The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1843-05-16

would keep US out In the piue woods, or
down by the river side, with her mother,
all day long. We should certainly wear
our sun bonneis, and keep our shoes on,
should never go down 10 the water unless
she were with US, no, climb the rocks 10
tear our dresses, nor carry turf in our
aprons TO dam up the spring, as We had
done once when company was expected
10 short, she promised all sorts Of good be.
hayior for US and 10 DO ourselves Justice,
we seldom brought her into disgrace by
very gIaring misconduct. In truth, '
found the young girl SO much more &C.
able than mlscblet--so womanlv I" "ei
control over our wild spirits, ap-9e. SO joy
ously chIldhke, that we hadh"se desire 10
60 beyond her presence.
Ida usually pre'Ailed, and always, as
our mother ins;ssed, for the last time
The next week We should certainly 90 10
school. No matter, we were very wiling
10 let the morrow provide for itself; besldos
We had heard that same promise so often
before, that consent would have seemed uh'
natural without L.
Halfway between our house sad the
falls, WHICH our readers viii fsd described
10 the story Of MalluR array, was ~
lie green hollow 0rooklet ran through il
lin tbe snrins season, and even when there
was no later, thousand blae eyed voleis
sbe.an azure tinse along the moist aud
rich grass which formed is bed: while IN
suly and August the upper cover Of the
bank was covered with golden tuyercups;
and few straw berries ghl be found where
the sunshine came most frequently, embed
ded like Tubles in the velvet grass. 0ue
extremity Of this hollow sloped gently down
TO the rivers brink, while the upper end
was guarded by q singular old button
wood tree. The rude ,runk rose upward
/ four or five feet, when it made sudden
bend like the elbow OF man arm, ran
parallel with The earth, perhaps three feet
more, and then shot toward the sky
straight as an arrow, and lis smooth, white
and fantastic boughs, which doomed high
up in the air, seemed the more picturesque
because it was the ouly tree Of that species
in the neighborhood. Ii was beneath this
old tree that our washerwoman performed
her duty, from tie first starting OF The grass
ID spring till the frost of 40 Indian summer
rendered il too crisp beneath her feet. la
tiny hollow, Just below the roots, she
bull; her fire, 40 iron grapple secured her
hook 10 thl! portion OF The trunk which
formed q line above it, end huge brass
kettle swung all day long ever the cheerful
blaze, with the smoak curling round it ant
forming fantastic Sreaihs among the broad
T caves and tassel like bells overhead.
The droll looking old tree would have
formed scaniy shadow to protect our
kind old woman from the sun; but JOS, be-.
yond II, on The level ground, stood huge
white pine and hemlock, with the branch.
es interaced and covered With foliage SO
thick that il seemed impossible for the sun
shine ever 10 reach the moss which grew
! underneath. II was pleasant sight when
that nice old woman took her stand at the
5 wash tub, within the shsdow flung from this
group Of trees. The red cloak lay folded
on The moss near by ]: the sleeves of her
short gown we're carefully rolled up; and
the snow white border Of her cap rose and
fell with her head, While her hands passed
with constant, but sometimes feeble mo
ton, up and down her wash beard.
There the old woman Sas, 10 the quiet
shade, all day long hard .. work, and with
Tranquil melancholy hanging about her
which must have originated IL the more
: fearful sorrow OF her early life. How kind
I and patient she was-aways smiling lnduI
3 gently at our mischievous pranks, and
q thanking Us every time we brought her Q
!. stick Of drift woob or a cup Of water from
e the spring like a broken down gentewo
n man as she was how good naturally she
il prepared the smallest sized tub Of her &c
b that We might wash out the pocket hand
' kerchlefs and muslins. She would smile Il
!, see how busy we became, how earnesrl,
IS we scattered the white foam about, ant
II with what desperate energy We wrunr tn,
Is bits Of muslin end tiny ruffles N imitation
e Of herself when she prepared sheet o
Il table cloth for the boiling.kettle.
Twas seldom our industry outIlyed lh
u thousand tiny bubbles thar rose aud broh
.e with rainbow iiuge amid the snow,
r. foam which filed on. tub before we couI
- sCA var VIZ" vi tUe WdkGf I0GbTNEEt
er some new freak alWays carried Us of 10,
N the woods 10 search Of birds nests, Q
Id young winlcrgreou. We became yer
at thirsty and wanted drink, or had taken
OF decided fancy TO search for sttawberue
y on the knoll, or gather peppermint, frot
ID the hollow. But the cid woman di1 nc
y scold Us, though we tired Of our usetalnei
- ever so soon; she was always ready to il
to dulge Us 10 spreading her co,nes on til
lie grass, toward sunset, she never made an
c. objection, though ii always gave her add
6. ilonal trouble when she was worn o.. vii
ey iebor But we loved the poor washetwt
en- man, and would run to tie house aftc
e. luncheon for her half DOZEN times in ID
he day. We always kept Der fra ii bla7
from the drIitwood which lodged on ii
,ct river brink and when nightfall came an
te, her task was done, there was always spi
IN. tied run from the grassy slope, where ii
MY clothes were dried to the pine shade, ar
RAJ she who carried the washerwomau's cloa
= bark = IN