Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-01-15

FARMER.
Joe nodded
'TravelinG's dreadful expensive"
well, it does cost something" ad-
mitted Joe.
And you'll have to stop over night
at some tavern"
YES"
at seems to me-" growled the old
man, that all this is a senseless waste
of money You'd both Of you a great
deal better settle down and go to work.
/ didn't 90 incoming round the country
when | married my dear deceased first,
nor vet nv dear deceased second. Life
is made for work, not play"
Time enough for that. father" sand
the reckless Joe. "A man doesn't get
married, ordinarily, oftener 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 go
ing to be an awful disappointment to
your father"
LAS long as you're not disappoint-
ment to me-" he retorted, laughing,
There must be a deal of work in
that house-four cows, hundred tur-
keys, flock of sheep, poultry yard
of Leghorn fowls, butter, eggs, cook
ing. washing, baking, scrubbing'-
How do you know all this?" asked
he
Miss Stubbs told me. Oh, joel why
didn't you marry Berenice Stubbs?"
Look in the glass, little girly, ii
you want the question answered
But | am so useless. You should
have seen Miss Stubbs look at me
when | said didn't know how to make
bread and that ! had never done
washing in my life"
You'll easily learn. Ellie"
DO you think ! shall. Joe?" lit
tie cloud, no bigger than a mans hand,
came over the pearly frankness of her
brow Did your mother wash and
bake and brew?"
Presumably she did. But ! don't
remember her; she died young"
WAS she your fathers first dear de.
ceased?"
Joe nodded.
Tall and pale, with cough and q
habit of taking wintergreen snuff.
Would you like me to take to win
tergreen snuff2" she queried.
lie laughed
'It hardly seems to me, dear, as II
you could belong to the same race as
those two poor, pale, drudging WON
en-" said he.
DO all farmers wives die early.
Joe?''
Joe did not answer. He was unfold
ing the paper to read the latest news
by telegraph.
Cousin Simeon Ailesbury was the viii
lage doctor, pleasant old man with a
bald head and genial smile. Ellen
Anesbury 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 lips quivered.
II am glad you speak so kindly to
me, DOCTOR" said she, "for somehow
since | came to the old farmhouse feel
rs If | was fraud"
"a fraud. my dear"
The bright tears sparkled now.
81 was brought up to teach" said
she. Il can do nothing about the
house. And Joe's father seems to ex-
pect me to be the maid of all work OF
course can learn. I'd do anything to
please Joe. But it's hard to think one
is such a dis ppointment.
"Humphr' said DR. Ailesbury, "rn
speak to Joe about that"
And that afternoon, when Ellen and
Mrs. Dr. Ailesbury were gone to look
at pretty cascade in the woods, the
old man had long talk with bis
cousins son.
At the end of the week Joe went
back to the Ailesbury farm.
well, I'm glad ye've got through
galivanting," said the old man, with a
long breath of relief. "All the farm
work is behind, and Berenice Stubbs
amt worth half what she used TO be.
hope your wife is prepared to take
right hold of the butter and the poul-
try and
No, father, she isn't" said Joe, val
iantly ELLEN isn't very strong, and
she has never been used to the hard
ships of farm life.
What did you marry her for?"
snarled the old man.
ITO be my companion and friend,
father, not my drudge and servant"
Your mother warn't above work"
My mother was dead and buried,
sir, at the age of thirty-worn out, as
all the neigh bors tell me, by the hard
ships of her life. Your second wife,
too, was victim of the Moloch Of
work ] don't intend to lay Ellen in
the church yard at their side