202 THE TIM BUNKEK PAPERS. 



. 59. TIM BUNKER ON THE COST OF PRIDE. 



&quot;Father, have you seen the Agriculturist?&quot; asked 

 Sally, as she handed her second baby to her mother and 

 the paper to me. I had been to the post-office that after 

 noon, and had not had a chance to look at it, even if I 

 had been in the house long enough to do it. This is gen 

 erally the way; the women have the first cut. I have 

 known Mrs. Bunker to leave a batch of dough she was 

 mixing to read the paper, and that, I guess, is about the 

 last thing a house-keeper ought to leave, especially if the 

 yeast is good. 



You see it so happened that Sally and her children came 

 over from Shadtown that afternoon, to make us a little 

 visit. She has always been good about coming home, and 

 since John has been gone to the war we have seen more 

 of her than usual, which is very thoughtful in her. 



&quot; Well no, I haven t. What is in the wind now ? &quot; 



&quot; Just read what a Western Farmer says about your 

 taking lessons in spelling. You see you get great credit 

 for my correcting your letters.&quot; 



&quot; Credit, girl ! The man is poking fun at me for writing 

 out of character. I knew it would come to this, if you 

 and the printers didn t let my spelling alone.&quot; 



I have never told the public what lots of trouble I have 

 about these letters, being a modest man, and not caring 

 to push my private matters into notice. Folks are so aw 

 ful proud nowadays that everything has to be fixed up 

 before it can show itself, from a baby s dress to a Presi 

 dent s proclamation. They even find fault with Lincoln s 

 State papers, because the rhetoric isn t quite tall enough, 

 and the grammar don t alwuys break joints. I m expect 

 ing nothing else but they ll get out a new edition of the 



