Year: 1877

mess Of pottage her revenge had proved


Only a Joke.


A difference Of tastes in jokes is a
great strain on the affections. - George
Eliot.


] was always fond of joke" said
Uncle Moses Fuller to the friends who
had assembled to commemorate the gold
en wedding Of his good wife, Aunt Pat
ty, and himself But jokes have their
proper times and places, and that re-
minds me of little story that will re-
late to you young people, while mother
is in the other room taking down the old
china


Some Of you are married now and
some of you are likely to be at no distant
day-if there is any truth in signs or
hearsay and none of you will object to
receiving a mild lesson from an old man


was always fond of joke, as | was
saying, but | never joked my wife but
once. That was after we had been mar
ried about week, and had got nicely to
housekeeping. The old minister who
had married us and who had known us
both all our lives, and his wife, came to
make us call, and Patty urged then to
stay to to tea. They accepted the invi-
tation, so cordially given. with evident
| pleasure.


AS they were our first visitors, Patty
wanted to put her best foot forward, Of
course; so she made hot biscuit for sup
per | remember as if it were only yes
terday, how pretty she looked in her
blue home made gown, and clean, freshly
starched check apron, as she was step
ping around in her shy, quiet womanly
way, making the biscuit, looking at and
turning them in the tin baker before the
open fireplace, setting the table, and
pleasantly talking with her guests at the
same time, for we had no parlor then.


| felt quite proud of her, assure you,
when we drew our chairs around the
neatly spread and bountifully loaded ia
Bile, and just at that moment | thought
more, fear, of Parson and Mrs. Ban
croft's opinion of Patty's cooking and
housekeeping than did of the grace he
was saying. Both of our guests praised
the light, short, properly Drowned bis
cult, and Pattys girlish face flushed
with genuine pleasure as she shyly
glanced up at my face for her husband 5
approval.


But | did not speak, and presently she
asked, timidly:


L hope you like them, Moses, for
they are the first biscuits have made
since-since


Since you became Mrs. Fuller said
the parsons wife, considerably helping
out her speech.


Oh, yes, | replied, fippantly, think
ing it would not do to praise my wife be-
fore company, and not relishing the pos
sibility of losing an opportunity to get
off one Of my jokes, | like them, to be
sure; but | should hate to have anybody
throw one Of them at my head, for the
consequences might be serious.


Patty's countenance changed as if she
had received blow; and, wife-like, she
tried to throw off her ill-concealed NOR
tification at the thoughtless speech Al
though ! could find no fault with the
way she performed her duties as hostess.
noticed she ate very little of the sup
| per.


Mr. and Mrs. Bancroft started for
their home just before dark, and as was
| tucking them up in their comfortable
old chaise | thought what a happy, con
tented old couple they were When |
handed the parson the reins, after every
thing was ready, and they had biddcn
Patty good night, and she had gone
back through the gate into the yard he
leaned down toward me, and putting his
trembling hand on my shoulder, said:
/ Nj " ho,r mind bot b,,,
ished gold may be scratched and defaced
by rough usage


felt like brute all the time l was
getting the cows and milking and doing
chores When | carried into the kitchen
the brimming pals of milk, Patty was
was washing and polishing and putting
away that very china she is taking down,
and could see in the glittering twilight
that she had been crying | kissed her
impulsively with my heart in my throat,
and catching the empty water pail start
ed for the we'll | didn't make any prom
Use to anybody but myself.


The moon was shining high in the
heavens and as | ran down the bucket |
saw it reflected in the clear water at the
bottom of the round, deep we'll | felt
as if it mi ght be Patty love going down,
down, far beyond my reach, slipping
away from me forever. AS drew up
the brimming, messy bucket, the bril-
liant harvest moon was rejecting upon
that too, in broken flashes Of light,
shining up curiously from the dark
depths of the we'll hurriedly drew up
the smooth pole, feeling that ! was re-
gaining what | had come near losing


| set the overhowing bucket down
upon the soft, green grass, and let it be
until the perturbed water became still
and smooth like mirror Then looking
into it | saw the moon peaceful and calm
once more. | emptied the bucket into
my pail, and as | did so | said aloud: |
will never joke Patty again. She is gen
tie and sweet and sensitive; far too good
for rough fellow like me. will never
grievc her tender, loving heart by my
peculiar kind of joking again.


And have kept my word. We were
married fifty years ago to-day, and al
though | have had my jokes with other
pcople-jokes that they say are rather
cutting, though Uncle Moses don't
mean anything have never joked
with my wife. She has proved to be un-
alloyed gold, and thanks to the good old
parson' advice, it has not been defaced
or had its luster dimmed by rough usage.
Life is short at best, young people, and
you cannot be too careful about wound
ing the scnsibilities of those who are
nearest and dearest to you


At Sea in Il Tub.