Year: 1865

building new house, SO your husband
will have to have a new wife too"


The subject was talked over rather
earnestly. But it seemed such an inno-


walton on their, or rather on Mr.. Craw-


ford's life, for such thing as help had


not been needed since their boy, now


fourteen years old, was baby, and then,


though he was not a penurious man, yet


the cellar had cost so much more than if
il had been pleasant weather, and paint


was higher, and they must save what they


could to give their boy a start in the


world. Couldn't she manage it some


how? Give the men more potatoes and


other vegetables, and not work so hard


to make cakes and pies. And SO the


good wife-good as the verdict of halfth


world goes, who had never a thought


contrary to her husbands wishes and in


terests, leaned over to humor the pain in


her side, that now caught her so often,


and with a cheerful smile said the sum-


mer was more than half gone, and if she


could pass through the first part without


help, she was sure she could the last, she


could have all winter to rest in, and SO


the subject was dropped.


1t was one of the last days of Novem>


Der, dull and gray, and stormy, as the
one in which our story opened, and for


the first day in seven months, the table


was laid for four persons and as the


kettle sung again upon the stove waiting


for the entrance of the men, Mrs. Craw-


ford leaned over the heap of carpeting


piled up under the window, and gave the


last stitches to long seam. The sixty


yards of carpeting were finished. Enough


for the dining room, the back chamber
and two bedrooms, and made up ready
to tack down at an early day. The new
house that night was finished too Tall
and stately in proportions, the walls and
ceilings of the parlor white as snow, and
the sittins-room neatly grained and pa
pered and the kitchen opening into it,
convenient with its low sinks, and cup.
boards. and painted floors, all worthy of
the patient hands that for long years had
worked for the funds for its completion.


The next week the furniture must be
moved, and the carpets tackled down, and
the old house moved away" talked Mr..
Crawford to his wife, as she almost for
the first time snice early spring, sat down
by his side with idle hands, and gazed
into the Goals that sparkled on the hearth.
well for my part I am glad it is over
with; and now we can enjoy it, and
visit some, Are the carpets all ready "


"Ye,, TO the last stitch


"WeIl, I would like to see a smarter
woman than you, LYDIA" and he play
fully touched her cheek, as be gave the
praise so dear TO every woman's heart
six hired men steadily all summer be
sides extra ones, and sixty yards Of car.
pelng. Just think of Mrs. Read She
bad a girl and often hired her washing
done. Simon Burt was telling me about t
It, and he worked there, when they built t
heir house and it is over year now, {
and be has not cleared himself from debt c
yet, and we are square to night. It's '
ucky chance that 1 did not choose her S
instead of you, as l fear should have c
lone if your father had not moved into v
he place in just the right time. But
where is the newspaper wife ?" a


And Mr.. Crawford took it from her Y
land, and settled back to enjoy it, while e
he, perhaps more from habit than neces o
ity, uurolled her knitting, and tried TO S
.eep awake by giving herself a stint as b
Ter mother used to DO for her, when she d
vas a child. b


1t was a beautiful winter day. The
Ieighing excellent, and the air clear and V
rosty, and brimmed with the elixir of tt
fe. The trees and bushes were full of b
pangles Of ice, lit up by the sun, and the b
now sparkled bright, as if sifted with lie
earls. Sleigh bells jingled in all di- ST
ections, and horses arched their necks, to
nd proudly skinned the beaten roads, m
) if-for that day at least-they were SO
Hers of the pleasure Of the world. BIT
There was nothing for Mr.. Crawford W
do. His house was built, his wood fe
iwed and split, and piled in the wood CO
ouse, and his cattle were watered and
d, and as be urged his wife, it was pre- sh
1sterous to settle down by the stove on ch
lch day, and they must have a sleigh MI
de. ia
"Where can we go? / was over to so
ther's last week." was questioned, as fir
Ie pauses beside him for an answer. he
an