Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-12
Author of 'Rebecca of Supnybrook Farm

one you We picked out afOre you IN he
I your good savin's and go TO buildin' d
bigger place for herr
I've asked her once Already" Ce-
I phas allowed with a burning face. II
don't s'pose you know the one l
meanE
NO kind of an fdee." responded his
father with quizzical wink that was
lost on the young man. as his eyes
were fixed upon his whiting. Does
she belong to the village:"
II amt Goin' to let folks know who
I've picked out till l git little mite
forrarder." responded Cephas craftily.
Say, father. it's all right 10 ask girl
twice. amt it?"
Certain It is, my son. 1 never heerd
there was any special limit TO the num-
Der O. times you could ask 'em. and
their power o. sayin' No IS like the
mercy Of the Lord-it endureth for
ever. You wouldn't consider a wilder.
Cephas? A widder'd be n good com
p'ny keeper for your mother"
Il hain't put my good savin's into
an ell Jest to marry a comp'ny keeper
for mother" responded Cephas huffily.
II want to be No. with my girl and
! FLdLl AlSnA IL vi hcA "
suit me-"
We'll, If trainin' g your object you'd
better take my advice an keep IL dark
before marriage, Cephas. It's astonish-
in how the female sect despises bein'
trained. 1t don't hardly seem to be in
their nature TO make any changes in
'emselves after they once gifts started"
How are you goin' to live with 'em,
then?" Cephas inquired. looking up
with interest coupled with some in
credulity.
Let them do the trainin'," respond
ed his father. peacefully putting out
the words with his pipe between his
lips. Some of ems mild and gentle
in discipline like Parson Boone's wife
or Mis- Timothy Grant. and others is
strict and firm like Your mother and
Mis- Abel Day. II you happen TO git
the first kind. why, do rs they tell you.
and thank the Lord faint any worse.
II You git the second kind Jest let 'em
put the blinders on you and trot as
straight ms you know how. without
Shyin' nor kickin' over the traces. nor
bOltin'. cause they've got control o
the bit and faint no use hGhtin' ag'in'
their superior strength. So fur as you
can Judge. in the early stages o the
game. my son-which amt very fur
which kind have you picked Out:"
Cephas Whitfield on for some mo-
ments without Il word. but finally. with
sigh drawn from the very toes of
his boots. he responded Gloomily:
shes awful spunky. the girl is; any
body can see that: but she's a young
thing. and thought bein' marrir!
would kind o. tame her DOWN.
"You can see how much marriage
has tanned your mother down" observ-
ed UNCLE Bart dispassionately. How
somever. though your mother can't be
called tame. she's got her good p'ints.
for she's always to be counted on. TIL"
great thing in life, as take it Cephas.
Is 10 know exactly what to expect
Your mothers Een'ally credited with
an ousartin temper, but folks does her
great injustice in so thinkin'. for in |
long experience I've seldom come |
across temper less onsartin than /
your mothers. You know exactly |
where TO ind her every mornin at |
sunup and every night at shutdown. |
There amt nothin' you can do to pug |
her ont o temper. cause she's all out |
lrOrehand. NOu can jest go about |
your rc.'lar business 'thout any fear |
" diSiurbin' her any further than she's
disturbed ready. which * conSid'ra-
BILE ] don't mind IL II mite nowadays
though. after forty years OF it IL /
would kind o gall me TO keep n stiddy
watch OF n females disposition day by l
law. wOnderin' when she WAS goin tC 4
have a tantrum. A tantrum once
years an awful upsettiD' kind or
Thing in "A family. my son. but tan
.rum every .twenty-four hours is Jest
part O. the days work" There was a
silence. during which Uncle
Bart puffed his pipe aud Cephas whit
led. after which the old man contin-
led: Then II you happen 10 marry
temper like your mothers. Cephns.
ook what n pow'ful worker you gem
Ally get! Look ut the way they sweep
IN dust an scrub an clean, Watch
EN- when they go NJ the dish washin'
IN how they whack the roIlin' pin an
maui the eggs an heave the wood into
he stove an slat the flies out o. the
rouse. The mild and gentle ones like
Y enough will be settin' In the kitchen
ecker readln' the almanac when there
,in't no wood In the kitchen box. no
ioughnuts in the crock. no pies on the
wing shelf IN the cellar an the young
mes COin' round without second
1hift To- their backs
Cephas' mind was far away during
his philosophical dissertation ON the
ways OF women. He could see only
.unny head fairly roting with curls.
iair OF eyes that held his Ike magnets.
although they never gave him II glance
u love: smile that lighted the world
ar better than the sun. n dimple into
which his heart fell headlOng when J