Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-06-17

| like they had never been aXed to eat dinner
before, an didn't know whether to set down
or not. Barney he knowed what they wus
ter, but didn't. So says he, "Ladies, take
seats, an set down an help yourselves. Bill,
you an Jim set down an fall to. These gen.
tlemen, ladies, are my frends.'' Bill an Jim
did set right down an fall to, shure enough
they never cared mite eff the quality had
stood over 'em and stared at them a month.
The quality seemed like they wus gwine
back in the hall room. But they give another
| look at the dinner, an reckon they wus as
hungry Bill and Jim wus, for they sot right
down sort O. desprit, and got themselves help
| ed. Presently one 'em looked at one O.
the niger gals an says, "Girl, hand me the
celery
Dilce locked at Betsy mighty hard Betsey
frowned at Dilce, am looked like she knew all
about it, an says, ssHand the salt-cellar.''
| Dilce handed the salt-cellar.
sNo," says the quality gal, .'I asked for the
celery," and she looked right hard in the plate
| O. raw shellotes.
! Dilce jerked up that and handed it to her.
'sThem is shellotes," says Barney.
The quality gal turned her nose right up at
Betsy's shellotes, which never done her no
harm, an says, ssI thought they were celery"
s'Im very sorry" says poor Betsy, 81 didn't
know you preferred celery to sEcllotes.''
ssYou needn't trouble yourself to be sorry,
wife, says Barney, s:we hain't got no salary,
and taint your fault they don't grow here"
Arter while one on 'em had eat everything
out of her plate right clean, an says she, "Mr
Baker, believe will change my plate, and
take bit of that goose.''
''Certainiy, man, says Barney mighty pc
lite. So he cuts off nice piece and lays it on
| his own plate, what was full of all sorts o.
things, and swaps plates with Miss Feather
cord. Well, the notionate woman wouldn't
eat bite of Barney's dinner arter she got it,
an didn't know what made Barney look so
solem, like he was doin' mischief. Come to
| find out, he knowed all the time that she want
ed right clean plate to eat that piece of
| goose offer.
Arter they had all made mighty hearty
dinner, the old lady TUX her hands and done
'em so at Dilce, like she wanted 'em rubbed.
Well, the niggers had been runnin' round the
| table all the time an Dilce was bent on show
| in how smart she was. So she flew at the old
SOULS hands an set to rubbin' 'em like all pos
sessed; but Miss Feathercord jerked 'em a
way, an says she, 81 wanted finger-basin.''
Poor Betsy, she was tuck all aback agin.-
But she is a mighty smart woman, eff she is
my daughter, and don't often be put out. She
'membered in minute the little porringer she
keeps on the top shelf to give people chicken
soup in. So she filed it with water and hand
ed it to Miss Feathercord. She washed her
| hands in it, an all round her mouth, and then
| tuck mouthful an washed out the inside of
her mouth, an spit it all back in the porringer.
Thinks 1, you don't git me to eat any more
| chicken soup out of that quality finger-basin.
The rest O. the quality, when they seed thar
was no more porringers comm, all washed
their hands in their tumblers. l looked with
| all my eyes to see 'em drink the wafer, when
| they was done am spit it back in the tumblcr
but as good luck would have it they didn't
| know it would made Barney mighty mad to
| had TO smash up all them new tumblers arter
. the quality had used 'em; and for my part, L
can't see what they bedaub themselves with
| everything they eat fur, and can't git up from
the table till they washed. 'Twould been
a kept their hands under the table cloth, and
a let the niggers a fed 'em.
| BY the time the dinner doins wus over it was
putty late. We tho't shure they was a gwne
to stay all night. But fust thing We knowed
they axed fur their hats. (That's what they
call them poseys they war on their heads. y
Barney told 'em they better stay, that twas
dangerous to ride eight miles over that rough
road after dark.
s'Oh," says one, sswe never go out before
dark if we can avoid it; old Sol's too ardent
beams are too overpowering.'
eyes, says another. ssand the gentle moon
light is so soft and beautiful
ssAnd,'' said another, ssso poetical and soul
inspiring.''
ssAnd,'' says t'other the twinkling stars
looked like the ever catching eyes of our
guardian angels.''
Barney looked like he thought it was his du-
ty to warn 'em and to ak 'cm to stay all night,
but seemed nightly relieved when they
wouldn't be warned. He told 'em there wasn't
no moon; but they said them an their coach
man an hosses an carriage was all used to RI
dim about at night; SO they fixed on their
head-gear and took their little sun fans an
started.
Poor Betsy was hard at work to the last
gittin their supper, for she was bound to have
that in time.
ssWell, wife, said Barney, "I don't know
which looks the jadedest, you or my par Of
old oxen that Ben Gill has been workin' most
| tn DEATH