The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-04-08
APRIL s, 1864.


must be aroused hercafter-aud what would
Becky do then!
pjness. and indeed seemed to form q part OF u
so that when she stood at the door and SAID
smilingly. ,,.,
cd him the little basket she had brought Tor tne
blackberrics, there seemed to be something 10
the willow handle. as he took 1t, which thrilled
him gladly through and through; and he wished
Il were another meal barrel, that he might
prove how stout he could be for her sake.
Deacon Townsend's house. as we have said,
stood at tho head OF the main road leading
from the bay. At his fence tho hub deep deso'
la,ion of sand, which was abandoned to wag-
ons and carts, stopped. and the land, begin
ming to rise toward 'sThe RIDGE yielded more
aud more us Il ascended to the amenities OF
vegetation. A few rods beyond his gate the
patrimony of Daddy Pringlc began and through
the fence which bounded II tacit consent to en-
ter was given all the year round to the stroll
ing Inhabitants Of Muskeogue, By certain
amabo concession and shakiness in the. post
and deficiency in the rails. The gap thus lett
was too small to be improved by the three lean
COWS Of the proprietor, but afforded to the
young men and maidens OF the place. ms they
went forestiug, straight gate and marrow way
into ,peaceful happiness, typical, whether II
was intended or not, of the Old School Meeting
10 which Daddy Pringle belonged.
II was thro igh this entrance that Lish ana
Becky sought the blackbcrries, and striking
into ihe cow-path, slowly strolled up the hill.
Every few feet q bobolink rose before them,
Jerking out his caprious song as he fiew in low,
swift curves from mullen to mullen, or yel-
low bird, drifting like flake OF golden snow
whrled in changesul spurts OF motion, driven,
IL seemed, rather by some outer will than his
own. Lsh knew nothing Of the classic omi-
nousness that lies in birds by name; but there
was that instictive encouragement in them
which communicates itself in all years to oil
men alike, and he felt strengthened by the bold
free joyousness Of these irrational Bohemlans
of the air. Had he met crow, though he did
not know that this bird meant bad luck In Lat
in, its mournful croak and sombre plumage
would have repressed him. like Deacon Town.
send pacing through the pasture In his Sunday
suit. quite rs much as the bobolink and the
yclow-bird insprited him now.
As il was, the nervous sense OF aninevitable
question about the mother, and the day when
her eyes should leave the gingerbread for quite
other matters, left him for while, and ho felt
the happiness of walking at Becky's side with
out the pain.
sWa'aI, this Is Jest about as beautiful day
rs ever did see I! exclaimed Lish, enthusias.
ticaly, doiling his hat and wipins his forehead
with his salmon colored silk handkerchief. I've
hcerl tell of people down Boston way that held
kinder queer doctrines about Natur, and Ma.
tur's temple, and sech, who said that to good
fylks the woods and the pastors in summer was
Sabbath all the week round and dew dc.
clare, n DAY like this makes you wonder IL that
idee hain't got some trewth int, anyhow
81 guess those must be the same folks that IN.
ther read about last Sabbath in his paper.
That made 'em out awful bad (; was quite
scared to hear father read what those folks rere
up to ; they didn't care for one day niorc'n
another, aud the women wore short hair and
trowsers, and the men lived on greens and ney,
or cut their finger nails, and laughed at Poll
and all the postles, sayin' they were behind
the age and they all got drunk and went OF
10 Indiana, and we're divorced from their wives
and they called themselves by some long wick
cl maine that father had 10 look twice through
his specs to get the notion Of
'D'yc recolect what it was, Becky!
'Tm almost afraid to try 1t for fear it's some
thing awful wicked to say and then it's so
long and grabbed that l don't know rs
p,onounce it right but as near as can re.
member Here Becky made up her two rcd
lips into nm anxious dictionary pucker, and
with the general resolute air OF ono about max
ipV n running Jump at fve.barrcd gate, pro-
nounccd the words-'it was Tran-scen.den tai.
ists.' ,y
.Thc reason asked you,' continued Lsi,
was because thought 1t might be the same
folks that our minister gave us sich crackin
sermon nrinst Sabbath afore last. BUTT amt.
was mighty keerful tn set daown tho words
on the leaf of our psalm book rs nigh as could
make cout to ketch 'em by tho saound, and ar.
ter Mec,in' went intew our Sabbath. school
library and TUX cout the dictionary to hunt 'cm
up. SO got the true spelin,' and remem-
berci IL ever sence and Of ever Get chance
don't suel ,laown all the rest Of the spellin' :
school on 'em But I'll tell you, naow, Sc
that supposin' they should ever come to you,
YOU could do the same They're 'sa' 6eli-ians, M
pcl,a.gi. ans, an Mani-chm.ans ! and Of they
dpn't cit their desarts In the next world, II
won't bc because they hain't got had names
enough in this, guess ....,
.Now. Lish, eff 1t aiu't too bad to ask, what
do they all nean-.and what does my word
meau-,,hat one beginning With Trans, you
know
,Raly, Becky,I hain't got no idce-that's
honest. tried to understand the definitions,
but vow couldn't make head nor tail tew
'em. But I've got u sorter oplu,on OF my own
about il, anI that's this Supposin' there's stew
men. and each on ems got his own smack and
Is anchored, say n hundred rods from t'othcr.
ON the fishin' banks. We'llsay tcw, that when
they're clost 'longside of each other and kin
shake hands they're jest abaout rs good friends
ms We want to see. But they dint alongside,
they're as far off rs I've been telin', and while
they lie NJ anchor one of 'em ketches an orlul
bir Goldfish and hauls him up over the side.
T'other happenin' to look that way and sees
the man that's ketched the fish a.doin' 1t, and
calls out through his hand, speakin' -trnmpet
fashion, What's that big fish you've kctched :
There's an orful stiff breeze BLOWN right
square between 'em at the time, well say, 30
the man that's ketched the fish don't jest right
kinder idec he's askn' him how many fnthom
a. water he's got Just under his gunnel. SO lie
nuts his hand 10 his mouth and hollers back,
'Seyenr Agin the man that hollered fus. ain :
n nj, better able TO hear kerrectly what The man
tha, bollered last says, aud understands him TO
answer. "A sculpin.' So he shouts back, 90
'long there amt no sculpin o, that size J!
T'other misunderstood him a second time, and
takes him to say. You're wrong; you're a pun
kin, darn yer eyes or words 10 IhM eject
or course that puts him intew q tarin, rage,
anJ he begins q callin' back names: You're
n noodle say 'tis seven!' That agin the iust
man take, 10 be, You re fool-you're a dey
ilr Please excuse me, Becky. for sayin sich
words. but It's only for lustraton, you know;
So uaop. they both begin to call names, anu
the man that's got tho longest tongue aud the
BIGGEST dictionary comes of fust best. AND
when they git tired and hoarse, and they ma
that while they've been jawin the tds turnea
and the fish hes stopped DUN anu .me, .so. SJ
md steer for hum, kecpin' out o, each others
course as far as they anyways kim ana never
snssk another word to one another nrterwaru.
", neither on 'cm's heard one single word that
t,o,hsr said TO him. .Naop, by way OF appli-
eation-ns eour minister says (and l s'Pose