Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-11-18
3, IOWA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER IS, 1870.


Kiah Darwin's widow says paper i
four cents pound, and l calculate'
l could get new set o. milk-pan
with the money. Besides, Agath
wants the closet to keep her clothe
in, now that she is home from tn
factory for good
Il can get along without it just a
well, MOTHER said Agatha; 'and i
does seem wrong to go and sell al
poor old Uncle Philemon's papers
when he is too i'll to know of it,
Now you may just as well hole
your tongue said Mrs. Jefferson
shortly, and with unmistakable en-
phasis. I'vc made up my mind t.
sell 'em-and sell 'em l will, if yo,
and your father kept on talkin' unit
the day Of Judgment! Miss Darwin
SAYS there's man comes round will
a sort o hand barrow, and a a string
o. jinglin' bells, once in while, ano
gives four cents a pound for ole
newspapers. So, if ye any of yor
Stc Hill, Stop Hill.
And Mrs. Jefferson, having said
her say, tlounced out of the room tc
see if her pickles were nearly scald
ed. Honest Moses, whistling a mel
ancholy psalm tune under his breath
unconsciously thereby producing the
effect of high wind groaning down
a lugubrious chimney, went up to
the garret with his bag Of secd-corn,
there to deposit it with other agri-
cultural treasures, and Agatha put
on her little blue trilled sun-bonnet
and gray shawl, and tripped across
the russet fields, to tell Hugh Dar-
win, her sweetheart, how very shah
billy mother was going to treat poor
old Uncle Philemon For troubles
ceased to be troubles when Agatha
had whispered them into the SYM
pathetic ear Of her true love.
Now Hugh Darwin and Agatha
Jefferson had been engaged for
three years, and were likely to be
engaged thirteen more; for they
were both poor, Woodworking young
people, without five dollars ahead
in the world, and nothing to look to
but their own skillful right hands
and cheerful, hopeful hearts. For
even the trucst OF true lovers can't
afford to be married unless they have
a roof over their heads, and daily
bread to eat, to say nothing Of Il
possible chance Of the attendant but
ter. But, in spite Of all this, they
derived infinite consolation from
twilight walks, and snug tireside
gossips, and confidential talks over
their respective wicket gates, and
looked forward with patient hope to
the far-off' some day that was final
ly to crown their happiness.
Hugh listened to Agatha's story
in silence; he WAS sorting apples in
heaps on the barn floor, and when
she had concluded he brought down
his closed hand on the biggest bin
with an energy that would have
abraded any less horny cuticle.
It's shame.' was honest iIugh's
emphatic comment.
80 it is said Agatha; 'and father
thinks so too. You see Uncle Phi
lemon brought father up, and took
care Of him when he was poor boy,
with no other friend in all the wide
world, and now that he is sick and
bedridden-'
'Hain't he no money to leave:'
asked Hugh. Seems to me Eve
heard folks say that old Philemon
Smith was pretty middlin' well Off
Agatha shook her head.
Dear me, no. You forget how
long he has been sick and helpless
under the Doctors hands, Hugh.
And-I wouldn't tell any one but
you, dear-but think mother hasn't
been nearly 50 kind and torbearing
with him since she made up her
mind that his little store Of money
was all spent
Hugh and Agatha talked together
long and earnestly, and then they
strolled across the quiet fields, arm
in-arm, and took Moses Jefferson i'll
to their confidence, as he wrestled
with huge log of wood on the wood
pile, at the west end Of the house.
Father, Hugh has thought Of
somethingr chirpcd Agatha, as cx-
ultantly as if Il thought were quite a
novelty to Hugh Darwin.
I've got a plan, SIR said Hugh,
and straightway proceeded to un-
fold it.
'We'll do it' roared Moses, smi
ting his thigh, with a prodigious
laugh, which echoed through the
frosty twilight like war-whoop.
yes, Hugh, we'll do it, sure's the
worldn
Mrs. Moses Jefferson was busy
skimming her cream the next day,
in Il clear, cool little milk-room,
whose windows were netted with
wire-work, and shaded with the yell
low vine leaves which yet hung to
their stems, when there was shrill
iingle,ia of discordant bells in
the road beyond. Mrs. Jefferson
dropped her skinner into the gold
en- depths of the jar of cream, and
darted, bonnetless, and with her
sleeves rolled up above the elbow,
across the door-yard.
Its a ragmEn, or my name ain
Clarissa Jetlersonn she thought, cX-
ultantly.
And, sure enough, there was a
portly parsonage, with huge fur
cap tipped over his eyes, q coarse
red pocket-handkerchief tied round
,hc lower part of his chin, and fur
thermore attired in a long rusty
ovcr-coat, whose ragged skirts eX-
tended nearly to his feet. He was
propelling, by means of his vigor-
Gus arms, a little hand-wagon, sur
mounted with bells, and partially
filled with rags, bottles, cast-otl
clothing, and crumpled papers, and
checked his noisy career at once, as
Mrs. Jefferson breathlessly hailed
him from her little gate.
D'ye buy old newspapers" shrek
ed our housewife, i'll the shrillest OF
trcblcs.
sWa'al. YES, onst in Il WHILE was