Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-03-03
FROM Godey's Lady's Book.
The Robbery on the Turnpike.
By EDITH WOODLEY,

By EDITH WOODLEY.
Lizzie, do run to the winder, and
see if you can tell who that is goin'
down the lane that leads to Deacon
Palmer's.
81 believe" replied Lizzie, ''that it is
Mr.. Brown"
(which Mr.. Brown? for you know
there are five Browns live in the north
parish, and two in the east"
cit is Mr.. James Brown, who lives
close by the old red school-house."
81 wonder if he remembers the quill
tin all the young folks went to at Mr..
Mayland's, when Lucy Maryland was
gettin' ready to be married to Ben Pal
mer? Ben didn't much think, then,
that he should ever be a deacon,
guess; and Lucy had as little thought
of ever bein' deacon's wife. Jeemes
Brown meant to have Lucy; and her
father encouraged him all he could, for
he had a tirst-rate farm, free and clear
from all incumbrance; while Ben Pal
mer had nothin' on the face of the airth
to depend on but his head and hands,
For all that, he's worth twice as much
now rs Jeemes Brown is.
"Well, as / was sayin', Lucy May
land was gettin' ready to be married !;
and one pleasant day in January she
invited all the young folks, far and near,
To quiltin'. | guess you never went
to 4 ri right-down, old-fashioned quiltin'
did you, Lizzie 20
81 suspect | never did,
"You don't know what it is, then, to
have real good time, and enjoy your
self. I'd give more to go to one quill
tin, sich as used to go to in my young
days, than to forty parties, sich as they
have now. All the gals made a pint
of havin' dinner airly, when there was
goin' to be one, so as to be on the spot,
and ready to 60 to work by one O'clock,
sartain, if not afore. The young men,
in gin'ral way, didn't come till arter
dark; and by that time the quilt, un-
less there was an uncommon deal of
work in it, was rolled up into a purity
small compass.
''The quilt Lucy was goin' to have
quilted, the time Pm speakin' of, was a
dreadful handsome one. Twas made
of patchwork called the risin' sun, and
had jest come into fashion. There
wasn't room for onc-half of us to sit
round the quilt at a time; but the moro
the merrier, you know; and, while one
set were at work, the other had nothin'
to do but enjoy themselves. Sometimes
we laughed and chatted, and, when we
got tired of that, sung some new tune
we'd been larnin' at singing-school.
''lt had got to be near seven o'clock,
and most of the beaux 1--WE used to call
'em sparks in them days. had arrived.
Jeemcs Brown and four or five others
were all that were missin'. At last,
there was great jingle of bells-fol
twas dreadful good sleighin'- and
Jeemes dashed up to the door in his
new tub-bottomed sleigh, with red
and green kiverlid spread over the seat
and back, for there was no sich thing
then in the country, whatever there was
in the city, as buffalo robes. There
was boy stood ready to onharness his
horse; but he said he was goin' furder
and couldn't stop more'n FIVE minutes
'Ill jest step into the house, and say 8
word or two to the gals says he; 'and
then l must be off
$50 he came into the room, where
we all were, putin away at a long nine
for he considered it mighty genteel to
smoke cigars.
"'You'd better stop till arter sup
per- says Lucy.
"'When will it be ready?' says he.
"sAt seven.'
"sAnd it is now jest Six says he
lookin' at his watch, that had seals anG
trinkets enough danglin' at the end o
the pinchbeck chain to fill half-pin
dipper.
"Let me sec,' says he; 4 shouldn'
wonder if / could drive over to Captins
billiards., trade with him for his sad
dle-horse, and be back by seven
= s' 4 don't b'lieve the Capting will sci
his saddle-horse,' says Ben Palmer.
"'Yes, he WILL says Jeemes. Ill
loves money, and the price is no objec
to man like me. Besides, happel
to be purity well off for cash jest now
and by way of provin' what he said, h
pulled out his pocket-book, which wa
stuffed full of bank bills.
"sIIere's five hundred dollars, say