Year: 1875

| SSosNO - bS"oSsNO uOS0HNOs


EVERYBODY said that esquire" Hall
was lucky man. No matter how un-


promising the season, he always had


something to sell. His large and fertile


farm showed careful culture; his stock


never grew lean for the want of food aiid


shelter; and last, but not least, he never


left his farming implements lying around
exposed to the weather-in fact, he was
held up to he model farmer in every


respect.


The Squire stood very high in the esti-
nation of his neighbors, but not more so
than he did in his own. He was lord and


master not only of his farm, but of his
entire household, from his wife down to
Rover, his dog, including hired man and
the half-dozen scions of the house of
Hall. He sold all the products and made
all the purchases for the family without
consulting anyone's wishes but his own.
And what was worse, he had very dis
agreeable habit of grumbling whenever
| called upon to replenish the sugar box
| or tea-canister.


We now present him to our readers,
standing with corrugated brows wiping
his hands on the huge roller towel. His
wife with the air of a culprit had just in
formed him that the tea was out, aud the
coffee and sugar nearly so.


"You don't say So" he exclaimed
wrathfully; "that's always the cry; if
'taint one thing it's another. Idon't see
where everything goes to that's brought
into this house. If this extravaganza is
kept up much longer We'll all have to 90
to the poor-house. The drought ruined
the hay crop, and cut down the corn to a
half crop. The bugs ate the potatoes up,
and the last wind-storm blowed nearly all
the apples off; but no matter whether
we have anything to sell or not, there is
always enough to be bought"


The Squire finished his TRADE by TAX
ing his seat at the well-filled breakfast
table, where he solaced himself by
drinking four cups of strong coffee,
well sweetened with sugar, that proved
conclusively that he preached economy
better than he practiced it, He dis
patched his breakfast in grim silence,
! and then mounted his horse and rode
down to the "Corners," to the grocery.
Mrs. Hall MIXED cows, fed calves,
pigs and chickens, washed dishes, made
beds, got the children ready for school,
and did thousand and one other things
that fall to the lot of farmers wife.
And while her hands were busy hermind
was employed alse. She felt her heart
swell with indignation when she looked
back over the fifteen years of her mar
ried life-years of hard and never-ending
toil-and remembered that she had never
made household want known without
being lectured for it, as if she had COM
mitted some capital offense.


"I'll never ask for another pound of
groceries while live" she mentally ex-
claimed, dashing the hot tears passion
ately from her eyes.


II do my duty faithfully under all cir
cumstances, and l won't be treated like a
dog any longer. will have little self
respect, anyhow"


The Squire returned in a couple
hours and laid three diminutive package,
on the kitchen table with the air of one
giving SO many drops of his hearts
blood. Mrs. Hall made no remark, but
smiled to herself when she noticed the
limited quantity her liege lord had sup
piled. The week passed by quietly, and
Saturday morning the Squire came from
the corn-field with huge pumpkin, and
told his wife he wanted some pumpkin
pies made and an early dinner got, for
there was to be political meeting at
the school-house, and he was going.
Political meetings were the 'Squire's
hobby; he was a hOt-headed partisan,
and there was nothing he enjoyed better
than seeing his political opponents
"chawed up" as he rather inelegantly
expressed it.


Promptly at the hour appointed for
the meeting Squire Hall was ON the
spot dressed in his Sunday best, his face
beaming with expectancy. He was
chosen Chairman, and for three hours
Judge Brown and Lawyer Smith, from
the county seat, entertained the audience
by telling stale jokes and denouncing
the opposing candidates as set of
thieves, liars and cut throats, and declar.
ing that the ship of State would surely
founder among the breakers with such
men as they at the helm, all of which
was eagerly swallowed by the worthy
Chairman, who, when the meeting ad-
journed, invited the speakers home with
him to supper. The Squire secretly
prided himself on his Widespread table
and his wife's skillful housekeeping,
and his motive in inviting the Judge and
lawyer home with him was to "show
them town chaps" how q well-to-do
farmer lived at home. He found sup
per on the table awaiting his coming,
and without more ado conducted his VS.
itors into the spacious kitchen and seated
them at the supper table.


Mrs. Hall smihngly took her seat ct
the head Of the table, and while she was
engaged In pouring out the coffee, and
the squire cutting meat and passing the
Ibresd, Judge Brown opened coaveFDation