Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1849-11-30

i tfiC iuCttlbCto WI uC tdtultyg utIu ttC otn
l~tistical table, as far as the article 'cloth."
"How many yards of cotton cloth did
you weave in 1910, ma'am9
"Well, now! The Lord have mercy!
less see! You know Sally Higgins
that used to live down in the Smith set
tie ment!-poor thing, her daddy druv
her off on ihe count of havin' a little
'un, poor creture.--poor thing, she could
Mt help it, | dare say. Well, Sally she
come to stay long wi me when the old
mandruv her away, and she was a pow
erful good hand to weave, and | did think
she'd help me a power. Well, arter
she'd been here awhile, her baby il TUX
sick, old Miss Siringer she undertook to
help it-she's a powerful good hand, old
Miss Stringer, on roots, and verbs, aud
sich like! We'll, the Lord looked down
from above! She made a sort Of a tea,
as ] was a sayin', and she gin il to Sally's
baby, but it got wliss-the cretur-and
she gin it tea, and gin it tea, and looked
like. the more she gin it tea, the more"
.My dear madam, | am in a hurry
please tell me how many yards Of cotton
cloth you wove in 1910. want 40 get
through with you and go on"
"Well, well, the Lord-a-mcrcy! who'd
a though you'd "a binso snappish! Well
as | was Il sayin', Sails child il kept Il
giitin' wuss. and old Miss Stringer, she
kept a givin' it the yearb tea twell at last
the child hit loked like hit would die any
how. And bout the time the child was
al lis wust old Daddy Sykes he come
along, and he said if we'd gi, some night
shed berries, and stew 'em with a little
cream and some hogs lard-now old
daddy Sykes is a mighty fine old man,
and he gin the boys a heap of mighty
good advice about that case--boys, says
he, Ill tell you what you do; you go-'
s'In Gods name, old lady," said we,
"tell about your cloth, and let the sick
child and Miss Stringet, Daddy Sykes,
the boys, and the lawsuit go to the devil.
I'm in a iiurry!" as
"Gracious bless your dear soul! doi't
git aggravated. was jist a tellin' you
how it come | didn't weave no cloth last
year,"
"Oh,2 well, you didn'tweave any cloth
last year. Good! well go on to the next
article d sssaa
.'Yes! you see the child hit begun to
swell and turn yaher, and hit kept a wal-
I'm its eyes and a moanin', and | know
..Never mind about the ~child--just tell
me the value of the poultry you raised
last year"
"Oh, well--yes--the chickens you
mean. Why the Lord love your poor
soul, | reckon you never in your born
days seen a poor crctur have the luck
that | did--and looks likes we never
shall have good luck agin; for ever sence
old Simpson tux that case up to the chan
Gerry COURT"
"Never mind the case; let's hear about
the chickens, if you please"
"God bless you, honey, the oWls de-
s,royed in an about the best half did
raise. Every blessed night the Lord
sent, they'd come and set on the comb of
the house, and hoo-hoo-hoo, and one
night in perlick'lar, l remember, | had
jist got up to the night.shed salye to mint
the little gal with"
well, well, what was the value Of
what you did ~raise?" ,ae.
.The Lord above look down! They
got SO bad--lhe owls did--that they TUX
the old hens, as well as the young chick
ems. The night | was tellin' bout |
hearn somethin, squaW squaW and says,
III bet that's old Speck that nasty, ouda-
eious owls got; for | seen her go to
roost with her chickens, up in the plum
tree f~oraenst the smoke house. So
went, 10 whar old Miss Stringer was Sleep
in, and says /, Miss Stringer! Oh!
Miss Nringer! sure's you're born that
stinkin' old owls got old Speck oui'n.
the plum tree; well, old Miss Stringer
she turned over pom her side like, and
grunted, and says she, what did you say
Mise Stokes! aud says -"
We began to get very tired, and signi-
fed the same.io the old lady, and begged
she would answer US directly, and with
out any circumloeulion.
.The Lord Almighty love your dear
heart honey, I'm tellin' you as fast as |
kin. The owls they got wus and wus,
after they'd sweep, old Speckand all her
gang they went to work on t'otliers; and
Bryant, CHATS one Of my boys,) he low
ed he'd shoot the pestersome creturs--
and SO one night ar'er that, we hearn one
holler, and Bryant he tux the old musket
and went out, and sure enough, there was
owiey, las he thought. a settin on the
comb Of the house; SO he blazed away
and down come---what on artl did
come down, do you reckon; when Bry-
ant lired!'
'The owl, | supposed" 81
No SIGH a thing, the owl Uara't thar!
Twas my old house cat come a tum-
blin' down, spitin'. sputterin', and scrat.
chin, and the fur a flynn every time she
jumped, like you'd busted a feather
bed opon! Bryant he said, the way he
come to shoot the cat instead of the owl,
he seed some him white-
For Heavens sake, Mrs. Stokes, give
me the value of your poultry, or saw Won