ek you hum dis time, sho' 'nuff. You
putts we-all ter fightin' an' gits heap er good men kilt off, an' yer
_you_ settin' tuck 'way safe in de bresh.'

"Den ol' Hyar' he up an' 'fess he done de hull bizness so's't de
kyountry mought be full er widdies an' he git him his pick fer a wife,
fer he 'lowed widdies wan't gwine be so p'tickler ez de gals. De
creeturs jes' natchully hilt up der han's at him, dey wuz plumb outdone.
'De owdacious vilyun!' dey ses, 'we boun' ter exescoot him on de spot
an' git shed uv 'im onct fer all.' But he baig mighty hard an' some uv
'em think he be wuss punish ef dey jes' gins 'im a good hidin' an' lets
'im live on alone, a mis'able ol' bachelder, widout no pusson ter tek
notuss uv 'im, 'kase none er de widdies wuz gwine ma'y a cowerd."

"Why, Aunt 'Phrony," said Ned, "he must have found a wife at last, for
how about Mis' Molly Hyar'?"

"Shucks!" said she, "is _I_ uver tol' you 'bout Mis' Molly Hyar'? Naw,
suh, she b'longs in dem ol' nigger tales whar Nancy tells you. De Injun
tales ain' say nuttin' 'bout no wife er his'n. He wuz too gre't a
fighter an' too full er 'havishness uver ter sottle down wid a wife; an'
now lemme finish de tale.

"Dey gin him a turr'ble trouncin' an' den turnt him aloose, an' stidder
gittin' him a wife he got him a hide dat smart f'um haid ter heels; but
w'en my daddy tell dat tale he useter een' her up dis-a-way, 'An' mebby
Hyar' git de bes' uv 'em, atter all, 'kase w'en you git a hidin', de
smart's soon over, but w'en you git a wife, de mis'ry done come ter
stay.'"

THE CO-OPERATIVE HOUSEKEEPERS[2]

BY ELLIOTT FLOWER

Ten thoughtful women, ever wise,
A wondrous scheme did once devise
For ease, and to economize.

"Cooeperation!" was their cry,
And not a husband dared deny
'Twould life and labor simplify.

One gardener, the ten decreed,
Was all the neighborhood would need
To plant and trim and rake and weed.

The money saved they could invest
As vagrant fancy might suggest,
And each could then be better dressed.

So well this worked that, on the whole,
It seemed to them extremely droll
To pay so much for handling coal.

One man all work then undertook,
And former methods they forsook,
Deciding even on one cook.

One dining-room was next in line,
Where, free from care, they all could dine
At less expense, as you'll divine.

"Two maids," they said, "