The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-03-05
SETTING THE sPECKLED HEN.
ny JENNIE PORTER ARNOLD,

best men that ever lived but even those who
liked him most wero forced to admit that he
was jest little slow
But to his wife he was far beyond the little.
As she cmphatically asserted, 'he was As slow
as molasses in January
IL must have been one Of NATURES strange
laws Of attraction Of oppostes' which broug ght
this couple together; for while Uncle Joel was
slow, plodding, dreamy, Aunt Hannah was
quick. enegetic, ambitious-a notable house
keeper, who could do the work of two women,
: while others would DO planning what 10 do /;
whSse washing was on the line Monday morn
ing, looking like riffs of snow long before m osr
Of her neighbors had finished br eakfast.
To her energetic nature, her husbands slow
movements and lack Of ambition were thorns in
the flesh not unworthy. perhaps, to be compared
with those Of the Apostle Paul.
Tho fifteen years more Of life which Uncle
Joel had seen. and crippled lmb-the result
Of nm accident in boyhood-may have had
much to do with his lack Of energy; but more of
1t was nature, an inheritance from his mother,
an intensely religious woman, who, the neigh
bors said, could work all day in half bushel
. never git out ont
And Uncle Joers highest dream of happiness
was to eft in his arm chair by tho south window
In the spacious old kitchen and read aloud to
himself BY the hour from the big Bible lying
In his lap, his low droniug monotone driving
Aunt Hannah 10 the verge Of distraction.
Here, Joel, / want a pail O. water p she
called one morning when he was thus reading.
and she was elbow-deep in the foury mysteries
Of tho bread bowl, 'an' don't be all day about
It, I'm In hurry
Yis, yis, Hannah Uncle Joel remark ed,
reading along softly, his finger following his
eyes over the page. And they that wait on
the Lord shall renew their strength, thew,
An they that wait on their wives shall re-
new their youth, reckon Aunt Hannah in.
terrupted sharply. I'm GER ain sure you'd
have to be born agin afore you'd do it. Come,
git that water, I'm in hurry, I tell ye.'
'Yis, Hannah, I'm a-coming.'
An SOS Christmas, an it'll git here irst, I
reckon. wonder II there ever was another sich
slow mortal in the world
And rubbing her hands free from the dough,
shs caught up the pail and had drawn the water
aad returned, before Uncle Joel hal finished
from the chair limped across the kitchen.
Why, the pails full, Hannah he said.
Full, Of course it's fullp Aunt Hannah
snapped. Did ye s'pose was goin' rwait
oil dsy7 l rather guess they'd bo lot O.
work done in this house il body was to wait
for you.
But ye shouldn't be in sch hurry, Han
nah, Uncle Joel interposed, mildly, the Lord
took six days t'make the heaven and the earth,
an faint the best T. try and do everything in .
minute.
Il should think he took six years to make
you, an then didn't finish ye off till Saturday
afternoon jest at night. You've been behind.
hand ever since ye was born
We'll, well, Hannah, we won't quarrel about
it; sv'rybody can't be SO spry as you be, and
the race isn't allus to the swift
But yen find the battle'n be Z the strong
and right here in this kitchen, if ye don't stir
yer stumps lively
But VIII st shall do, Hannah =" and Uncle
Joel looked around in helpless bewilderment.
'DoY Why, just 60 out and set the old
speckled hen. I've told ye to more'n dozen
times. She'd had time 1 set and hatch whilst
70 was gettin' ready to do it..
And Aunt Hannah, catching up the first thing
that came handy, which proved TO be Uncle
Joers old soft felt hst, proceeded to fill it with
eggs.
Here they he (! an don't be all dsy about II,
she called, coming out of the pantry, hold
ing the hat with both hands and depositing it
in the soft fluffy depths Ct the feather cushion
in the big rocking chair.
Hurryipg back into the pantry she returned
to her baking, while Uncle Joel hunted around
for his hat and cane which were always missing
when needed.
Good mornin', Miss Potter came the next
moment to Aunt Hannsh's ears, rs her next
door neighbor walked into the kitchen without
knocking, and came to the pantry door. busy
IS ever? What . master hand you be t'work !!
wonder IL you ever stop long enough fsat
and sleep
We'll, somebody's got fwork where there's 9
eight mouths ffeed and eight backs tkeep clo' .
on Aunt Hannah answered, without stopping
moment in her sitting of sugar and msasur-
ing Of -four for her cake.
Did 20 hear what muss they had over to
Nose Potter's, last night?
NO; whats up now ? They're allus havin'
time there. I wonder how tbst woman can
be sich fool rs rlive with sich man..
So do I. But this time Il was wus'n any O.
their qusrrels. Didn't 20 know bout the fsllers
from Dobb's factory a-comin' up to tar an
feather Nose 2
MY goodness gracious, Mias Brown, you
don't mean uf