The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-06-30
TOO MUCH HURRIED.
Why Uncle Joel Failed to Set the
Old Speckled Hen.

All the good people of Pogannac
would have told you that Uncle Joel
Potter was one of the best men that
ever lived; but even those who liked
him most were forced to admit that he
was 'jest little slow" But to his
wife he was far beyond the "little."
As she emphatically asserted, he was
''as slow as molasses in January"
1t must have been one of natures
strange laws of ATTRACTION of oppo-
sites" which brought this couple to-
gether; for while Uncle Joel was slow,
Flooding, dreamy, Aunt Hannah was
quick, energetic, ambitious--a notable
housekeeper, who could do the work
of two women while others were plan
ming what to do; whose washing was
on the line of a Monday morning look.
ing like riffs of snow, long before most
of her neighbors had finished break
fast.
TO her energetic nature, her hus-
bands slow movements and lack of
ambition were thorns in the flesh not
unworthy, perhaps, to be compared
with the Apostle Paul. The fifteen
years more of life which Uncle Joel
had seen. and q crippled limb-the re-
suit of an accident in boyhood-may
have had much to do with his lack of
energy; but more of it was nature, an
Inheritance from his mother, an in
tensely religious woman, who, the
neighbors said, "could work all day in
half bushel an never git out O mt. "
And Uncle Joels highest dream of
happiness was to sit in his armchair
by the 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, droning monotone
driving Aunt Hannah to the verge OF
distraction.
"Here Joel, I want q pail of waterr'
she called, one morning when he was
thus reading. and she was elbow-deep
in the floury mysteries of the bread
bowl, IAN don't be all day about it;
I'm in a hurry"
"Yis, yis. Hannah" Uncle Joel re.
marked, reading along softly, his finger
following his eyes over the page. "And
they that wait on the Lord shall re.
new their strength, they"
''An' they that wait on their wives
shall renew their youth, reckon, VI
Aunt Hannah interrupted. sharply
I'm certain sure you'd have to bt
born acin afore you did it, Come, gil
that water. I'm in a hurry, l tell ye. y
"Yis. Hannah, I'm a-coming."
"An' SOS Christmas, an it'll gi
here first. 1 reckon. wonder if there
ever was another SIGH slow mortal il
this world"
And rubbing her hands free from
the dough. she caught up the pail ant
had drawn the water and returned be
fore Uncle Joel had finished his all-im
portant chapter. and rising slowl,
from the chair limped across tn,
kitchen.
"Why. the pals full, Hannah" h
said.
Full, of course it's FULL" Aun
Hannah snapped. did ye s'pose
was a-goin' twait all day? rathe
guess they'd be lot o. work done il
this house if body was to wait TO
you"
but ye shouldn't be in SIGH hurry
Hannah" Uncle Joel interposed
mildly; .'the Lord took six days t'mak
the heavens and the earth. an tain
best { try an do every thing in min
Ute"
IL SHOULD think he took six years :
make ION. an then didn't finish ye OF
till Sis:rlay afternoOa jst at night
You've w. n behind land ever since y
was bora"
"Wt.. woil. Hannah, we won't quar-
rel about it: ev'ry Loiy can't be 90 spr