Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-10-23
"Well, it costs something" admitted

Joe.
"And you'll have to stop overnight at
some tavern"
Eyes"
at seems to me-" growled the old
man, ''that all this is senseless waste
of money. You'd both of you a deal
better settle down and go to work. I
didn't go incoming around the country
when l married my dear deceased first,
nor yet my dear deceased second. Life
Is maee for work, not for play"
"Time enough for that, father" said
the reckless Joe. ga man doesn't get
married-ordinarily, oftcner than once
in lifetime"
Mrs. Joe drew long breath of relief
when she found herself out from under
the farmhouse roof
"Joe," said she, .I'm afraid I'm going
to be an awful disappointment to your
father"
''As long as you're not disappoint-
ment to me, he retorted, laughing, sit
doesn't so much signify"
"There must be deal of work in that
house-four cows, hundred turkeys, a
flock of sheep, a poultry yard full of
Leghorn fowls, butter, eggs, cooking,
washing, baking, scrubbing-"
GLOW do you know all this9" asked
he.
miss Stubbs told me. Oh, Joe why
didn't you marry Berenice Stubbsa"
'Look in the glass, little girl, if you
want that question answered"
''But | am so useless. You should
have seen Miss Stubs look at me when
l said didn't know how to make bread,
and that l never had done a washing in
my life"
you'll easily learn, Ellie"
''Do you think shall, Joe?" A little
cloud, mo bigger than mans hand,"
came over the pearly frankness of her
brow. ''Did your mother wash and bake
and brew?"
.'PreSumably she did. But don't re-
member her; she died young"
"Was she your fathers first dear de-
ceased2"
Joe nodded.
"What was the other one like2"
"Tall and pale, with cough, and
habit of taking wintergreen- scented
snuff"
"Would you like me to take to win
tergreen snuff" she queried.
He laughed.
"It hardly seems, dear, as if you
could belong to the same race as those
two poor, pale, drudging woman," said
he.
"Do all farmers wives die early,
Joe?"
Joe did not answer. He was un-
folding the paper to read the latest news
by telegraph.
Cousin Simeon Aiesbury was the viii
lage doctor, a pleasant old man with
bald head and genial smile.
Ellen Ailesbury made friends with him
at once.
"You are very like your mother,
child" said he. ''She always reminded
me of little mountain daisy"
Ellen's lip quivered.
~ am glad you speak so kindly to me,
DOCTOR" said she, ''for-for somehow
since came to the old farm house feel
as if were fraud"
ga fraud, my dearl"
The bright tears sparkled now.
81 was brought up to teach," said
she. "I can do nothing about the
house. And Joe's father seems to expect
me to be the maid-of-all- l-work OF
course l can learn. I'd do anything to
please Joe. But it's hard to think one
is such a disappointment"
"Humph!" said DR.. Ailesbury, "I'l
speak to Joe'abouI that"
And that afternoon when Ellen and
Mrs. DR.. Ailesbrsy were gone to look at
pretty case lie in the woods, the
old man had !ong talk with his cous
ins son.
At the er OF the week Joe went b
to the Ailt :oury farm.
"Wellf I'm glad ye've got thr gh
gallivan' Ing," said the old man, wi a a
long b cath of relief. ''All the farm
work IS behind, and Berenice Stubs
amt worth half what she used to be. 1
hope your wife is prepared to take right
hold of the butter and the poultry
and"
'No, father, she isn't" said Joe, val
iantly. "Ellen isn't very Strong, and
she has never been used to the hardships
of farm life."
"What did you marry her for2"
snarled the old man.
"To be my companion and friend,
father, not my drudge and servant"
"Your mother warn't above work"
sMy mother was dead and buried, sir,
at the age of thirty-worn out, as all
the neighbors tell me, by the hardships
of her life. Your second wife, too, was
a victim of the Moloch of work. Idon't
intend to lay Ellen in the churchyard at
their side"
Mr.. Ailesbury's brow darkened.
~ won't have no one in the house who
don't earn their board" said he.
"Very well, said Joe. "We'll rent
the little Barrow house down Locust
Lane. 1t will be handy to my work at
the carriage factory, and Ellen shall have
strong servant to help her with the
house"