Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-09-06
THE VERMONT PHOENIX, BRATTLEBORO. F-1)AY,

ruled bis mother. merely because she had
meekly submitted. without protest. TO
his tyranny. But Prue was different. She
seemed to have brough, away with her
some Of the spice and strength Of her own
pine woods. and Jim was often surprised
to find at the end Of an argument that he
had uncOnsciOusly yielded 10 her wishes.
In an unframed way, Prue was natur-
al musician. and the harsh, iuneless notes
Of the thirty-year-old melOdeon grated on
her sensitive ear. Jim was very fond Of
listening to her fresh young voice, and aft
er supper, while he smoked his evening
pipe BY the open window, he always asked
for his favorite old-time songs.
But Prue objected 10 the discordant &C
compartment which the melo1eon fur
nished.
"Jim. you'd ought TO git me new pi-
amer" she said, persuasively, one even
ing. ats a real sin to sing 'BlueEyed
Mary TO an accompaniment with five keys
off the notes in the bass and two notes in
the treble that don't sound at all.
Jim knocked the bowl of his pipe against
the window sill and watched the ashes fall
on the grass outside before he answered.
"The melodeon is well enough, if you'll
Just remember about not strikin' them
notes. 'Tain't the instrument | want 70
hear, anyway: it's your voice. Lucy IN
derstOod how to make it go. She used to
play the music soft and sing loud"
"Tm afraid | shan't be able to remem-
Der that" said Prue, innocently, and she
began to sing 1.-THE minstrel boy
Never before had the minstrel boy de-
parted 70 the war under such provocation
Prue's sweet voice could scarcely be heard
above the rasping chords, and Jim moved
uneasily until the song was finished. Then
she tried esquire Jones's darter," but with
no better success. The five bad notes in
the bass made themselves unpleasantly
prominent. and the two silent treble keys
left an irritating blank on the listeners
ear. And as it was that evening, so 1t was
every night for the next week, until at last
Jim realized the pleasure he was losing.
and surprised Prue one day with the gift
Of a new square piano. That night for
the first in seven days he smoked his even
ing pipe in dreamy pleasure with con
tented smile on his face, while Prue sang
the quaint old songs with the accOmpani-
ment Of melodous chords.
Old Mrs. Rice came over the next day to
inspect the new instrument
81 declare to goodness she exclaimed,
rubbing her forefnger across the polished
surface. you could have knocked me
down with a feather when l heard that
James Rice had actually been and paid out
money for new palmer. can't git over
it. How do wish Lucy could see it,
"Want to hear it," Prue suggested,
with proud little smile.
"I'd like to, irst-rate, but / can't stop
| now. | just run in for a minute on my
(tiEl.af I'D,
the kitchen clock I'm late already. I'd no
idea it was 50 late"
"Tain't," said Prue, glancing up at the
tall timepiece. Ats only half-past ten"
"Oh, but you amt allowin' for that
clocks losin' time, Prue. Don't you know
lis alluz as much as half an hour slow?
It's been that way for years, ever since it
was moved here out of Grandma Shields
house"
"Its been fixed, said Jm's wife, dryly.
"Of all things. How'd he ever come to
do it? Lucy
"He did it, Prue interrupted, "because
he didn't like his meals half an hour be-
midland every day."
"Why, but Lucy alluz fggered for that,
the elder matron gasped.
did, Well, | couldn't seem to quite
remember said Prue, with such an in
genuous look in her brown eyes that her
mother-in-law shook her head obviously
and went away to report to Mrs. Deacon
| Gibbs these startling developments.
81 can't make her out one mite" she
/ ended. whether she's as inherent as a
kitten or as deep as Jacobs well, can t
| for the life of me tell. But the way she
| gifts round Jim is somethin' wonderful.
Jm-well, you know how tight he is with
his money, and now he's just a-payin' it
| out right and left for things that Lucy alluz
hankered arter and had to 90 without"
"But she amt got her house painted
YET" Mrs. Gibbs suggested, smilingly.
mo, but l amt so sure but what that'll
come next" rejoined Mrs. Rice, 'for she S
got him to put on screen doors front and
back
''Do tellr'
Eyes, he done it. You see, he was away
from home all day, and when he come back
late in the afternoon he found it COO
enough with just the winders open. But
Prue she said it would be a sight more
comfortable for her in the hot of the day
to keep the two doors open besides, and
have draught circulatin about the house
so to speak"
81 can feel for her. That's powerful
hot house" put in Mrs. Gibbs, sympatheti'
caly.
"Well you know how wire screen doors
costs? Jim he said it was enough to have
mosquito-nettin's on the winders, and they
could just keep the doors shet."
II know. That's what Lucy alluz done. y
Eyes; there's the difference. Lucy KEEP
'em shet. Prue flung 'em wide open
hitched 'em back, and when Jim come
home at night the house was swarmin
with flies and mosquitoes and June bugs
| Prue she didn't seem to mind 'em any
but Jim couldn't eat his supper count OF
havin' TO beat EN- off all the time. Couldn't
sleep at night, either, they pestered him
so. He sent man up with screen doors
the next mornin' But" Mrs. Rice con,
cluded, tying on her sun-bonnet with pre-
cision, "she may Guido him in small mat
tiers, but don't see no way of her gittin
him into paintin' that house"
Prue herself was beginning to feel somC
doubts on that point. She had preached
the subject to Jim several times, but will
no success. Her husband fatty refused u
spend any money in having the house re
painted.
at makes the blood go rushin' all ovel
my face to hear folks deridn' it and usin
it as a sort of a landmark, That house
with the paint wore off," Prue urged
with hot cheeks.
81 don't think I'd waste my time il
blushin' for house, if | was YOU" jim
returned, stoldly.
81 amt blushin' for the house." IetorteC
Prue. "Tm blushin for the man tina
owns it,"