News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-07-17
sILAs PETERS AND HIS WIFE.

N !
live consolation for the might have peeh'
The Housekeeper
SILAS PETERS AND HIS WIFE. ,
A Loving Reform Instituted BY nern' I
"I guess l won't go to churGh TINS I
morning, Silas," said Mrs: IetThh, h1o
while sitting at the breakfasU-Us'oie
one lovely Sabbath in July. ,
.tWhv. Mandy l thought you
wanted to hear the sermon LOU
know Elder Bishop is golngto Prea'h .
to-day" tu ronl;od '
Mrs Peters. with a sigh: " but 1t .
o'clock now. and with all | have TO
do | can't possibly get ready to start
..T,et me help you, Mandy. can
wosb dishes. YES, and sweep, too, he
added triumphantly;;
Eyes, and probably you can make
all the beds and get the children ready
for Sunday school, and clean on the
stove and skim the milk, and wash
the mans and peel the potatoes Tor
dinner. and get the meat cut and IN
the snider. and lay the fire ready to-
n;obt when we get home," replied
Mrs. Peters, scorntully.
"Now. Mandy" said the by this
time crestfallen Mr.. Peters, " | meant
ali rioht. Can't you let the sweeping
and cleaning the stove go for TINS
time and wecan do without potatoes
for once. 1t will make a change, he |
added dryly.
"Change! Yes, l guess so. If you
want a change so bad you had better
go and board with Mrs. Russell.
You'll get change there, | reckon,
and she smiled grimly. Why, when
7 went over there the other morning
to borrow a little flour they had just
finished breakfast; and such break
fast!"
"Why, what was it, Mandy?' ask
ed Silas, with his curiosity aroused.
"What was it? You had better say
what wasn't it. That was just eX-
actlv it. There wasn't a single bit of
pie on that table, nor pickles, nor
cheese, not Jelly, nor anything
much"
"Wen. they had something to eat,
didn't thew" queried Mr. Peters.
"Yes, they had bread and butter,
and mashed potatoes and steak, oat-
meaI and cream and coffee and
cookies" with a sniff of scorn; but
not even one smitch of pie"
"Well, she's a good cook, anyway,
for Eve eaten there said Silas, de-
cidedly. "And | don't see but what
they had as good a meal as we've
got, Mandy"
Humph! Guess you better board
there a while. Silas Peters, and Mrs.
Peters rose from the breakfast-table.
"Any way" said Silas to himself,
as he was Harvesting his horse fol
church, "Td rather just eat bread
and milk for dinner if Mandy would
only 90 with me once in a while. Yes
and for breakfast and supper too,
he added, heroically. There goes
Tom Russell now, with his wife anc
baby. How happy he looks ! Ant
well he may, for he's got his wife
She goes most everywhere with him
| do wish Mandy would go with me
1t seems kinder lonesome" he unused
getting into the buggy with his TIVE
furbelOwed children and chirping tt
the old horse.
The women of the little hamlet @
Ashville had followed strictly in thei
forefathers' Cor rather foremothers'
footsteps-tables crowded with ever
thing set on promiscuously-pickles
cheese and pie for breakfast, pie
/ cheese and pickles for dinner, an
] cheese, pickles and pie for supper
And at each society" or tea part
that was held, each lady tried to out
t.. do the one before her. If Mrs. A
! had three kinds of cake and two {
/ pie. Mrs. b would have four c
five kinds of cake and three of pie, wit
: perhaps tarts as an addition: whl
i, Mrs. c. would by no means dimil
. ish the quantity of pie and cake. bl
I would also add dried beef, jell.
cheese, etc.
Elder Bishops sermon that NOR
inc was excellent; so thought ever
one. with perhaps the exception
Silas Peters. He sat in his pew wit
his two children. but his eyes kel
wandering to the Russell's pew
= "'She's most as old as Mandy
mused he. Mandy's a little pa
thirty, and Mrs. Russell, so Jim Sn
der's wife said, is twenty-eight. )
doesn't look worried; no wrinkles
lines. Poor Mandy May be IhaveI
helped her as much as | might. MI
Russell looks so happy and confer
y ed. Wonder if she had as much to
, as Mandy this morning" as a sudd
thought struck him.
After service, he returned home
find a clean house, beautifully shini
stove and a delicious dinner, but
worried and irritable wife,
Its been so warm she said; s.
tired me all out cleaning up.
haven't sat down a minute sll
you've been gone,' with the air o
martyr who faces duty at whate'
cost.
MANDY, why don't you let sol
J thing go once in awhile and rest
little? This dirt fight will wear J
out"
"Restl Mel With all this VOL
Leave somel Cleanliness is next
godliness, Silas Peters"
les, Mduuy, HeAO " SOe'i.,i,, :, ,
The godliness comes first, dear, |
itatingly.
Mandy looked quickly up, P
flush on her face When had he ca
her dear before? Not since their
sweet counting days. 1t touched
tender spot in her heart, and a q.
the dinner work was done up, as ,
sat thoughtfully on the porch IN
shade, she said, softly:
"Slas, wouldn't you like to {
me to church tonight as you I
tor"
He looked up quickly.
lr "Like to? Why, Mandy, you kl
- I've wanted to for ever so long,
YOU are always so busy or IL
VIII you go, Mandy" withan ef
light in his eyes. :,