The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1888-01-14

"Wish you'd bring me the swill-
pail as you come back. Those hogs
haven't had blessed mouthful to
drink, I'll be bound, since morning."
She could have said she had wa
tered them II time or two herself,
but she said nothing. The large pail
was nearly full Of swill but she car
ried it out, and used all her strength
to lift it to his reach as he sat there.
He turned to speak as he started
off:
81 saw johnson, and he wanted
butter, so ! let him have ii on the
account there. There wasn't any
left to get the calico, but got it
myself, so try and not get anything
till you have marketing enough to
get it, for can't buy so much out of
hand.
She watched him drive away,
holding the pail carefully poised
over the wagon-bed but the next
instant she was in the house. There
was cooking to do for supper, and
the berries to pick and if the baby
would only sleep She unrollcd the
calico. 1t needed only glance to
tell her there was not enough, and
she soon saw the amount was seven
yards. She couldn't have her cali
co dress after all, and her butter
must 60 on a bill for blacksmithing:
and she must take a slur from one
who should have given her better
because it had gone so deep in his
pocket, the forty-two cents which
"he had paid himself for the colico
There had been over three dollars
worth of butter
She sighed, and took up her bur
den again. The baking was done
when the baby walked, and she
thought he seemed better. She sat
him up in his high chair by the win
dow. The sky was cloudy now !;
the men were hurrying back and
forth in the bayfield,, and Rob was
riding the rake. She picked her
berries, and had supper on the ta-
Bile as the men came in at six o'clock
and the first big drops of rain de-
scended.
How did your calico suit ?" ask
ed Mr.. Harris, as she handed him
the coffee
She looked him in the face.
There is only seven yards" she
said.
swell"
well, did you think seven yards
would make Il dress for as big a
woman as | am p
The hired men laughed
Il could most put mother in my
pocket" said Rob.
Mr.. Harris looked at his wife.
She was very slim and slender,
weighing perhaps, a hundred pounds.
Her fingers We're scarcely larger than
the baby's, and he saw they were
not as large as Rob's. Yes she
was changed from what she had
been at seventeen. when he had
taken his lot to be hers. She had
red cheeks and bright blue eyes
then. Her cheeks were scarlet with
fatigue and heat now. but not round
and soft as they were then, and her
eyes had weary look in them.
Cant be my fault" ran through
her husbands mind.
"She certainly looked badly. but
it did not seem to him that she
could mind so much as that, the
hurry, quick words and impotence
that were his habit. He took the
milk-pails and went to the barn to
milk, as usual, after supper. He
wasldestincd to have his ears opened.
The men had preceded him to the
barn to care for their teams. The
rain had nearly ceased, and he was
finishing the milking when he
caught the sound of his own name.
81 tell you, | pity her." Joe Ames
was saying. "What with her being
everlastingly on here feet, her sick
baby, and Wills own fault-fnding,
it's a wonder she's alive"
"Pshaw y answered coarse John
Mills.
That's the way o women give
'em an inch, and they take mics.
The only way they're any good is to
give them lots to do and keep them
at it. And as for that young 'un, if
she warn't alters pettin' of it, it
wouldn't be so 'tarnal cross"
81 know better" was the retort.
"Mother remembers when Will and
his wife were married ; and there.
never was smarter, likelier girl any
where. viii was good, too, but he
got in such a way to make money,
II IL -. l. 1. IL. Il. L. ..... = L