The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-14

TAxuo THE CENSUS next encounter
Wa with&n old lady, notorious in her neighbor
head for her garrulity and simple mindednesa
Having been warned Of her propensity. and be-
ing somewhat hurried when We called upon her
we were disposed to get through business as
soon as possible. Striding into the house, and
drawing our papers-'Taking the census, ma'am !!
quoth we.
'Ab we'll yes. bless your soul, take seat
Now do! Are you the gentleman that Mr.. Fill
more has sent on to take the sensis wonder
well, how wos Mr.. Fillmore and family when
you seed him (?
We told her we had never seen the President
didn't know him from side sole leather we
had been written to take the census.
We'll, now, there agin! love your soul =
Well, 'spose Mr. Fillmore writ you letter,
did he! No! Well there's mighty little here
10 take down--times is hard but it looks like
people can't get their jest rights in this country
and the law Is all for the rich and none for the
poor. Did you ever hear tell of that case my
boys has got agin old Simpson! Looks like
they will never git to the end on it. The child
rem will suffer, I'm mighty afsard. Did you
ever see Judge B? Yes! Well, did you
the boys case again Simpson; No! Well,
squire, ,0iH you AK him the next time what
say; Pm nothing but u poor widow, and my
boys has got no larnin, and old Simpson tuk'em
in. It's mighty hard case, and the will oughtn't
never to been broke, but
: Here we interposed, and told the old lady that
our time was precious. After good deal Of
trouble we got through with description OF
the members OF her family, and the statistical
table as far az the article CLOTH
"How many yards Of cotton cloth did you
weave in 1850, ma'am!
"Well now LESS see You know Sally
Higgins that used to live in the Smith settle
ment !-poor thing, her daddy druv her off
poor gal, she couldn't help it. Idare say. Well,
Sally she come to stay long wi me when the
old man druv her away, and she was powerful
good hand to weave, and did think she'd help
me power. We'll, arter she'd bin here awhile
her baby hit took sick, and old Miss Stringer
she undertuk to help it--she's powerful good
hand, old Miss Stringer on roots and yearbs,
and SIGH like Well she made sort OF tea,
as | was saying, and she gin it to Sally's baby,
it got wuss-the poor creetur--and she gin 1t
tea, and looked like, the more she gin ittea, the
more
"My dear madam, am in hurry--please tell
me how many yards of cotton you wove in
1850. want to get through and 60 on"
swell, well, who'd thought you'd "a bin so
snappish. Well, as was sayin' Sails child hit
kept gittin wus, and old Miss Stringer, she kept
givin' it the yarb tea; ill at last the child hit
looked like hit nould die any how. And bout
the time the child was at its wust, old Daddy
Sykes he cum along, and he said if we'd git
some night shed berries and stew them with
little cream and some hogs lard-now old Dad
dy Sykes is mighty fine old man, and he gin
the boys heap Of mighty good counsel bout
that case-boys, says he, I'll tell you what you
do, you 90 and"
old lady, said we, do tell about your cloth,
and let the sick child and Miss Stringer Daddy
Sykes, the boys and the law suit go to grass.
I'm in hurry!
Gracious bless your dear soul don't git ag-
yravated. | was jist e tellin' you how it come
didn't weave no cloth last year.
oh, well, you didn't weave any cloth last
year. Good we'll 90 on to the next article
yes you see the child hit begun to swell
md turn yaller and hit KEEP walln it's eyes and
a moanin' and knowd-'
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, reckon you never in your born days see
a poor creetur have the luck that | did-and
looks like we never shall have good luck again !;
for ever since old Simpson tux that case up to
the Chancery court
Never mind the case let's hear about the
If you please
Bless you, honey, the owls destroyed in and
about the best half that | did raise Every
blessed night they'd come and set on the comb
Of the house, and hoo, hoo, hoo, and one night
in particular, remember, had just got up for
the night-shed salve to int the little gal with
well, well, what was the value of what you
did raiser
They got so bad--the owls did--that they TUX
the old hens as wells the yonng chickens. The
light was tellin bout, heard somethin s-q-u-a-
II, so u-a-l-l and says !, I'll bet that's old
Speck, that nasty oudacous owls got for
seen her go to roost with her chickens, up in the
plum tree, fornenst the smoke house. So / went
to whar old Miss Stringer was sleepn', and says
| Miss Stringer Oh Miss Strnger! sure's
you're born, that stinkn OWLS got old Speck
out'n the plum tree! Well, old Miss Stringer
she turned over pom her side like and says she.
what did you say, Miss Stocks and says -
we Utphu w Seb very tlTtu, anu Slpniiieu Tile
same to the old lady, and begged she would
answer us directly, and without circumlecution.
Love your dear heart, honey. Pm tcllin' you
as fast kin. The owls they got worse and
worse after they's swept old Speck and all her
gang they went to work on 'tothers; and Bryant
CHATS one of my boys he lowed he'd shoot the
pestersome creeters--ands so one night arter that,
we hearn one boiler, and Bryant, he TUX the ole
musket and went out, and sure enough, there
was owley, Gas he thought settin' on the comb
of the house; so he blazed away and down come
-! what on airth did come down, do you
reckon when fired
The owl, suppose
mo SIGH thing, no SIGH thing the owl warn't
thar Twas nay old house cat come tumblin
down, spittin' sputterin, and scratchin,' and the
fur flyin' every time she jumped, like you'd q
busted fertilizer bed openl Bryant he said, the
way he come to shoot the cat instead of the
owl, he seed somethin' white
MRS Stokes give me the value of your
poultry, or say you oiH not Do one thing OF
the other
oh, well, dear love your heart reckon
had last year, night about the same as I've got
this
Then tell me how many dollars worth you
have now and the things settled
I'll let you see for YOURSELF said the widow
Stokes and taking ear Of corn out of n crack