The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-04-01

dropped her knitting-work, and with
it more than q dozen stitches you
don't rally mean tn say that you are a
going to put that ere hen tn setting on
twelve eggs?
Why, yes: why not
"Why, child, it's drefful unlucky
number. Can't you spare thirteen :"
: q No, Grandma'am, I reilly don't see
how can, any way; you see there is
not d bit of pie or cake for supper.
"WeH, then, make it eleven. child,
and say no more about it: but mind
what T. tell you, if you vally having
any, luck with your chickens, don'tput
your hen tn setting ON twelve eggs"
But, goodness sake alive, Mrs.
Brown, why isn't twelve as good a
number as eleven or thirteen?"
Because it's an even number, child,
and an even number never brings any
luck to anybody. Any fool oughter
know that y = > = = .s..s.- :,
III go, pshaw, Grandma'am Brown !;
that's nothing but an 'old wife's
story.'9 @
n "Well mebby it is, Matilda Jane !;
but it may be true story fur all that.
,'An1ol wife's story is wuth as much
as young wife's story any day, -
And the old lady drew herself up
with an air of offended dignity.
''Well, perhaps you are right, Mrs.
Brown; you have had more expert
ence about raising chickens than /
have, you know" returned Mrs. Les
ter, soothingly.e Though. for my
part, 1 don't see why one number isn't
as good as another"
"Well, Matilda Jane, l expect l
onghter know suthin' or mother about
| it fur when Iwas gal and lived up
in Yarmouth, on fathers farm, we
girlssused tn think nothing of raising
between two and three hundred chick
ems every year; besides sights of tur-
keys, ducks and geese.'' ''f
T. g What, and do all your own house
work besides?" exclaimed Mrs. Les
ter. .7d} la a at 5'
Sartenly, child, and that warn't all
we used to do, by considerable. We
used tn wean all the calves, rake arter
the cart in haying time, feed the pigs,
look arter the colts, fodder the cattle
milk from twenty tn thirtycows, be.
sides making heaps of butter and
cheese, and choring around the house
And then in the fall, there was the
making of pickles and preserves, bill
ing down cider, and the apples, peach.
es and pumpkins to be cat up and
dried; all the sage, peppers and sicl
like roots, and arbs tu be gathered and
hung up in bundles tn dry; and the
pork and beef tn be salted down il
barrels, the lard and tallow tn be tried
out, candles tn be dipped a is
Good gracious! don't say no more
| for heavens sake, Grandma'am Brown
Bless me, tmakes me fairly tired to
! think of it." And Mrs. Lester sunk
down in chair, looking really quite
/ exhausted. "But 1 suppose in tn,
winter you did not have much of any
thingsto do 2" tl1e
"WeE, child, what with the spin
ming and weaving, rather guess W.
warn't idle, marry one of u.s."
"Well, then, am sure the womer
of your time must have been made o
4 very different material from the wo
/ men nowadays, Mrs. Brown ai7a
"Child, child" replied the old lady
impressively raising the knittingnee
die, which she had just drawn from
her work, they were made of a yer!
different sort of material they wer
made of genuine flesh and blood, bon
1 and muscle, and not got up wit
starch, hoops, corsets, bustles, AM
cotton batten. Yes," continued Grand
mother Brown, girls in them day
4 IIi,wyere good for suthing. They warm
brought up tn fool away their tim
over worsteds and embroidery, read
4 ing novels, and for eyerlastingly kick
ing, screeching by, and pounding a
unfortunit pianny."
:. And the good old lady, as she re
J, sumed her knitting, jerked the var
with such energy that the mamn1ot
! ball of mixed white and blue spran
) from her capacious pocket to the flses
/. and was Immediately appropriated b
!. the kitten, who commenced tdustr
5 ously winding it around the legs {
/ tthe tables and chairs. sG il.i-
"Scat, scat! shew, shew!' exclain
j ed Grandmother Brown, in pursuit {
: her yarn. "Git out, you little plagu'
I There, now, you have broken the yarl
t Take that, you scamp !" iqs ;,
3 A sound box on the ear convince
puss at once of releasing the ball an
4 making good her escape; but bent III
4 on accomplishing as much mischief !:
d possible, she sprang upon the tabl
d knocking off the basket of eggs and
v pile of teacups and tumblers. regaine
= at length the open window, and fro
q thence the branches of the old ell
tree in the door-yard.
4 90 dear mel" exclaimed Mrs. LIE
r ter, ," my eggs are all broken, eve
Il one of them!" -alssa =.
l. $50 are your 'tea-cups and atuI
= blers, replied the old lady, coolly,
AZ she seated herself in rocking cha
81 and proceeded to unite the sever,
n yarn by knitting the ends together.
I "Howsomdever, it's no more than
in expected, fur Inever knowd any go'
7 to come of putting hen tu set on
a even number of eggs-as told "
afore."
T. "But 1 haven't put any eggs to s
So yet, and don't see as Pm likely t.
IN said Mrs. Lester, in tone of vez
g. ton.
L