Year: 1868

I


be little acquainted, and find out
that there are two wills and two sets
of habits to fit somehow. 1t takes
them anywhere from one year to three
to get jostled down together. As for
smoothing off, there's more or less of
that to be done always.


Well, didn't sleep very we'll that
night, dropping into maps and waking
up. The baby was worrying over
his teeth every halfhour, and Nancy
getting up to walk him off to sleep
in her arms,-it was the only way
you wousd be hushed up, and you'd
lie and yell till somebody did it. sr


Now, it wasn't many times since
we'd been married that I'd let her do
that thing all night long. | used to
have a way of getting up to take my
turn and sending her off to sleep. 1t
isn't a mans business, some folks say (;
| dQ't know anything about that !;
mayAe, if I'd been broiling my brain
in book learning all day till night
comes, and l was hard put to it to
get my sleep anyhow, like the parson
there, it wouldn't; but all | know is,
what if had been breaking my back
in the potato-patch since morning ? so
she'd broken hers over the oven; and
what if did need nine hours sound
sleep? | could chop and saw with
out it next day, just as we'll as she
could do the ironing, to say nothing
of my being great stout fellow
there want chap for ten miles round
with my muscle-and she with those
blue veins on her forehead. How
somever that may be, l wasn't used
to letting her do it by herself, and so
| lay with my eyes shut and pretended
to be asleep; for didn't feel like
giving in and speaking up genlle, not
about that nor anything else.


| could see her though, between
my eyelashes, and l lay there, every
time [ woke up, and watched her
walk back and forth, up and down
with the heavy little fellow in her
arms all night long.


Sometimes, Johnny, when Tn gone
to bed now of q winter night, | think
| see her in her white nightgown with
her red plad shawl around the baby
walking up aud down. shut my
teyeS, but there she is, and | open
them again, but | see her all the same
| was off very early in the morn
! ing: | don't think it could have beer
much after three o'clock when | woke
up. Nancy had my breakfast all laiC
out over night, except the coffee, anc
we had fixed. it that | was to make uE
the fire, and get off without waking
her, if the baby was very bad. A
least that was the way l wanted it
but she stuck to it she should be up
that was before there had been any
words between us.


The room was very gray and still
| remember just how it looked, will
Nancy clothes on the chair, and the
baby's shoes Wing round. She haC
got him off to sleep in the cradle, anc
had dropped into a nap, poor thing
with her face as white as the shee
from watching.


| | stopped when l was dressed, halt
way out of the room, and looked
round at tit was so white, Johnny
1t would be a long time before
should see it again-fve months were
long time then there was the risk
coming down in the freshets, and the
words I'd said last night. | thought
you see, if I'd kiss it once-I needn'
wake her up-maybe | should 90 off
feeling better. So stood there look
ing, she was lying so still, / couldn'
see any more stir to her than if she
had her breath held in. | wish | haC
done, it Johnny, | can't get over wish
ing had done it yet. But | was jus
too proud, and | turned round ant
went out, and shut the door. t


We were going to meet down al
tie post office, the whole gang of us
and | had quite spell to walk.
was going in on Bob Stokes team.
remember how fast | walked with my
hands in my pockets, looking along
up at the stars, the sun was putting
them out pretty fast, and trying no
to think of Nancy. But | didn'
think Of anything else.


1t was so early that there WASH
many folks about to see us off; bu
Bob Stokes wife, she lived nigh th,
Office, just across the road, she wa,
there to say good by, kissing of him
and crying on his shoulder. | don
know what difference that shoulC
make with Bob Stokes, but | snapped
him up well when he came along anC
said good morning.


There were twenty-one of US just
on that gang, In on contract TO
Dove and Beadle. Dove and Beadl,
did about the heaviest thing on wood
land OF anybody about that time
Good, steady men we were, most of
US, none of your blundering Irish
that wouldn't know a maple from
hickory, with gin-bottle in thei
pockets, but our solid, Down-Eas
Yankee heads, owning their farms al
along the river, with schooling enougl
to know what they were about lee
tion day. You didn't catch any of a
voting your new tangled tickets whel
we had meant to 60 up on Whig, foI
want of knowing the difference, no
visa vussy. To say nothing of BoI
CtaIrao IL Al