The Portland daily press., 1864-12-30

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Not many weeks ago a friend asked, gssWhys
don't you write something for thepapers now-a-
days Give us who live in the city. glimpse
Of country life, with its quiet, rural pleasures,
and its kind-hearted, patriotic people, All,
well This is acurious world we live, in, and
human nature is the same in city and country.
Now have been trying TO Write that 'ssome-
thing'h for the last two or three weeks, will
tell you oil about toll am. visiting q distant
relative, Uncle Jed Perkins or Perkinsville He
lives in a big house, and owns o farm. that ex-
tends from the fence in front of the house to the
river beyond Maple grove, from which last. the
farm derives It's name. Uncle Jed's habitation
was built in "ye Older time,~ by q relative or
connection of the family; and it finally came
into the hands of its present owner onaconditicn
that he would marry Miss Polly Getchel, lady
of uncertain years-she always said that she
was twenty-eight, but the neighbors denied it,
and ayerred that she was thirty-six if she was q
day. However, she would bring him five hum
dred dollars in good currency, and that was
more than Jane Grover could do, although she
was younger, and smart, good-looking girl
And there was another reason. James father
was an ardent supporter of free soil principles,
not only in theory but practice, and, on the con-
trary, if there was anything Uncle Jed detested
in his heart, it was a niger; and next to "a
nigger, an abolitionist. Itwas bad enough to
have one in the neighborhood; but as for marry
ing awcman "brought up that way,s' Why oit
was not to be thought Of He could not deny
her good qualities, but there were others Just as
capable, and just as likely to make O. desirable
companion for life Thus reasoned my worldly
kinsman. as the prospect of becoming the owner
of MapleWood farm grew brighter, while Miss
Polly Getchel knew t'to sartinty'' that she
had made conquest, in spite Of that pert Jane
Grover. But am digressing - thus showing
my Yankee origin-from my subject. Uncle
Jed's house has two large rooms on the FIRST
floor, and four small ones on the second. The
kitchen serves for cooking, dining, and sitting
room, while the parlor is kept, in perpetual
darkness and seclusion save on certain occasions,
such as meeting of the Martha Washington
Society, or visit from the parson and his wife,
who-to save the speech of people -are invited
once year. For. Uncle Jed does not believe in
ministers, unless in q sort Of negative way as
men believe in morals while they utterly repu-
date spiritual agencies. So it rarely happened
that ths frontrocm saw the light Of day, even
before my advent in this great, rambling house.
And, henceit is, that am obliged to write let
ters, sketches and rhymes, in corner of the
kitchen, with my portfolio lying on my lap, and
my inkstanda on the window SILL Uncle Jed
thinks am a gents overheard him tell my
Aunt Polly this; and toproye that 1t did mot in-
crease my vanity + will record her very amiable
answer, eerbaiim at litsratim "A genus 4
humph More like q lazy, good for nothing
shirk sIspose she thinks she's pooty with her
white hands and yaller curls; but she don't
compare with some that could mention, If they
are country girls. e q r. ffSfi b4sitvs5 s. es
''Why, l never seed anything out o. the way
with the gal She alters waits upon herself and
is handy about good many THINGS Pm sure. p
4. "0h, you'll stand up for hers of courses, said
aunt Polly, waxing indigRAnt !. s'but it's my
opinion that she wont set The world iafre with
all her scribbling from morning till night. to
say nothing Of her tryin0 to sketch Dr. Lewis
He aint fool though ~S~ke
''Now, Polly, you know better than to tell
such downright story as that ;''gfeplied Uncle
Jed stamping about in his wrath, reminding me
of themythical ogres of nay childheodo oJ59
81 know what know, Jed Perkins; and what
Isee with my own eyes can believe, !, But, the
last of the sentence was lost to her vanquished
lord, for he went out banging the door after him,
and muttering something that sounded xeryllike
what my little brother terms sWeared words
Now it happened thatI Iswas in the porch wash
ing out some fine collars that / had made for
Uncle Jed; and on hearing my own name men,
toned, | naturally kept still enough to fnd my
self no exception to the old adage in respect to
listeners. t'e1'ta@ se%s@% ssa aRA -
Well, I have told you of my surroundings;
and if you all agree that they are favorable to-
flights of fancy, and all the conditions that
scribblers for the press require, = Oide N. P.
Willis, in his delightful :" sketches under d
BRIDGE" for better authority, = on such occa-
sions, why, Ihavs nothing more to say, but hear
my experience, and then, judge me hardly if
you can. One evening after supper was over, /
took my pencil and paper, and being in q senti-
mental mood-Dr. Lewis had called that after
noon--I sat down, and trying very hard to shut
out the external world-the kitchen-from sight
and sound, began: gsEA FTGBFHg.
When the bright morning breaks
Ger land and lee; ss., tg
Il say, ldy, where's them stockin you prom
ised to mend this very nightl'' ..-.,s s. 60
''oh, don't tease me now, Lenny. I'll keep
my promise, of course @lls -ls., " ~
When the fun choir of nature wakes arl 3 stii
In sweetest melody, 800 elag / z
III think Of thee: - 49, -s,atn.
A.. IL. . ~ ord
outcry from Aunt Polly. sa L sa5
Selma had dropped pile of plates and broken
two of them; and it was the signal for tenn,
pest. -
"What's gone now 2'' asked Aunt Polly CON-
ing in with an armful of wood and looking very
red. 'sTwo of my best pie plates. Well, if
aint discouraged now. IT'S nothing but breal
and destroy in this house from morning til
night, and all for your carelessness, you great
needless girl - ee ,,', % 81 z. !,
sItwas an accident. mother; tried to b
Careful;'' said Selma, almost crying as she gath
cred up the broken dishes.
''0h, that's always the excuse, when thing
go 70 Wrack and ruin here. There never wa
such family, do believe. You're just lik
yer father, the whole of you; should neve
imagine you was any relation to the Getchels
''Wel, Polly, :" said Uncle Jed, who general.