The Osceola times., 1886-12-25

toined in Uncle Reuben from the other side
of the table. at was mighty inconsiderate
for Robert TO drop off so sudden-llke and
leave you unprovided for. With his hve
hundred year he ort to have laid away
sight of money. But he never was any
thing of manager. II was not in him to
say mo- wnen people came beggn', and
ne allus religiously laid by his tenth for the
Lord, no matter how poor the harvest
Now, my doctrine is, if the Almighty
stnts the crops, IT'S HIS
own lookout II He has to take
short toll. reckon ! will be obleeged to
give you home, but you must Jump round
spry and try 10 pay your way. Now, II
Providence could only have seen Tar
enough forward to have made you boy, it
would have been more to my likin'. Then
you could have built fence, dug the cellar
wal! and sich, which I've got TO pay for,'
seein' YOU are girl. If you'd only been
boy, you could have taken hold Of the
plow handles and followed the burrows,
and | wouldn't have needed to hire hand
TO help with the clearin' or grubbin'-but
pshawl what does girls work amount TO
anyhow! What signifies rubbn' out few
clothes, sweepm' the house over once day,
or washin' a dozen dishes now and theni
Cryin'! II is amazin' how easy women do
cryl Sakcs alivel They laugh and cry in
the same breath
And that reminds me, Elsie, that your
uncle has took the schoolmaster TO board,
and il is high time his room was put to
rights; | am sure | don't know what pos
sessed you, Reuben, for them school teach
ers are an overbearin' set 1t is fact that
four dollars a week is a circumstance not
70 be picked up every day, but If he has not
an appetite like a saw-mill, III miss my
guess"
Aunt Phllis' steel gray eyes were still
upon me, though her closing words were
addressed to uncle, who was too intent upon
the business before him to grant her an an
swer. Though trembling violently, / ven
tured to inquire:
"Can go 10 school, Aunt Phillis"
She turned on me like awhirlwind, fairly
screaming
"Go to school, Elsicl Do you reckon
your uncle and me are a.goin' TO keep you
up lady, and never git any pay for our
pains. Your a better scholar now than
even our John-better than any man or
woman in the neighborhood, unless it
might be the minister himself. YouHl not
sit mopin' over your books here like you
did when your father was alvin"
"You see what book.larnm' did for your
father put in Uncle Reuben. He was
sight better off than l was when we
started in life, for Uncle Robert Cherry
left him five hundred dollars for his name
II he had invested that money in land, in
stead of putin il into his head, you
would not have been thrown penniless
upon me now Too much edication is not
good for men, and it ruins women"
Here uncle gave his head decided nod,
a custom he had when peculiarly well
pleased with himself.
As we arose from the table, aunt re-
turned TO the subject uppermost in her
mind by hurrying me of to arrange the
masters room.
"Tuck 'em big pillows into the chest that
stands in the corner Goodness knows,
these college chaps carry their heads high
enough without propin' 'em up with four
pound pillows; and mind, Elsie, take off
that new blanket You can slip on that old
comfort instead. Hell never know the diff
ference.n
Twas glad 10 escape from her harsh voice,
but more formidable foe awaited me In
tho passage. No sooner had I closed the
door thsn Cousin John, . great, burly lad
q stxteeo, called out tauntinGly:
"Ho, my Ans ladyl 30 ycu expect 10 pat
| p 1ns aiFs and lord \ over - N graa1