The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-12-24

joined in Uncle Reuben, from the other side
Of the table sIt was mighty inconsiderate
for Robert to drop of so sudden-lke and
leave you unprovided for. With his five
hundred year he ort to have laid away a
sight of money. But he never was any,
thing of manager. 1t was not in him to
say mo- when people came a beggin', and
he allus religiously laid by his tenth for the
Lord, no matter how poor the harvest,
Now, my doctrine is, if the Almighty
stints the crops, It's His
own lookout if He has to take
short toll. reckon I will be obleeged to
give you home, but you must Jump round
spry and try to pay your way. Now, if
Providence could only have seen far
enough forward to have made you boy it
would have been more to my hkin'. Then
you could have built fence, dug the cellar
wall and SIGH, which I've got to pay for,
seein' you are girl. If you'd only been a
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
pshawi what does a girls work amount to
anyhow What signifies rubbin' out few
clothes, sweepin' the house over once a day,
or washin' dozen dishes now and then?
Cryin'l 1t is amazin' how easy women do
cry! Sakes alivel They laugh and cry in
the same BREATH
" And that reminds me, Elsie, that your
uncle has took the schoolmaster to board,
and it is high time his room was put TO
rights; am sure I don't know what pos
sessed you, Reuben, for them school teach
ers are an overhearin' set. 1t is fact that
four dollars week is a circumstance not
to be picked up every day, but if he has not
an appetite like saw-mill, I'll miss my
guess"
Aunt Phillis' 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 to school, Aunt Phillis2"
She turned on me like awhirlwind, fairly
screaming:
eco to school, Elsiel Do you reckon
your uncle and me are a-goin' to keep you
up lady, and never git any pay for our
pains? Your better scholar now than
even our John-better than any man or
woman in the neighborhood, unless it
might be the minister himself. You'll not
sit mopin' over your books here like you
did when your father was a-livin'."
C You see what book larnin' did for your
father" put in Uncle Reuben. He was
sight better of than l was when we
started in life, for Uncle Robert Cherry
left him five hundred dollars for his name
If he had invested that money in land, in
stead of putin it 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 a decided nod,
q 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 off to arrange the
masters room.
stuck '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. He'll never know the diff
ference
was glad to escape from her harsh voice,
but a more formidable foe awaited me in
the passage. No sooner had / closed the
door than Cousin John, great, burly lad
of sixteen, called out tauntingly:
''Ho, my fine LADY, So you expect to put
on fine airs and lord it over us in grand
style. Pretty cheeky for a pauper, should
say"
ssYou are cruel boy and hate you,"
cried, in anger.
''Take that, and that!n he retorted, strik-
ing me with whip he held in his hand.
''I'll teach you to talk back to me, you beg
gar.n
"You are wicked, unprincipled boy!''
returned, deiantly, springing behind the
door to avoid his second attack. In his
fury he jerked the door with such force as
to throw himself against table that stood
near. HIS howl of pain brought his mother
to the scene of conflict
"That young viper flew at me like q
tiger, and hammered NY face into jelly, y
screamed he, wiping the blood from the
slight wound.
Itried to explain, but Aunt Phillis would
not listen to me. Gcasring me by the arm,