Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-26
OUR STORY TELLER.
sAYANKEELovEs 4 STORY,

Miss Alcott has written little booko
= merit, and Mr.. Redpath has done well to
!, put it before the public in cheap form. On
Picket Duty is story for the million. o.
the humor of the story and Miss Alcott's
skill in the Yankee dialect here is good
!. example. Flint the Main soldier, is giving
an account of his courtship: l
], "Waal, sir, it's pretty nigh ten year ago,
!. was damster daowntew Oldtaown, clos ttew
Banggore. My folks lived to Bethel; there
4 was only the old man, and Aunt Sloan,
keepin' house for him, seein' as | was the
only chick he he'd. / hednt heared from
'em fer a long spell, when there came a let
ter sayin' the old man was breakin' up
He'd said it every spring fer number er
years, and didn't mind it no more'n the
breakir' up er the river; not so much jest
then; for the great spring drive was comin
on, and my hands was tew full to quit work
all 10 onct. / sent word I'd be long fore
great. while, and bymeby went. ought
4 tew hev gone at fiIst; but they'd sung aout
-sWolfp so often warn't scared; an sure
nuff the wolf did come at last. Father had
I, been dead an berried week when / got
ol there, and aunt was SO mad she wouldn't
write, nor scurcely speak tew me fer con-
sider'ble spell. / didn't blame her a mite,
and felt Jest the wust kind, SO give in every
way, and fetched her raound. Yeou see i
he'd cousin who'd kind er took my place
TO hum while / was of, an the old man he'd
left him good slice er his money, an me
the farm, hopin' tew keep me there. He'd
never liked the lumberin' bizness, an han-
1kered arfter me sight, / faOund. WAL,
seein' baow twas, tried tew please him,
late as il was; but eff there was anything i
did spleen ag'inst, 1t was farmin', specially
arfter the smart times I'd ben hevin', up
Oldtaown way. Yeou don't know nothin'
about IL; but eff yeou want tew see high
dewin's Jest hitch onto a timber drive, an
go it daown along them lakes and rivers,
say from Kaumchenungamoot tew Punob-
scot Bay Gness you'd see thing or tew,
an find liyin' on a log come as handy as eff
yeou was born a turtle. ,, lar
aWaal, stood it one summer; but it was
the longest kind of a job. Come fall turn
ed contrary, darned the farm, and yaowed
I'd 60 back tew loggin'. Aunthed gotfond
er me by that time, ard felt dreadful bad
about my leavin' on her. Cousin Siah, as
we called Josiah, didn't cotton tew the old
woman. though he did tew her cash; but
we hitched along ftist rate. She was 'tached
tew the place, hated to hey it let or sold,
thought I'd go tew everlastin' ruin eff / took
tew lumberin' ag'in, an hevin' tidy little
sum er money all her own, she took notion
tew buy me off. Hiram, sez she, 'ef yeou'll
kerry on the farm, Pll,leaye yeou the hull
er my fortin'. If yeou don't I'll leave every
cent ont to Siah, tho he amt done as well
by me as yeou hey. Come sez she, I'm
breakin' up like brother; i shan't wurry
any one a gret while, and fore spring
dessay yeou1l hev cause tew rejice that
yeou done as Aunt 81 counselled yeou.
"Now, that idee kinder took me, seein'
hedn't no oEerpoarin' love for cousin; but l
49,.
Jsed I'd dew IT. as II warn't . hard thing
nor q bad trade, and begun to look araound
for Miss Flint, Jr- Aunt was dreadful
pleased; but 'mazin' partickler as tew who
was goin' to stand in her shoes, when she
was fetched up ag'inst the etarnal BOOM
There was a sight er lovely women-folks
ra6und the taown; but aunt she set her foot
daewn that Miss Flint must be smart, pions
AM good natered; harnsome she didn't say
nothin' abaout, bein' the humliest woman in
the State er Maine. / he'd my own kallkila-
lions on that pint, an went sparkin' twoor
three er the pootiest gals, all that winter.
lwarnt In no hurry, fer merTyin' Is an aw-
ful risky bizness; and / warn't goin to be
took In by nobuddy. Somehow couldn't
make up my mind which I'd hev, and kept
doBm', All ready to slew raound and hitch
on teW ary one that seemed likeliest. Long
IN March, aunt she ketched cold, took tew
tfot cr,'i bo' "uos, ana tOiu me few hurry
up, fer nary red should, Ihey, eff l warn't
safely merried fore she stepped out. /
Thought that was ruther craoudin' felleE
hut see she was goan sure, an / got intew
away er considerin' the cash mine. 10 that
itcome hard tohear abaout givin' ofl't up.
on 4 went that evenin' and asked Almiry
Nash ef shed heY me. No, She wouldn,f. &
had shiIiy-shalleyeds 90 long she'd got tired
cf.Waitin and took tew keepifis conpanv
With d, doctor daown tew Banorore1 ,1I,ere fII,,,a
sbe'd Eoen visitin' spell. Ididn't lind fhat
~ nard af,tb 10 ssaller as Ia q tbo,,cbf T
wo1lf tho A1niry was the richesf. nooofiest
aud 0od-naferdest OF the lot. Amt 1srfed
wAaE an told me tesy try ag'in: su a connie M
t<Il<]Ifs arfftr, 4 spruced up. an, went nTer
ft ~ line Miles; she was as s,aarf ,f's ~ XII
1hc2ac tn fziI OF infew the barp' I'M ,,,ss ,,s
j11|I as >1ro she'd hev me, as be nv thar ~,
ri<1il Tic reumatlz settin' IA this r,a;sh'
But TINT minx Almify, he'd ben an, ief o,,t
abaonf her0<pu salsy way er seryin, me. an,
Car'linc Jest up an sed she warn'f 1os', II
hey Anypuddys leaFin'' - d.own come
f'Smesmss issln dssprsBy Ont ,s,5s.