The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-06-29


of butter, reached the place where the
groan had come from. But while stir
ring his fifth cup OF tea he said, with
another groan: That speech makes me
lose my appetite. You don't know how
u fellow can be worried about his
maiden speech, Molly! You need not
fret about such things. That's a COM
fort, anyway"
You need not worry either, jeff. Ask
10 be excused, if it bothers you. They
will invite somebody else to take your
place.
Won't do, Molly. 1 was rather
pleased when the committee asked me,
and SO promised right away. 1t would
look bad TO back out now.
Look here, viii, suppose write that
speech for you, and you deliver it.
"Oh, Mol, l would not think OF such
thingi"
why not? Why cant we help each
other in this as in everything else! The
one OF us that finds the thing ease.
ought TO do it.
It's great deal harder than you
think.
Il remember the time when l was
Molly Ross. thought it great deal
easier then to dash off an Grafton than
to bake a decent loaf OF bread. Well,
shall l write it Tor you?
mo, thank you, Molly. 1t would
never do, 1 am afraid. A fellow ought
to stand on his own ground. l am bound
to do it all by myself. HeIooGed the
picture of proud independence.
"All right Will, do just as you think
best" She seemed little hun Hated
Never mind, Molly l believe in your
biscuits and coffee and butter, and lots
of other things You are about as nice
and good Il little wife as any fellow
could wish for; but l would not have
you dabble in political speeches. St.
Paul doesn't approve of IT, either, he
added ioculariy.
Il don't think st. Paul would object
if he could come back SO broad mind
ed man as he would be sure to alter
some of his opinions for the use of our
times. Besides, | offered to write it
in order TO relieve you, sir. A woman
can write and still hold her tongue, and
keep below the rostrum.
All right. You see, Molly, there is
another hitch. You can't argue that
away, if you tried ever so hard. don t
believe a woman can say all she has to
say in five minutes. No speaker will be
allowed more than five minutes at the
celebration. Now, woman never knows
when 10 stop. She can't do It to save
her life. Her tongue will wag about
things in general for half an hour, and
by that time she is generally so excited
you could not stop her any more than
you could stop watch that's wound up
for the day. You would have to bu st it
or throw 1T in the water nothing less
violent could stop it.
DO stop, jeff, you horrid man! There,
II -. - n A. 4
trained you well to think highly OF me
and the rest of us women You will
have to be put through "a new and spe-
cial course of training, sir. And as for
that speech, you may sigh about it as
much as you please, for all / care.
would not write that speech for you
now if you went down on your knees TO
ask me for it-no, sir. You will have
TO write it by your own proud self,
hubby"
The big bearded young hubby" evil
IDENTIFY thought her mock anger a good
joke.
NO, l won't waste a drop of ink on
it," he said we are just going to
think it over on the stoop, my pipe and
/. guess | can see through 1t before
tom yrrow morning"
When the roosters awoke Mr.. Jeffrey
next morning before sunrise he said:
Molly, you ought TO have heard my
speech! It went eff like n rocket; the
people clapped Ike Jury, and the fellows
yelled themselves hoarse. l dreamed
il was the Fourth OF July, and my
speech came off first-rate in four min
utes fifty seconds. / do wish it had OF
been dream!"
Molly Ross had been a village school
teacher. She was small, airy crea-
ture, and still she understood how to
wind the biggest boys round her little
fingers They were tame enough In her
presence, but behind her back they were
ready to fight for the honor of carrying
coal 60 her stove, and the bliss of draw
ing water for her at the well. There
never had been SO popular school
marin in that village. But at the very