Old Ab Drake

Oíd Ab Drake was one of the "odd sticks" that flourished in a Vermont rural ueighborhood a good many years ago. His wiíe was a meek, obedient, spiritless wouiau, over whorn Ab tyraunized for 50 years, when sbe quietly slipped out of this world. Oíd Ab's panegyrics on his dead wife's virtues were loud and long. Before the funeral he said to one of his neighbors: "She was the best woruan on the top of this earth. I jess thought the world and all of her - yes, Idid ! I always thought it, and hanged if there wan 't times wheu 1 come ruighty uear telling herso - yes, 6ir! Aud I would 'a' told her so, only I've always held, and I still hold, that it ain!t safe to praise anything that w'ars petticoats. 'Ceptiu for that, I would 'a' told 'Lizy Elleu what I thought of her