The Arizona sentinel., 1889-11-09
THE PRIZE PUMPKIN.
Rosa Proved Herself a Good Farm
ar's wife. After III.

$50 John is married. Sort OF onex.
pected, amt it?" said Deacon Parker
as. iu his lay capacity Of grocer, he
weighed out fourteen pounds of crushed
sugar for Mrs. Parmalee, who sat upon
a tall stool on the customers side ot
the counter. John" continued the
Deacon, as he carefully returned about
a teaspoonful overweight to the bar
rel-"John always seemed kinder still
when he was amongst the gals, and
calculated he'd be one of our old bach
elors; but there's never any telling"
Mrs. Parmalee gave slight groan
and shook her head.
eff you feel that way about it, how
must I feel?" she said. LAS for his
pa, he's a changed man. And Aunt
Abby took to her bed. And my daugh-
ters have cried till thought they'd
cry their eyes out. We're an afflicted
family, Deacon"
Il want to knowT calculated the
Deacon. HE aint married the hired
gal, has hep"
Il wish he had,'' said Mrs. Parmalee.
''She'd have helped about the house. "
II dunno" said the deacon. MY
grandmother's youngest son-an uncle
of mine, that warn't much older'n me
he married his mas hired gal, and
she jest folded her hands and wouldn't
fetch the water to wash 'em with arter
the ring was on. 'Tisn't one of the
Jorkinses you've had the famerly quar-
rel with fur so long time?"
Il wish it acGS one of the JOrkins
girls said Mrs. Parmalee.
''I ecant to Lno1Om said the Deacon,
in italics. ''Is it widder with suthin
agin her character, like Samuwell
Penmelon married."
No said, Mrs. Parmalee. She's a
set-up city thing, with all the airs you
ever saw. She's fresh from boarding
school and talks Iro1eh, and sings
Et-'.i ll- u5,.o say. IKE d
professor. She's all style, and de-
spises us, and ha.> The house and the
Iarm; and she'll wean John from Us.
He's said more hateful things since he
was married than he ever said in his
life before. We gave him the best
bedroom, and she's got him to new
furnish it. And l wish it had pleased
the Lord to take me years ago, for l
don't expect ever to be happy again
while / live"
Pretty bad; pretty bad" said the
Deacon. But perhaps she'll turn out
better than you calkerlate, as she
grows older. P'r'aps it's childishness.
My wife would begin by giving her
regular setting down, and settle her
for good"
MY spirit is broken" said Mrs.
Parmalee, with a sigh. did l say
pound of raisins, and paper of all
spice, and Oh, yes, l nearly forgot
the tea-the same we always got;
pound. And put them in the car
riage. I'm going next door to the
milliner's to get my new bonnet. 1
saw my daughter-in-law looking side
ways at my old one last Sunday;" and,
with another groan, Mrs. Parmalee
carried her budget of woes to Miss
Trimmer, who was even more sympa-
thetic than the Deacon.
Meanwhile, Johns new wife was
having rather a fOrlorn time of it at
home. John was lecturing her.
Don't you think you could take
little more interest in country life,
dear?" he was saying. at would
please the family so much"
Il do John" said Rosa, with her big
blue eyes full of candor I'm sure
I've sketched every thing. The spring,
the well, the locusts on the hill, and
Bessie. the calf; and I've got great
punches of grass"
"Yes-but don't mean an artistic
interest" =" said John. "a real solid one
Couldn't you feel littls like a country
girl if you tried, Rosa?'
Il have driven my own pony, and
perhaps could drive the reaper" said
Rosa, plaintively. 'And l wouldn't
mind giving the pigs their Cruel, what
ever they eat; I'll churn."
The hired men and the servants do
all that, Rosa" said John, rather Sc
verely. Don't pretend to misunder-
stand me. I'm plain farmer, and my
wife must not be too much above
things I take an interest ir."
"rm not, john" cried Rosa What
do | dog"
John could not say. He only knew
that his home, which had been place
OF peace and comfort in the days when,
as the bachelor brother of fve-and-
thirty, he had been the adored of the
homestead. the idol of his mother, and
the Admirable Chrichton of his
younger sisters, had turned into sort
of cabinet of torture; that the little
beauty who had left boarding-school
to marry him-and whom he had
thought perfect-was spoken of as a
'stuck-up," as a thing of airs and
graces, as one who put on airs"
The family wore the air of having
been through a frightful trial. Sharp
things were said-bitter ones, also;
and his amiable parents, his cheerful
old aunt and his lively little sisters