Year: 1871

me his best one, and though it was prett.
large, managed by wrapping my hand
kerchief around my head. Becky Reed
was in the yard, and she said if she founC
my hat, she'd bring it over, and if
weren't at home, she'd stay and do tn,
milking. [ was going to have little
more talk with her, but heard the othel
girls snickering and it upset me complete
| ly.,'


"Oh, Ephraim, the whole town will be
laughing about you | know"


Oh, no mother, there's no occasion
for in all these places L never said a word
to any one about marrying, and then you
know | passed it off as though | really
did have business with the men folks"


But what possessed you to ask such
strange questions? Why didn't you leave
all those things to time p


No time like the present to settle points
which might make trouble for us if left to
the future. At my age | wasn't going to
ask any girl to marry me without knowing
her views. When got out Of sight oI
Reeds house | sat down on the wall and
tried to settle whether | would give it ur
and 20 home or what had better do. /
thought of all the hard work ! had done
on this place, and OF what you said last
night, that you'd settle everything upon
Solomon if / didn't marry in a month, and
be nothing but a child, and not fit to be
trusted with clearing up the land, so, late
as it was, and hungry and tired as ! felt
/ walked over to the widow Sater's. The
children came out to meet me; they had
been crying because their mother had been
ordered to have the house empty in a fort
nights time. As soon as they told me,
saw what my duty was, and why my way
had been hedged up all the day | staid
an hour, and we agreed upon everything,
and so | think your trials are about over,
mother, for she's going to marry me as soon
as ever we can be published.


" She for conscience sake Who DO
you mean for the widow has three girls
who have put on long dresses and taken
10 doing up their hair


Why, mother, tits the widow herself.
though if Id thought oft Ia asked Ma
randa some questions, but tbs too late now
the bargain is made, and when once | have
the widow and her seven children here no.
body can complain OF my not having a
family. think have been lead to great
usefulness


To great toolishnes you had better say.
How am l to live with all those children
running wild round here, and Solomon will
be flirting with those grown up girls
Dear me, if your father had only lived,
and there'd been some head here, you
wouldn't have tried me So


" No mother, promise you about the
flirting I'm going to do better than that, T.
said Solomon,


The promise sounded little mysterious
to Ephraim and his mother, but the expla-
nation came soon enough, for Solomon was
missing one day, as was the widow Slater 5
daughter Maranda and when they re-
turned Solomon presented his wife to the
family, saying that he'd given his word
to his mother that he wouldn't firt, and
he was bound to keep it, if it killed him.


The last we heard Of tue widow she was
q tired about what relations Solomon 5
children Will De 10 EpuraIm aud Ills wife.
And though Ephraim has been chosen dea-
con, yet with such a mixed up state of
things at hume, aho Is Of tho o opinion that
her trials have only just begun.