When he came to settle down
to goin' to their house more than else
where, he was better pleased with 'em
than ever but whether twas Anna or
Jenny or Ruth THAT was the pint poor
June was awrestling with internally, for
weeks an weeks. That fall bis uncle,
Jared kittery, died an left him the Stone
farm; an brother said that he'd really
ought to pick out a wife and settle down.
lone night | found it out. He let me
understand, very sheepshly, just how he
felt. 1ou see, Brother Ebenezer,' he
said, Il am terribly perpleXed, an sup
pose | should find after r was married
that I'd made mistake.' "
Well June says |, Il don't see that
you're likely TO get far enough on to make
a mistake. A man who don't know his
own mind had better draw lots for ii part
ner.' | spoke rather contemptuous, |
dare say.
"Brother Juniper jumped up from his
chair by the table with sort of angry
sparkle in his eye; but he gave a short
laugh. Not bad notion, Eben,' said
he. sat by the table, occasionally say
in word here an there with reference
to the three girls; how Anna was so well
educated, an Jenny such first-rate
housekeeper, an Ruth such pretty, sen-
sible sort of a young female-aIl more to
tease June a little than anything else.
All at once June jumped up. He had
three pieces O. paper in his hand. Blest
If he hadn't written on one of them AN
na,' on another Jane, an Ruth on the
last . There says he, shakn' 'em to-
gether in my hat, much obliged to you
for your good advice, Brother Ben. I'm
going to draw for one of those girls.
Whichever name get-shes the one I'm
goin to ask to be Mrs. Juniper Kittery
before Sabberday,'
81 laughed, takin' the hull matter as a
foolish joke. All right says |, I'l hold
the hat SO | did. June shut his eyes
and jammed in his fist Read it out ?
says to him. Anna, he answers, rath-
er slowly an as if not so astonshin'ly
happyted. He tossed away the paper
an said no more. Thinks me, June has
got some sort Of an in'nard preference
for one o them sisters, after all and he
don't know it, but it isn't for Anna
81 never thought seriously of that ca
per we two had cut that evenn', until
Saturday night, when just as | was clos
in up the house, last one to 90 to bed, in
| steps June.
.Fve done it, Eben,' says he, with a
singular sober face.
June " says mot Anna-d.'
YES he answers, Ive Anna-d not
Jenny-d nor Ruth-d. Don't you recol-
lect last Monday evenin' That settled
it, I've abided by that piece O paper
She said she'd have me. It's done; an
Pm glad
well, said |, Il give you joy, June
| though | must say your way O. clearin' up
your doubts amt to my taste for common
usage. Annals a fine girl.
8" But that amt all, Brother Eben,' he
went on. 'Anna's got an amazin' queer
notion O. gettin' married. 'Tseems she's
been a readin' some novels or stories and
so forth an guess they've made her
tanciful. She thinks that it'd be grand
fun to surprise our folks along with ma
an the other two girls, by US two bein
married on the sly, the night before
Thanksgivin'-an then comm home and
tellin' 'em. don't see any fun in that
not bit l think it looks rather foolish.