Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-04-21
M 7 3 G e L l. A nv z.
From the Nantucket Inquirer.
JOHNNY BEEDLE'S THANKSGIv

81 say" says /, " Hannah sposen
we keep thanksgivin' to home this
year," says |, and invite all our hull
grist of cousins and aunts and things
go the hull figure and do the thing
genteel.
"Well, agreed" says she, " its jist
what | was thinkin' only | consate
we'd better not cackelate to far ahead
for didn't never know it to miss of
something happenin' so sure as | laid
out for the leastest thing. Though it's
good time, for's | know, as ANY,
for I've just weaned Moses, and tend
to take comfort spell, cause trou-
blesomera and cryiner critter niver came
into life"
Exactly so" says |, "and if I'd a
known every thing afore | was marri-
ed that | do now"-says +
"Hold your tongue for a goney,
Johnny Beedle," says she' " and mind
your thanksgivin'."
"Poh," says |, Hannah don't be milf
fly, | was only jestin'-and you jist go
and put on a kettle o water, and I'll
go out and stick pig for you two if
like"-so away went, and murdered
the pigs out O. love and good will to
Hannah. | rather guess the critters
wished | warnt so good natured.
Well--things went on swimmingly,
and what was the best of all, we had
the luck to invite the minister and dea-
con before any body else had chance,
for the very day the proclamation was
read,I watched for 'em comm out of
meetin' and nailed 'em both. But as |
was tellin' Hannah she went at it
she got some of her gals to help her,
and they made all smoke. In the first
place, she went to work reglar, and
turned the house inside out, and then
tother side in again, all the same as
darning stockin'. Hannah is smart
willn' gal-and raal worker-and a
prime cook into the bargain let her
alone in the dough nut line. and for
pumpkin pies-lick
So the day afore thanksgivin' she
called me into the tother room, that
marin Peabody christened the parlor,
to see what lot ofpies and cakes and
sausagemeat and doughnuts, she'd got
made up, and charged me not to lay
the weight of my finger upon one on
'em. tell'd her guessed she cacke-
lated to call in the whole parish, pau
pers and all, to eat up SIGH sight of
vittles; so | grabbed handful of
doughnuts and went out to feed the
hogs and things in the field. | was
gone all the fore part Of the day, and
when went home, found Hannah all
hoitey toitey in livin' pucker, cryin'
and takin' on to kill, and poor little
Moses tottlin' arter her and cryin' too.
declare, if didn't feel streaked.
"What in the name O nature" says
l., 3" is the matter, who's dead, and
what's to pay now?'
With that she fetched a new screech
and down she whopt into cheer
"Johnny Beedle, Johnny" says she,
and with that she boo hood agin.
"What ails the woman" says |, care
you possest, or what!'
"The child is ruined" says she,-
+" Moses Beedle is ruined"
kitched up the child and turned
him eend for eend every which way,
but | COUNT see nothin' extraordina-
ry. | begun TO think the woman was
bewitced-and by thistime had a good
mind to feel mad. don't know ofno-
thin that'd raise a feller's dander quick
err than 10 skeer him out Of his seven
senses. So | gin Hannah regular
breezin' for actin 80 like ravin' dis
tracted bed bug and what with jaw
in and coaxin' spell, | at last got the
whole ont out other.
1t appears that about an hour, or
Whereabouts, arter I'd gone out, there
was a man rode up to the door horse
back, got down, come in and asked for
drink o. water or beer, | amt sartn
which-but any how, he was a real
dandifed lookin' chap and dreadful ci-
vii spoken withal. So my wife and
he soon got into a chat about the wea-
Their and sicha. Well, while he set,
the young one squalled in the room
he'd been asleep you know with his
mornin's nap my wife went and ietch~
ed him into the room, and she obsar-
we'd that the man looked considerable
hard at him, as if he see something
queer though she didn't think nothln'
at the time, but recollected 1t alter
wards. She was quite tckled to see
the man take him and set him on his
knee but while he was playing with
him-Moses is raal peeler, ne amt
afraid of the biggest stranger that ever
was, but directly he fell to PAWN his
head in such comical style, and talk
in to himself-and withal acted so GU