Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-05-28
1.-The Stage Didn't Stop"
A Good Old-Fashioned Yankee Story
of the Season.

narrow window OF her small L kitchen
gazing out into the gloomy, gray No
yember twilight. Some people said
that the kitchen and the window were
typical of the Wheelers, small and
narrow, for although the house was
large and convenient and tastcfulIy
furnished with old substantial heir
looms in the way of chairs, tables,
highboys and cowboys and goose
feather beds, Mr.. and Mrs. Wheeler
lived almost entirely III the L.
Mrs. Wheeler fancied that she was
not very well, and Mr.. Wheeler was
certainly very far from being a cheer
full man, and she when found in the
kitchen was wont to make excuse that
somehow she felt less all entirely
alone by herself when she was near
the broad fireplace and the cistern,
where she could hear the fire roar and
snap and the water run, for all those
homelv sounds went TO make things
seem more sociable.
oh, dear me SUI. Tomorror's
Thanksgiving" size said to the old dog
snoring upon the braided rug at her
feet the old dog Schodine who had
been her conidant for 50 many years
that he was lame and gray and en-
tirely deaf. And there amt a house
in the whole Mill valley neighbOrhOOd,
from poor Widow Towards to Esquire
Bronson's, where they won't have
company, and at Brother EnOch's
there's great goings on because Jane
home from the west Painting, they
say, and even sticking paper with
all over the parlor, jest as they do in
houses down Springfield and Cabot
way.
Roses and liIys and Vilets. 1t must
look beauterful there's never been
anything like it in these parts afOre,
and all on account er Jane Eliza.
Wall, truth ter tell, if she was my
darter | should wanter do sunthing
extra. 1 hain't no doubt, but Ephrum
wouldn't. It's the strangest thing,
but Eph won't never Go nothin' for
nobody specially fur me, tho the
land knows he was glad enough to get
me but we have lived here alone so
long and no comp'ny that he's some
how got settled down TO stayin' alone
Il don't spose now, that he'll even
kill a chicken for dinner tomorrow,
and Schodine will have to run the
gauntlet OF the neighborhood for bones,
poor fellow, and just down there to
the head of the street TO brother
Enoch's they've got everything and
are going to have everything else.
1T does beat all how different
brothers, and twins at that, can be.
Turkeys an cranberry sass! On, how
It's foolish, and wuss, it's wicked
ter quarrel with your own flesh and
blood but then, what can be dId? |
amt no hand ter complain, buo
tWouId be kinder nice to live more
like Other folks, and I've been think
in a good deal lately that may be
folks amt any more pGospered than
they would be if they didn't look out
fur number one quite 50 careful
that | want to say anything agin
Eph and his ways, being as he's my
husband.
Now, over to Enochs they have al
ways been looking out for everybody,
and the house is always full and they
use it right along, and no ell. | don't
see fur the life Of me how Matilda gets
along without an ell.
She hain't never seen mine, and |
don't suppose she ever thinks OF me
anyway. She cant have no Time! On,
dear me SUI
Contrary to all these suppositions,
Mrs. Wheeler at the head OF the street
looked down through the valley and
said:
Poor Editha! No doubt she is sit
ting there in her little cramped ell
without a thought of Thanksgiving.
As likely as not she don't know as it
comes tomorrow.
Il don't know as they take paper,
and if they did she would as likely as
not be too stingy to buy glasses to
read it, and her stingy old husband
would consider it lost time. How can
he be so different from Enoch, and
they twin brothers,
Il don't see what the poor things do
with themselves there i'll that great
house. l don't suppose piece OF fur
niture has been moved for years. and
I don't suppose poor Editha has even
heard how we are fixing up because
our Jane Eliza is coming home.
Poor, dear child how tired she and
the children viii be, 1t is so hard
riding in a stage coach hour after
hour
1t makes me all Of culver when I
think how | shall feel when the stage
really stops at the gate. not but what
the stage stops often enough, but then
it doesn't bring Jane Eliza, dear,
sweet, precious child! There never
was any one like her never!
Il should think Editha would want
to see her, even if she don't want to
see me. and that she would invite her
over to make visit but she won't,
and our darling will come and go and
her aunt my own sister. and her
uncle, her fathers twin brother, will
never set eyes on her-because they
never so to church-they don't have
time. oh, my goodness. I'm out of
all manner of patience with EN- both.
Well, at the best, its miserable
business being at variance with ones
own people, but there's one thing l
never thought l was TO blame about
it. The money she wanted she's got
and has shut herself up with it, and if
she'd rather have it than to have
friends | hone she's satisfied