The Newtown bee., 1890-06-06
FRIDAY, JUNE 8. 1890.
THE TWO MRS TucKERs.

opened the back door OF a gray house,
set on top OF a treeleSs hill, tracked here
aud there with the paths the geese had
made In their daily journeys to the pond
below, and only approached mt the back
by lane to the great red barn, and
rickety board gate set between two posts
of the rail fence.
This was Wealthy Ann fuckers home
coming. She had married Amasa that
morning at her fathers house In Stanton,
a little village 20 miles away from Peet's
Mills, the town within whose wide limits
lay the Tucker farm; and had come home
with him this early Spring afternoon In
the old wagon, behind the bony horse
that did duty for Amasa's family CARR
age.
Mrs Tucker was tall, thin, young
woman, with sad reticent face, very
silent and capable; these last traits had
been her chief recommendation to her
husband. There was no sentiment about
the matter. Old Mrs Tucker had died
two weeks before this marriage, but
Amasa was "forehanded" and, knowing
his mother could not live long, had inn
proved his opportunities and been
'sparkln" Wealthy Ann Miner all Win
ter, In judicious provision for the coming
event of his solitude.
He had thought the thing all over, and
concluded that wife was cheaper than
n hired girl, and more permanent; so
when he found this alert, m-jointed,
handy girl living at her uncle's, who was
widower on a great farm on the other
side of the village, Amasa made her ac-
quaintance as soon as possible, and pro-
ceeded to further intimacy. Wealthy
liked better to work for her uncle than
for step-father with six children, but
she thought it would be better still to
have house of her own; so she agreed
to marry Amasa Tucker and this was her
homecoming.
She opened the door into dingy room
with an open fire place at one end, win
dow on the north and one on the south
side, small, PANIED with old, green anc
imperfect glass, and letting in but just
enough light to work by. One corner
to the north, was partitioned off to make
pantry, and door by the fireplace lee
out into the wood shed. The front of the
house contained two rooms. One opened
into the kitchen and was bedroom, fur
nished sparsely enough; the other was I
parlor, with high-backed, rush-bottomet
chairs against the wall, round table II
the middle, a fire place with brass and
irons, and fire irons, family Bible OF
the table and ''mourning piece" paint
ed In ground hair on the mantel. Greer
paper shades and white cotton curtains
a rag carpet, fresh as 1t came from the
loom-if its dinginess could ever be
called fresh-and STRAIGHTFORWARD sofa
covered with green and yellow glazed
chintz, made as dreary an apartment Al
could we'll be imagined. Wealthy shu
the door behind her quickly, and went tc
the shed for material to make her fire
It was almost shutdown, and she was hun
CRY; but she found only the scanties
supply of wood, and a few dry chips fol
kindlng. However, she did her best
and she had brought some provisions
from home, so that she managed to lay
out decent supper on the rickety table
by the time Amasa came stamping il
from the barn.
lie looked disapprovingly at the pie
the biscuit, the shaved beef, and the jelll
set before him.
~ hope we amt waster, Wealthy,
he growled.
"There's vittles enough fur township
and the amt but two of us"
"well, our folks sent 'em, " she answer
ed, cheerily. "You no need to eat EN-.
III amt goin' to; don't ye break int
that jell, set It by; sometime or nuthe
somebody may be comm here, an
you'll want It."
Wealthy said no more; they made the
supper of biscuit and beef, for the pi
also was ordered "set by"
She was used to economy, but not
stinglness, and she excused this extrem
thrift In her husband more easily for I'll
reason she had always been poor, an
she knew very we'll that he was not riC
to say the least. But 1t was only the b
ginning.
Hard as Wealthy had worked at h,
uncle's, here she found harder BURDEN
she had to draw and fetch all the wat
she used from an old-fashioned well Wi
heavy sweep; picturesque to see, b
wearisome to use; wood was scarce, 70
though enough grew on the hundr,
acres that Amasa owned, he grudged
use.
~ shan't cut down no more than
RELY needful," he said, when she urg'
him to fetch her load; woods alters
CROWN when ye don't cut 1t, and a ma
In for lumber; and lumber's better
sell, a sight, than cord wood. Ye mu
git along somehow with brush; moth
used TO burn next to nothin'."
She did not remind him that his moth
was bent double with rheumatism, Al
died OF the fifth attack of pneumon
Wealthy never wasted words.
Then there were eight cows milk
strain, set, skim, churn or make In
cheese, and nothing but the simple
utensils to do with. A cloth held o,
the edge OF the pail served for stralne
the pals themselves were heavy woo
the pans old, and some OF them leal
the holes stopped with bits of rag, Oft
to be renewed; the milk room was In
shed, built against the chimney, that
might not freeze there In Winter, and {
ly aired by one Slated window;
churn was an old wooden one with
dasher, and even the "spaddle' W
which she worked her butter was WI
tied out OF a maple knot by Amasa hi
a..A