Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-09-25
MINNIE'S PATIENCE.

L a
bright story lriln my zen, and to that end
! had "aYiar..i my brain ny every device in
my roo..r Ia vain had i scrutinizcd the
1aces Of ran.. and Life and other suggest
i've periodicals or that il!i, but no idea
came. The red pods OF the Towering bean
tapped gently against the open window,
and the yellow leaves of the cherry lazlly
fioatoG ri-t ,,,uld, whose action my slug
cish r'inH =. ".i-}".t't Init eh.
The J. ti,1-r u:.i .t..c l,.tl cr2ckled
and hla.t, risky. t1fint i5S u"st not to
feel lost 'r 90, ID. tuc goat. old
fashioned "hjuncy, lo. the carl, t;.,umn
mornin, = IN e Tennessee hills were cool
enough talu,.c small fire welcome, espe-
ciallt 50 as country people in that climate
are loath 40 keep closed doors So the door
to the porch stocd open, and opposite that
was the Kitchen door, also open, allowing
the odors of an appctizing breakfast unre-
strained aduittancc.
l leaned against the high mantol study
ing tie hrr With that peculiar, downcast
feeling tai;t comes to one seeking inspira-
ton and finding circumstances utterly ad
verse.
Finally the ardirons rivctcd my attcn-
tion-thc anlirous that Minnie had secured
the day before till they shone as bright as
the glowing logs they upheld, and the
andirors together with the sound of the
quick, li.-Et steps Of the girl in the kitchen
busiiy preparing the morning meal, led my
mind CYcr the recent events at the farm
house.
Few girls Would have managed IA high
tempered, dcminccring, selfish old father
so well as Mimic did, and, to my mind,
she deserved her success.
Minnie WAS in love with an honest coun-
try lad. and it happened that her father did
not approve Of him, or pretended he did
not. He could raise no objection to the
young man : character nor to his steady
plodding life. but he was slow, "all fired
slow, 80 rr'w!cd Minnir's father. Besides
his family amt mach. an his farm ain t
with The S'rapin OF Il plOw Minnie could
do better Reap better Anyhow, there
amt no ca.l fer her to jump at such II
chance. con-id2. in she ain t 20, an since her
ma died l can't git along without her, -
was the ere phatic comment of that usually
taciturn man, offered to me in return for
word l had spoken with the intention of
casting a stone from Minnc's path
Well, of course, it was none of my bust
ness, though / couldn't help being inter
ested in the girl Minnie lad borne pa
tiently with hcr father, for, several times
before Hiram 5 advent, her company had
been shown by Unnlistakabe signs that it
was Useless to settle to anything like regu-
lar business; but Hiram staying qualities
seemed unu~uul Besides, Minnie liked
him.
One night after her father had signifi-
cantlv wound the clock ana made other
preparations for retiring, and, seeing no
disposition in the young man to do like
wise, he sloVl ~ turned out the light With
out a word Minuic Immediately relit it
and repaired with her young man to the
wide hall Her father followed with his
pipe, smoked for awhile, then yawncd
ominOusly, and finally fell into state that
admitted the stance of an unearthly
snorc, whi. orly served to give the young
people an excuse flr drawing nearer each
other and couyersiug in whispers.
That aurclcd the old man, who started
rp. li.',rH the dog until lie howled. and
in his c..,iA-v ~ amt t. eject the animal
lnana.rI rs tucu over the lamp. setting
fire t.. O. hm, t-or. A bucket Of water
did i,- 4 g. 40 tie accompai incnt Of all
sorts Oh iltc ...c. AID crow lin4s about
"vnuna .As what didn't have 10 better
sense III t.. 1T lr-.d an burn coal oil
enu.gh ter go % iu.n in dcbt. an try ter
burn tnc i.oueo d3wl ter boot"
Hiram },4- iou-,J 1T last, his eyes
rlcai.cG ac>tc-,,Gt rw.rd withananprv
ciacuiltiD,,. ou,. liiuni. quickly iltc.cept
ID N,ilh e cn..,.aatin-. pcetagc and the
trtrcaty: Don't say word to daddy. Go
on, On .cr ,i,. q ..ry "r IN co,:e in or
1nirc,l .,cr. 4.Jd,. SIC br-.n. ,.L;niro-
VIZ contru. i.tr .c.-clf. We kin how tAe
fire. an the light, the l.lu. AN the hui
huusc-thc -.I!cry is good enough fer me
an Hiram. hut Of We Grhe him away from
that win go too. 90
The od farmer gazcd stupidly at his
daughter. She evidently meant what she
said. and he was net prepared To carry hos
Utilities further that nignt 80 he utterod mo
word as she shut the ,ioor behind her
carefully avoiding slamnling it. but it
closed nevertheless with Il certain emphasis.
Hiram kept up his visits regularly for
molo than year and though the father