Smyrna times., 1892-06-15
The WEDDING PRESENT.

anniversary with 'em, eh ?" said ole
Mr.. Knott, pausing in his task of sol
dering "A new bottom into a superanua
ted wash boiler. "Well, it's the frs
one of our relations as has ever taken
that trouble for us, eh, old woman ?"
Mrs. Knott, who might have formed
no bad model for the Witch of Endor
as she bent over the fire of sticks in heI
old red hood, from which escaped grav
elf-lOcks innumerable, uttered a signifi.
cant snort which might have been con.
strued into almost any meaning.
What dye s'pose they expect toget
out of us nOw?" said the old man.
He's your own sisters son. HeZe.
kiah, :" said his wife.
Sister sons amt different from
other folks, as knows on" said Heze-
kiah, succinctly; "and this is a selfish
world"
Amt many people sellisher than
you and be" observed Malvana, his
wife.
But it beats me why they should
waste two-cent postage stamp on
askin' you an me to eat dinner with
'em-me as is only in the rag business
and you as is only my wife," said the
old man.
Mrs. Knott bad just blown the fire
into blaze, and now leaned back in
her chair satisfied with the result of
her efforts
It's just possible they wanted to see
us" she suggested.
Tell that to the Marines" was her
husbands comment.
There was no denying that the diff
ferent members of the Knott family
had been solely scandalized when HeZ.
ekiah boldly bought horse and cart
and went into the rag and bottle busi-
ness, instead Of preaching the gospel,
like his elder brother, or accepting
clerkship in village store like the
younger one.
Il hadn't brains like Bill, nor capital
like John" said this black sheep of
the Knott family. And | always liked
being in the open air And, arter all.
there amt so much difference between
sellin' wares out of wagon aud han.
dlln' 'em across "a counter"
The minister gazed steadfastly the
other way when the sounding of sun.
dry bells announced the coming of the
peddler's wagon; the budding mer-
chant desired his wife to have nothing
to do with Hezekiah's helpmate, in a
social way; but the shrewd man Onlv
smiled and shrugged his shoulders, re-
marking:
"l'm gettin' my livin', any way. The
best on EN- can't do mOre.'
And Mrs. Knott, who was a silent
philosophical woman, tOiled in her
kitchen, secured the rusty pots and
kettles which Hezekiah brought home.
cIeaned the shabby suits that were
given in exchange for fresh tinware
and crOckery, and presided over the
second hand store which her husband
had set up for his surplus wares. And
in time people got into the way of go
ing to their shop for cheap articles and
odds and ends. The prices were low,
the goods varied aud unique-and there
is no one who likes better to save his
money than the average farmer.
The minister had surrounded himself
with the I.am-holier- than thou" at
mOsphere, the merchant had the ad-
vantage of gentility, but it is question
whether Hezekiah was not the happier
of the three. Day after day he was on
the road. He knew the orchard where
the reddest apples grew, the copses
where bubbled the clearest springs, the
thickets where the ripe chestnuts rat
tied down at the touch of the earliest
frOsts.
In his quiet way he studied Nature
and in her mysteries reioiced, and
cared little that he was outlawed by
his kindred. And they were not alto
gether wrong who declared that he |
was outlawed by his kindred. And |
they were not altogether wrong who
declared that he shouted "rags-old |
rags-bOttles and tinware !" all the |
louder as he passed the stiff lilac |
bushes OF the parsonage garden, and |
trudged by the country shop where his !
brother practiced the principles of ex-
change or barter.
But Jonathan, the only son of the
old mans only sister, had surrepti-
tiously delighted in the mysterious
contents of the basement where the |
secopd hand things were packed away.
He had helped his uncle tinker up the
Old clocks, mend the battered tea. ket-
ties and saucepans, and picked from
the rag heap all that promised to be
capable of rejuvenation. When he
married the district school-teacher.
however, Hezekiah shook his head
doubtfuliy.
We've seen the last of JonOthan
pow" said he. MARY Mix'll be deal
too gsnteel 10 lot him associate long of
u.s."
But here on the top OF all this oarne
the invitation to dinner in the Young
couples new home. 1t had not, how
ever, been sent without some discus.
sion.
"WhatW Mary exclaimed. "Invite
the old Pag.and-bottle man ?"
He's the jolliest old chappIe YOU
ever knew, Mate" pleaded the bride
groom. "And Aunt Viney is a regular
brick. / wish you could see the bio
ginger cookies she used to bake for
me in the days gone by"
But II they come, Uncle William
and Uncle John will keep away, ar
gued Mary.
Let them" was the curt reply.
Uncle kiah's the best of the lot &C:
;ording to my way of thinking
so Mary acquieseed in her husbandls
wishes, and the invitation was duly
written and dispatched.
ITS rayther joke, you an me bein'
invited out, old woman" said Heze.
1iah. We'll go, shan't usPn Heyi
We anything, do you think, fit to
wear ?"
Il guess we can make out.n said
Mrs. Knott, shortly.
And I'll tell you what" said Heze-
xiah, I'VE wont't be beat in manners.
rot by nobody. Well send O present