Smyrna times., 1885-05-27

Gan you milk and tend to the mil1,
butter and cheese ?"
g. Yes, little louder
Can you run house and do all
kinds of hOusework? ?"
The cat seem to have gotten James
tongue again, and my mother, pitying
her embarrassment, replied with an
exhaustive catalogue of James virtues as
housewife Then suddenly checking
herself as one who had said too much,
or said it in wrong cause, became
silent, but the questioning went on
Can you sew"
" Yes.
Can you knit?"
Yes"
Can you spin and weaver"
Yes"
As you've got used to saying YES
I'd like to go right on and ask you to
have me but I'll go out and feed nv
horses, and you can talk with your
folks and the squire and his wife, and
give me the answer to that question
when 1 come i'll. 1 want to say first
that if you agree to marry me I'll agree
to do the fair thing by you, and expect
you to do the same by me. You can
always have what you can make from
the butter and eggs and half the wool
for your own spending 1t will be very
lonesome, for there won't be another
white woman nearer than five miles for
a while yet, and the work will be hard,
but maybe no harder than you're used to.
you go we'll have to go day after to-
morrow. The roads are rough and it
will take two, maybe three, days to
travel the sixty odd miles,"
1t took Joe a long time to feed his team,
and during his absence great deal of
talking was done. When he returned
Mr.. Holton stood by the table, looking
very sober, and there were tears in the
eyes of all the women when he said -
Joe Jane has concluded that she'll
chance it with you. She's been good
girl always, and we hope you'll use her
we'll"
Il will, Mr.. Holton, so help me God!"
solemnly answered joe and he walked
over to where Jane stood and put his
arm around her and kissed her.
Then there was general hand-shak-
ing, and arrangements were made for
the wedding next afternoon, after which
Joe and his wife were to come back as
far as our house, and the following
morning start for home.
The wedding was an old-fashioned
country one, and not long after the
ceremony JOe's sleigh was packed with
cargo of feather-beds, quilts, blankets
and housekeeping goods of various
kinds, for Mr.. Holton would not let his
daughter go empty handed.
Every second year after that for many
years Jane came home for a short visit.
The intervening year she could not come
because 'the baby was too little to
bring" and the numerous little Tolons
grew up in regular succession, their
heads mounting one above the other
like the rounds Of ladder.
Father regularly asked Jane when she
made these visits if she had come for a
divorce. Jane always replied
mot this time ] don't see but Joe
and l get along as we'll as those who
take more time for their courting."
And Joe would say apprOvingly-
That's 50, Jane.
"""" ssss
dear me, said Jane, as, leaning on
DR.. Joe TOlon's arm, she threw back
her widows veil, which she had worn
ten years now, and wiped her glasses
before The Heart of Wilderness " in
the art gallery, THAT looks just like the
old piece of woods opposite the old
house when your father brought me
home. I've seen the deer browsing
there many time 1 didn't think then
it would ever be city, but your father
said it would, and now the cars run
over that very spot. It's been a long
time, Joe, but the last ten years have
been longer than all the rest"