News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-01-28


knitting strips for Il ravelled rug.
Poor, Ove"wOrked Mrs. Stone was
among the last arrivals. She carried
a package under her shawl, and beck
Oned Mrs. Gibbs mysteriOusly out in
to the kitchen.
''I've brought you a chunk of
cheese" she said.
''Mr. Brown, he come over to buy a
cheese this morning, got disappoint-
ed in getting some he 'spected from
the factory yesterday, so sold him
my biggest one, saved out a quarter
for our own Use, and | declare! |
must "a got a grain too much salt,
for it's kind O. hard, and | know
it'll be awful dry before we get it
used up, so | brought you over a
chunk of it,
Oh! thank you, ever so much, "
said Mrs. Gibbs, inwardly regretting
Horace Hands great Kindness
now. I'm afraid you robbed your
self"
ooh! no, we've got more left than
VIII shall use before it gets hard as u
grin'stun | dare say. don't see how
| happened to get it oversalted, I'm
sure"
"It won't dry up at this house, I'm
sure, laughed Mrs. Gibbs as she laid
it in the pantry. II feel rich with so
much cheese in the house"
ooh la-don' mention it hahn
forgot the squash you sent me last
winter, and all them turkey wings,
too"
GAS if you wasn't always sending,
us something good; and so, chant
ing each Others praises, they made
their way to the parlor.
At five O'Clock, when Mrs. Gibbs
went out to make fire and put on
! the teaEettle, her husband had Just
come home, and bringing in a brown
paper parcel, laid it on the kitchen
table.
"There's your cheese, Drusilla." he
said. Il amt one to begretch you
anything in reason, but / swan to
man it seemed kind O. tough to pay
seventeen cents for that little hunk
O. cheese, and | told Brown so. |
call it kind O. hard and dry, too"
Mrs. Gibbs thought of the piece
three times as large which Mrs. Stone
had brought, and of the other piece
which Horace Hand was to bring,
but prudently said nothing. Once
let lothian Gibbs know he had
bought cheese unnecessarily, and it
would be long day before he ever
| bought any more.
"The minister has come" she said; ;
"you'd better change your coat and
90 in and visit with him.
I'm DO better than that. I'll take
him out to the paster to see my colts.
He's quite a Judge O. horse flesh, our
minister is.
"Am | too late, mother" asked
Eta, hurrying in as her mother was
cutting a generous plate of cheese for
the table "Why where did you get
that cheese? l went clear back to the
grocery to get some after | was half
way home. | knew you would be so
disappointed not to have some.
"Your father brought me some,
though | hadn't the least iGea he
would, so l sent for some by Horace
Hand, and then don't you think Mrs.
Stone brought me as much as three
or four pOunds!"
"Did you ever" and Eta sat
down and laughed and famed her
self with her hat, while her mother,
having somewhat relieved her cheese
burdened mind, went on with her
supper preparations. Eta was
discreet girl, and her mother was
prone to share such burdens with her
! husband
1t was only Il few minutes before
Horace Hand came, sweating, into
the kitchen.
"I'm glad if l amt too late" he
said; but, | vow, | was awful 'fraid
you'd be all through your supper!
Brown and the clerk was both busy,
and | had towait as much as half an
hour, pears to me! Then he mis-
understood me and put up two
pounds instead of one; but reckoned.
perhaps, you wouldn't care. 1t
comes to just thirty cents"
Mrs. Gibbs hurriedIy went for the
money and paid him Ceaving just
ten cents in her purse), thanking
him with a heartiness which, to her
self, savored Of hypocrisy.
cts all from Mrs. Stones cheese,
too" she said to Eta, after he had
gone. "She sold the cheese to Mr..
Brown this morning If we had a
variety it wouldn't seem quite as bad.
Well. I'm thankful for once that
Johnny is fOrgetful, for | spoke to
| him about getting me some as he
came back from the Cove Che went
over there fishing), but he was sure
he would forget it.
Trust Johnny to forget anything,
said Eta. "And if he did 90 for it
the clerk would know bought some,
so he would tell Johnny, | should
think"
"And your father bought his of
Mr.. Brown, for | remember what he
said he told him. They say Horace
Hand always buys everything as if it
was for himself-makes him feel i'm
portant, l suppose. But | somehow
feel it in my bones that Johnny will
come home with another piece of
cheese. 1T never rains but it pours,
you know"
The table was at length ready,
with it's snowy biscuit and golden
June butter, ii bOuntiful plate of
cheese at each end of the table, and
Strawberries and cream ad libitum.
There were three kinds of pic and
four kinds ofcake, besides tarts, crul-
lers and iumbles. The fragrance of
tea filed the diningroOm as the
quests filed out and sat down around
the table, Eta remaining unseated
to wait on the company.
The minister asked the blessing, at
Mr., Gibbs request, then all fell to
eating with a zest which spoke well
for Mrs. Gibbs cooking, and pleased
her even more than the frequent,
"What beautiful biscuit you always
have, Mrs. Gibbs! y or, Glow nice
this cake is! must get the recipe. "
The fly in her pot of ointment
was her constant fear, whenever her
husband passed the cheese, that he
would tell, to Mrs. Stones discOmft-
ure, how hard and dry he considered
it; but he fortunately held his peace.
johnny came stOrming into the
kitchen when supper was half over,
and tossed package on the table.
Cant help it if | am late!' he
growIed to Eta, who had come out
for more biscuit. "MOther wanted