The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-12-14

WELL, said Salina, seating herself on
Mary Fuller's bed, il you insist upon il,
ri do my best, but l can't make up nothing
never could, and what I've on my mind is
the genuine truth
That's right, tell US a true story; made
up things are like novels, and they are so
wicked cried the girls swarming around
the strong-minded one, full curiosity, bu'
arranging their ribbons and smoothing their
dresses all the time, like flock OF pigeons
plumna themselves in the sunshine.
'Come. now, Salna, begin, or The young
fellers will DO through supper
.weii.,s.ia saiina. setting herself com
'iorlably upon the bed, and deranging her
attitude the next moment, "tha. sneaklng
constable who came into the barn among
the first, and went out again so sly, has
riled me up awfully. I've a nat'ral born
hatred 10 all constables. What business
had he there I'd like to know?'
True enough cried one Of the girls,
{ An old married man why don't he stay
at home with his wife and childron' No
body wants him.
II declare 10 man said Salina, it
made my blood bile TO see him sneaking
abou, with his hands in his pockets, whist
ling 10 himself as II nobody was by-oh, |
hate constable like rank poison. They
always put me- in the mind Of old times
when was young girl, year or two
ago.
Here tho girls looked at each other none
Of them remembered The lime when she
appeared day younger than now.
well, as was saying, when was
gal, my father and mother moved from
Connecticu, into the Lacawana valley in
Pennsylvania, with ten little children, all
younger than myself. They had lost every.
thing, and wen, out into ,ha, dark piny re.
gion 10 begin life agin.
well, they got paich Of wild land,
partly on credit, bull, log house, and went
10 work. Before the year was out father
died, and We found il hard dragging to get
along wi,hou, crops, and deep in debt
We gave up everything 10 pay store debts,
and We should have felt rich as kings IL we
could only have raised wha, The law allow
ed US. But we had NJ barrel Of beef and
pork, which even the law leaves 10 The poor
family, but we lived on rye and injun, with
little molasses when we couldn't get milk
The law allowed US two pigs and COW
With her calf. Our COW was grand good
ciiief, capital for milk, aud gentle as u
lamb-you don't know how The children
took to her, and we'll they might, she more
than half supported them.
'Marm did her bes, for the children, and
worked as hard as she did, spinning and
carding The wool, which she wove into cloth
on hand loom.
well, in year or two the calf grew
into heiier and We calculated on having
milk from her after little. So We began
10 fa,len up the old COW, though han't no
idea that we should ever have made up
our minds 10 kill her.
There was some debts. but we had Civ.
on up every thing once, and neither marin
nor thought Of any body's coming on rs
agin. So we were proud enough ofour two
cows, and as long as the children had plen.
sy 10 eat never thought Of beef, and the
old COW nigh, have lived 10 this time for
wha, know, IL we had been lel to our.
selves"
Here Salinas voice became disturbed,
and the girls settled themselves in an atii-
tude Of profound attention.
well, as was saying, things began TO
brighten with us, when one day in came the
town constable with printed writ 10 his
hand.
'Hs'd found on, that We had more than
one COW, and came for II.
Il though, poor marm would gone era
~, she Eel, so bad, and no wonder, with oil
them children, and abe widder II came
had I fall vou