Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-11-04
DAVENPORT. NOVEMBER a. 1857
IErom the Atlantic Monihiy.l
SALLY PARSONS DUTY.

sachusctts, specially on buttercups ane
dandclions, and providentially on pota
toes, looks down on no greener. fields
in these days than it saw in the spring
of 1875, fenced in and fenced off by
the zigzag snake fences Of Ezekiel Par
sons farm.
About this time as almanacs say
young orchards were misty with buds
red naples on the highway shone in
the clear light, and row of bright tin
pans at the shed door Of the farm
house testified to a sturdy arm and
skillful hand within,--arm and hand
both belonging to no less person than
Miss Sally, Ezekiel Parsons only dangh-
ter, and the prcttiest girl in Wcstbury;
a short, sturdy, rosy little maid, with
hair like ripe chestnut shell, bright
blue eyes full Of mischief, and such a
sunny, healthy, common sense charac-
| ter, one is almost afraid TO tell Of it is
so out of date now.
But of what use is it to describe her
How can impress upon moderns how
cnlivcning and refreshing was her as
Pect, as she spun, or secured pans, in a
insey -woolsey pcttcoat and white
short gown, wearing her pretty curls
IN CROP George Tucker knew 1t
without telling, and SO did half doz-
IN OF the Wcstbury boys, who haunted
the picket fence round 'Zckiel's garden
every moonlight night in summer, or
scrapcd their feet 10y the half hour to-
gcther on his doorstep in winter even
rgs. Sally was a belle she knew it
AMI liked it, as every honest glrl does ,
and she would have been belle with
ont the aid Of her fathers wide farm
and pinc-tree shillings; for She was
fresh and lovely, with spec OF CO.
1uctry, but true womans heart be
meath it all.
1t was very hard to discover whom
Sally Parsons favored among her num-
erous bcaux Her father seriously IN
clincd to George Tucker; not because
he WAS rich,-for 'Zcklcl had not al
rived at fashionable principles,-bat
because he was honest, kind hearted,
and reliable but as yet Sally showed
no decided prciercnt; time and he
hour were near, but not in sight.
One Sunday night, carly in April,
after the nine O'clock bell had scatter
ed Sally's admirers far and wide, and
old 'Zckicl sat by the chimney, watch
ing his sister, Aunt Poll, rake " the
rest Of the hickory log in the ashes,
while he rubbed away sturdily 1t his
feet, holding in one hand the blue yarn
stockings, wrought by no hand, as
you may guess but that of Sally, the
talk, that had momcntarily died away,
began again, and with glance at Long
Snapps,-a lank, shrcwd faced old sail
or, who, to use his own speech, had
cast anchhor' longside of an Old ship
mt fur a spell, bcin' bound fur his
own cabin up in ox,'-'Zekiel spoke
after this wise -
4 expect, Long, You sailors hev a
drctiul hard, onsartain time aavi gatin,
don't ye.'
well, skipper. that are "opens on
folks. don't calk'I late to hcv no sort
of a hard time, eff don't get riled with
it but these times doc rile easy
What onsettles ye, Snapps:'
well, there's a squat to wind ard,
skipper; 'ta'n't no cat's-paw neither !;
good no-no-east, eff it's flaw. And
you landlubbers are a-goin' to lceward,
some on ye.
You don't say! what be you him
tin at ?
We'll, there's a reel blow down to
Boston, Zekle ; there's no more gettin'
out o harbour with our old sloop; she's
ben an gone, an got some 'tarnal law
yer's job spliced to her bows, an she's
laid up to dry but that's pesky small
part o judgment. Bostin's full o
them Brltishcrs, sech as scomfshkatcd
the Susan Jane, cos our skipper done
suthin' he hedn't oushter, or didn't do
suthin' he he'd oushter; and I tell
ger the end o things is nigh about
comm on hcrcr
Sally, in the chimney corner, heard
Long Snaps with open eyes, and
htching her wooden chair nearer, in
CURED solcmnly,-
what do you mean, Mister Snaps
| Is the end OF the world comm here I?
Bless your pooty little figger-head
Sally! | don't know as tits, but suthin
nigh about as bad is COMM Them
| Brittishers is sot out for to hev us un.
der matches, or e,se walk the plank
and they're darncd mistook, ct they
think men is a-soin' to be steered
blind, and can't blow up the cap'en nc
rate. There ant no man in Amcriky
hut what's got suthin' to fight for, afore
hen Gin to scch tyrints and it'll conc
TO fghtin,' yet, atorc long
oh my oh goody the lands sakes
yew don't mean ter say that, Long !.
wofnlly screeched Aunt Poll, whose
ideas OF war were derived in great
measure from the tattercd copy o
Joscphus extant in the Parsons family;
and who was at present calculating the
probable effect of battering-ram OF
their back buttcry, and thinking how
horrid it 'woul be to cat up Uncle
Ezekiel in case Of faminc,--c after
long courses Of rats and dogs.
We'll, | dew, Aunt Poll thcrc'l
be some poppn' an stickin' done il
these parts, atorc long"
The Lord lcliver us an the res
on't' devont calculated Poll, whos'
| nletY exceeded her memory: Whera