The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-11-10

collars would come in again, they're so
much less trOube-but, then, they do
make thin neck look awful scraggly.
The deacon, he talked considerable
over the revivalist over to the Cove,
and them he said something about fore
ordination, but l never sensed much
about them doctrines of his, and then
he came close up to me, and says he,
SISTER Davis, the life of a widowed
man is dreadful lonely and full of
suares and pitfalls for The feet of the
unwary.' l told him l supposed so,
but l couldn't speak from experience.
And then, l declare, if he didn't set
right down onto Bartimus, and that cat
would have been squelched to death if
l hadn't had presence of mind to ask
the deacon to get up and let me turn
the chair cushion the other side up,
for Bartimus had left some hairs on it 4,
aud the deacon had on black clothes.
"'I've got a good farm said the
deacon, and ten cows and pair of
horses, and the best meetin' wagon in
the Corners-a two-seater, SOS to ride
three or four aud not rumple up your
good clothes, and a central pew in
Elder Tuttle's meetin' house'-and so
be went on just rs if he was a-giving in
his inventory to the assessors. And
says he, the children are all out of the
way except the baby. You wouldn't
object to the baby, would you, Mary
Amp
" Good landl says / to myself, "the
man must be out of his head and l
got him a glass of my currant wine to
steady his brain; but when he had
taken it he he went right OIL never
thought to marry again, Sister Davis,
but my life is dreadful lonesome, and
l need somebody TO see after my
clothes. These pantaloons that I've
got on now ought to have something
done to the knees of 'em. And speak
ing of clothes reminds me that my third
lamented wife was about your size, Sis
ter Davis, and she left behind her a
goodly store of raiment, and no doubt
you could fix it over SOS it would last
for considerable spell. And it stands
the best of US in hand to be frugal,
Sister Davis, and gather up the frag-
ments so that nothing be lost
"And says i, Deacon Popham, why,
Deacon Popham,' and felt as faint as
/ did when our chimney burned out
and liked to have set the house on fire.
Yes, every atom as faint, Bartimus
Toots."
Bartimus rolled over on the other
side, but made no audible response.
"Aud just then, in walked Loizy
Williams to borrow the ironing board,
and she always stays all the afternoon
when she comes to borrow anything,
and everybody at the Corners knows it,
and the deacon he got right up when
she come, and said he guessed he'd be
a-going, but he'd come over Wednes-
day to see what thought about what
he'd spoke Of"
And this is how affairs stood at the
time we introduce Mary Ann to oul
readers. She had given great deal Of
time and thought to the subject of the
bread and the deacon, and suddenly il
! flashed across her that in all troubles
and perpleXities people generally APP
piled to their minister for advice.
And how providential it was tina
Elder futile was coming TO tea. Mary
Ann did the best she could with the
bread of the last baking, and resolved
to conide in Elder Tuttle as regard
lIC dNuSOhs
So when they were comfortably
seated at the table and the elder haC
craved blessing, and had done ample
Justice to the cake and the doughnuts
and was busy with his mjnce pie--fo
Harden's Corners had not yet arrived
at the stage of culture when pie at sup
per was looked upon as relic of bar
barism-Mary Ann told the reverence
gentleman that Deacon Popham ha,
proposed to her.
The pie was excellent, and it was al
off day with his dyspepsia, 80 the eide
felt that he might venture to indulg
himself little, and he passed up hi
plate for second piece before he re
piled.
"Well, Sister Davis, the deacon is al
exemplary man, but the question a
issue is, do you love him well enoug
to promise to honor and obey him unit
dea h does you partP"
"-I'm afraid l don't Elder futile.
81 tell you what, Sister Davis" sal
the elder, no doubt inspired by the pie
"lets you and join ourselves in wed
lock, and that will be answer enoug
for the deacon"
"Oh, good gracious, Elder Tuttle,
cried Mary Ann, and feeling, as sh