Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-03-18
"A WONDERFUL CURE. "

"What's that black figure agin the
white snowy asked Mrs. Getchey,
fitting on her far-sighted specs, as she
sat at the window upon threatening
Monday morning.
"Thatw said Aurilla Ann. "Why,
| that's Mr.. Dorking hanging out the
clothes p
"Mr. Dorking' repeated Mrs,
Getchey. "Why, where's Mariar?"
Her daughter-in-law, Aurilla Ann,
INDUCED in short, snorting laugh,
Cup stairs in bed, l calculate" said
she.
"Sick?" said Mrs Getchey, in ac-
cents of concern.
"No more'n l am" said Aurilla
Ann, shaking the table cloth out Of
the buttery window. so that the long
legged Brahma fowls might have the
benefit of any stray crumbs which
might be going. Cranky, that's all.
She always was as odd as Dicks hat
band"
"Eh ?"
Mrs. Getchey, Western woman,
was evidently unversed in local allu-
sions.
Don't you know" said Aurlla
Ann, with a chuckle. "Dick's hat
band, that went hale way around, and
tied in the middle?"
"Oh !" said Mrs. Getchey. "But
Mariar Dorking used to be as smart,
stirring a woman as ever I see."
"She's took a notion t'other way, of
late, said Aurilla Ann. Il declare, l
never in all my life felt as sorry as l
do for Daniel Dorking He's dretful
peaceable, good tempered man, and
Marar treats him real mean. lie
does all the work of the house himself,
even to the washing and ironing,
because Marar chooses to fancy her
self sick; and jest wish you could see
the poor mans shirts Besides, there's
the mill to see arter, and the farm
work, though of course that last amt
so heavy this time O year. But it's
too much for one man, let alone the
worry of it,"
"Ain't they able to hire no help?"
said Mrs. Getchey, who had fallen
back on her knitting work.
"Why, of course they be !" Aurilla
Ann made answer. "But Mariar won t
have no help about the house"
"Thats rather hard on Daniel, AIM
it?' said Mrs. Getchey.
"Well, 1 should think So" replied
her sons wife, piling fresh knots of
wood under the wash boiler, prepara-
tory to her Mondays work.
While the neighbor who, uncon-
sciously to himself, was the subject of
so much solicitude among the sur
rounding families, hung out his last
= wet and tapping sheet, securing it by
battered clothes pin, and hastened,
with blue nose and frozen fingers, into
the house.
Maria" he spoke, up the stairway,
which wound around and around like
a wooden corkscrew- "Marial''
"Well?" sighed mournful voice.
, "Shan't I make ye little buttered
toast?"
IL don't care for no buttered toast, ii
returned the funereal strains.
"Or fry ye an egg? Do try an egg
Maria-with a shaving O bacon and
some coffee Ye must eat, Maria, OF
yell break down. For my sake, Ma
ria, eat something"
i Only a sigh was the response.
I But Daniel Dorking made the coffee
4, and fried the little slice OF bacon, with
its accompanying eggs, speedily carry
ing the tray up stairs, where he opened
the door by means of a gentle impetu
with his foot.
Maria occupied the best room in tn,
: house, that was very evident.
. A rag carpet, woven in gay maroon
> and yellow stripes, covered the floor
4 a cheerful wood fire blazed in tn
; chimney; the window was curtaine,
with Turkey red and Mrs. Dorking
propped up on pile Of feather pill
lows, was surrounded with variety o
. devotional books, camphor bottle
and fan.
"The washin' is all out, Maria," sal
poor little MI. Doriing; "and Nv
wiped up the floor, and set the kettl
, O vegetables back, where it'll simme
and not burn. And now I'll jest ste
: over to the mill"
= "And leave me all alone, Daniel
sad his wife, lugubriously.
THE mill has got to be seen to, nov
lIot EI;oh Iobpcnp hoo ropa nm hi