Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-10-24

| took the prizes in the domestic depart
ments of all the agricultural fairs, and the
adjoining housewives took M trouble to
make things that they could borrow CT
Mrs. Bellenden, ''just as we'll as not'
! And one day, when poor Lucy, under
the blighting influence of a horrible sick
headache, was endeavcring to strain three
or four gallons of milk into the shining
pans. the news arrived that Uncle Paul
was coming to the farm.
"Another guest!' said Lncy despairing-
ly.
And then she uttered the proverb that
heads our sketch.
"Oh, it's only Uuc!e Paull' said Mr..
Bellenden. Don't fret, Lutte! He's the
most peaceable old gentleman in the world.
He'll make no more trouble than crick-
et Johns wife thought she couldn'5
have him because she has no girl just
now
Neither have ~" said Lucy rebellious.
ly.
"And Sarah Eliza don't like company"
''And I am supposed to be fond Of it!'
observed Lucy, bitterly.
"And Reuben's girls don't want old
folks staying there. It's too much trouble,
they say" added Seth.
Lucy bit her lips to keep back the words
she might have said. instead:
where is he to sleep? The Bslfords
have the front room, and your Cousin
Susan occupies the back, and the four
Miss Pattersons sleep in the two hall cham
bers, and the hired men have the garrett
rOom.o
She might have added that she and her
husband and the baby had slept in hot
little den opening from the kitchen for
four weeks, vainly expecting Mr.. and Mrs.
Belford to depart and that she had never
yet had chance to invite her father to
the farm in pleasant weather.
But she was magnanimous and held her
peace.
ooh, you can find some place for him, :"
said her husband, lightly. "There is that
little room at the end of the hall where the
spinning wheel is"
'But it isn't furnished!' pleaded
Lucy.
''You can easily sew carpet togethe r
out of those old pieces from the Belfords
room, and it's no trouble to put up mus
lin curtain to the window and lift in cot
bed. There are plenty of good sweet
husks in the corn house, and you can just
tack mattress together. and whitewash
the ceiling, and"
whats that. Beniah? The cows are in
the rye lot Dear mel Everything goes
wrong if step into the house moment.
And really, Lutte, those thing are your
business and not mine,' he added, irri-
tably.
Lucy could not help laughing all by
herself, as her husband ran up the steps.
But it was very sad little laugh, and
soon changed into sigh.
II WONDER" said she, in whisper, ''if
my poor, tired out ghost would haunt
those stone pavements, and scrub shelves,
if I were to del never heard of a ghost
IN dairy before, but should thi nix that
it might easily be-"
But this little bed room was fitted up,
for all that, as fresh as rose, and Uncle
Paul arrived, a dried-up, yellow complex
toned old man, with an Old-fashiOned
eravat tied in many folds around his
neck, and suit of navy blue. with brass
buttons.
He had the polite way of half a century
ago, and Lucy thought she should like
him very much, if she only had time to
get acquainted with him.
But she was churning ten pounds OF
butter day, and there was the baby, and
the company. and the young chickens, and
the baking to do for the sewing society,
which was to meet at her house that
week.
She was almost too busy to sleep.
| But Uncle Paul was watching her quiet
ly all the time.
He came out one day to the barn where
his nephew was putting new handle on
a sickle-blade.
pretty busy times-eh, Uncle Paul ?''
asked the farmer, scarcely taking the
leisure to look up.
"Aye," absently answered the old man,
Ibid 1 tell you, Nephew Seth. about the
reason left your Cousin Eliab's?
Mot that I remember" said Seth,
breathing on the blade and polishing ii
with his silk handkerchief.
dorothy died-his wife ?"
"Oh, yes, ;" said Seth. "Malarial fever,
wasn't it ?"
"Nol" bluntly answered Uncle Paul
"It was hard work. That woman, Neph.
ew Seth, did the homework for eight per-
sons. Eliab didn't even let her have q
woman to help her with the washing and
ironing"
''Must have been regular going
BRUTE" said Seth, lightning the handle a
little.
"All the sewing, too," added Uncle
Paul-'the mending and making. Never
went anywhere except to church. Eliat
didn't believe in women gadding about.
"The old savage" said Seth.
'She was fond of reading, but she never
got any time for it," said Uncle Paul
''She rosa before sun-up, and never lay
down until II O'Clock. It was hard WORK
that killed that woman, and Eliab coolly
declared that it was sheer laZiness wher
} she could not drag herself around any