Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-12-01
(From the Widow Beioh Papers," edited byrlr. N.aI
HeZekiah Bedott.


HeZekiah Bedott. ...-
lie was wonderful hand to moralize hus-
oahd was, specially after he begun to, eijoy
poor health lie made an observation once,
when lie was IN one OF his poor turns, that
snail never forget the longest day live. Hs
says to me one winter eyenin' as we was sittin'
by the fire, was kitten Il was always won
derful great knitter) and he was asmokin' Che
was master hand to smoke though the doc
|; tor used to tell him he'd be better off to let
tobacker alone when he was we'll he used to
take his pipe and smoke spell after he'd got
the chores done up, and when he wasn't well
used to smoke the biggest part O. the time)
Well, he took his pipe out of his mouth and
turned toward me- and | knowed somethn'
was comm, for he had partkelar way Of
loOkin' round when he was gwine to say any
thing uncommon Well, he says to me, says
he, Silly" (my name was PrisSilIy materially,
but he generally called me Silly, cause twas
handler, you know Well, he says to me, say.
he, Silly" and he looked pretty solen, tell
you, he had a soem countenance materially
and after he got to be deacon twas more 50.
but since he'd lost his health he looked soem-
er than ever, and certainly you wouldent Won
der at it if you knew how much he underwent.
He was troubled with a wonderful pain in his
chest and awazn' weakness in the spine of his
back, besides the pleurisy in his side, and hav-
in the ager considerable part of the time,
and bcin' broke of his rest O. nights cause ha
was so put to It for breath when he laid down.
Why it's an unaccountable fact that when the
man died he hadent seen well day in fifteen
year, though when he was married and for i've
or six year after / shoulIent desire to see q
ruggedcr man than what he was.
But the time I'm speakin' of he'd been out
o health nigh upon ten year and 0 dear
Sakes how he had altered since the first time
| ever see him! That was to quiltn to
Squire Smiths, spell afore Sally was married.
I'd no idee then that Sal Smith was a gwino
to be married to Sam Pendcrgrass She'd been
keepin' company with Nose Hewitt fer better
n year. and everybody said that was set
tied thing, and 10 and behold all of sudden
she up and took Sam Pendergrass Well, that
was the first time / ever see nv husband, aud
if anybody'd a told Inc then that, should o
said-but lawful sakes most forgot, [ was
gwine to tell you what he said to me that eve
MIN, and when body begins to tell thing, [
believe in finishn' ont some time or other
Some folks have way Of talkin' round and
round and round forever more and never com
in to the pint Now there's Miss Jinkins. she
was Poll Bingham afore she was married, she
is the teejusest indiyidooal to tell story that
ever | sec in all my born days But was q
gwine to tell you what my husband said He
said to me- says he, Silly" SAYS "What !"
dident say "What, Uezckicr :" for I dident
like his name The first time | ever heard it
| near killed myself lafin Hezckicr Be
dott,' says I, well / would give UP if / had
sich a name," but then You know had no
more idee o marryn the fcller, than you have
this minnit O marryin' the governor 'spose
YOU think it's Gurus we named our Oldest son
IIezekier. Well, we done it to please father
and mother Bedott, it's father Bedott's name,
and he and mother Bedott used to think that
names had ought to 90 down from gineration
to gineraton But we always called him Ker,
you know. Speaking of Kier he is blessin',
amt he? and amt the only one that thinks
so. ! guess Now don't YOU tell nobody that
| said so, but between you and me | rather
guess that if kezier Winkle thinks she is gwine
to ketch Kier Bedott she is leetle out Of her
reckonin'. But was going to tell what hus-
band said. He says to me, says he, Silly"
l says says l, "Whaty' If dident say
" what" when he said Silly" he'd kept on
saying Silly" from time to eternity.
lie always did, because, you know, he want
ed me to pay particleler attention, and gine-
rally did 40 woman was ever more attentive
to her husband than what / was Well, he
says to me, says he, SILLY" Says "What"
though I'd no idee what he was gWine to say;
dident know but what twas something about
his sufferins, though he want apt to complain,
but he frequently used to remark that he would
MT wish his worst enemy to suffer one minut
as he did all the time, but that can't be called
grumbn-think it can? Why, I've seen him
in sitiyatious when, you'd thought no mortal
could helped grumblin', but he dident Ifo
and me Went once in the dead of winter in q
ono hoSs slay ont to Boonville to see sistcrof
hisen. You know that the snow is amazin'
deep in that section of the kcntry. Well, the
boss got stuck in one q them are hambcngaSt-
ed snow banks, and there VIC sot enable to
stir, and to cap all, while We was sittin' there,
husband was took with dreadful crick in his
back Now that was what ! call predicker-
mcH, don't you ? Most men would q swore,
but husband dident. He only said "consarn
it, How did he git out, did you ask Why
he might been sittin' there TO this dav, as fur
rs know, cf there hadent happened to cum
llong mess 0f men in double teom and they
hysted us out But | was gwine to tell YOU
that observation of hiscn. Sayshe to me, says
he Silly" Il could see by thelght of the fire,
there dident happen to be no camille bulnin if
don't disremember, though my memory is
some ruther forgtful, but | know We want apt
to burn candles exceptin' when We had coalpa-
N.Y. could see by the light that his mind was
uncommon solemnizcd. Says he to me, says
he, Silly" says to him. says I, What%
He says to me, says he Here all poor. CRIT
tcrs. ...--s 2. .~5s
Bss- The reason why man was made after