The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-03-01

L never she CALCULATED, and then, feel- |
ing that her reception had been hardly
hospitable, she lowered the lamp and !
said kin lily:
Come in, deacon-come in.
Thank ye, thank ye don't mind if
/ dew.
Take seat, deacon.
Thank you; don't mind if dew.
The deacon surveyed the attractive
room, which. with its CHEEKY fire and
comfortable cushioned chair, seemed a
veritable paradise In comparison with
his untldy, ill kept home, He placed
his hat on the floor beside his chair,
displaying his scanty gray locks ingeni-
ously plastered over the top of his head
so as to cover as much OF the bald sur
face as possible. There was long
pause.
Anything going on, deacon2 asked
Miss Keziah, resuming her knitting.
She was greatly puzzled to account for
those Sunday clothes.
Nothin' within the range of my OBJ
servation. There won't be much more
a-goin' now till lection time things III
be pretty lively then.
Want to buy any hay this year1
chirped Miss keziah. Mine is extra
good this season my hired man says
it's the best harvest yield in town.
l rather guess I'll hev enough to
carry me thro' the winter. If | don't
| shall know where ter come fur hay as
is hay. l declare, your farm does beat
all I feel kind O. rigged like when l
think the best farm in town is managed
by woman
Miss Keziah smiled graciously, and
the deacon drew his chair little nearer
his hostess. 1t must be great load
for ye to carry alone. Such a large
farm is tremendous responsibility for
a lone woman.
On, don't mind it; it keeps me
proper busy.
The deacon hltched his chair along
a few inches farther. Y'd ought to
have brother or cousin, or some rela-
tive like, to share the burden with ye.
My shoulders are plenty strong, re-
turned Miss keziah, good naturedly.
Pm glad to show the folks that there
are women good for something besides
giddy- gaddying and tattling.
Yis, yis, answered the deacon, we
can all testify to your valley and worth.
You're a real honor to your sex. You're
you're bright and shinin' beacon
light to the trifin' and vain minded
women of the world and the speaker
waved his hand at the conclusion of
1
Then hitch, hitch, hitch went the
char Miss Keziahward. Don't you
feel sort O. lonely at spells? he asked,
lnsinuatingly.
Miss Keziah glanced suspiciously at
the rapidly advancing chair. She drop
ped her knitting and went to the fire
and piled up the blazing sticks of wood.
Then she came back to the table and
sat her chair on the farther side of 1t,
thus putting barrier between her and
the visitor. Pm never lonely, deacon
plenty to do is the best medicine tor
loneliness.
But woman's tender, independent
creatur'. Woman's vine, here the
deacon took up the weekly prayer
meeting drawl, and needs suthin' to
cling to when the troubles, desolatin'
waves and winds O. afflicuon ard sor-
row roll over her.
Stuff and nonsense exclaimed Miss
Keziah, with contemptuous sniff. |
shouldn't have expected that a man of
your sense, deacon, would repeat such
silly trash. have no patience with
the people who are always talking as if
women couldn't stand alone, and
needed propping up like rag doll That
hadn't any backbone. I'm no vine, or
creeping, helpless thing, can tell you.
| can stand alone as well as everybody,
if the Lord so wills it, although l ad
nit, deacon, that it's pleasanter to have
some one keep you company.
| That's jest 1t; ye hev hit the nail
squar' on the head It's pleasanter to
hev company In our sojourn on this
mortal yearth.
The deacon seized his chair with
both hands, and by circultous line of
hitching he placed it within three feet
of Miss Kezlah's table. You're fore
handed woman, Miss Keziah I'm a
man of prominence and influence IN
the community; 1t seems to me that 1t
would be a good thing if we could walk
hand in hand through this yale of tears.
Providence seems to pint its finger that
way. The deacon was thinking at that
very moment of the money he could
save by thrifty manager like Miss
Keziah In place of his inefficient, waste
tul hired woman.
Miss Keziah was dumfounded. She
dropped her knitting, and the ball of
yarn rolled across the floor. Mercy
she finally gasped.
I'll make ye first rate husband, and
yell make me good wife. We've
been members of the same church for
thirty years or more, and we've been
members of the same spirltooal family,
we'll now be members of the same
human family.
| Miss Keziah straig ghtened herself up
in her high backed chair, and drew in
her chin, while her voice rang out shrill
and clear:
l rather guess it'll take two to make