The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-07-15

Wall-yes-they're a queer lot,
them town paupers but then-wall-
Their is a master sight of queer folks in
this ere world n [ dunno s paupers is
any queerer n the bulk on 'em. [ dun
no S they're any stranger n folks II
average Some times [ think they be,
n then agin I-don't-know.
Deacon Moses took off his hat, and
gazed fxedly into it like a witch into a
pot, as though expecting to find there
the solution of the perplexity Then
he drew, from the hats depths, a
Northumberland, SO called by the
compliment of custom, the which, how
ever, no pocket ever did, would, or
comfortably could, contain, by reason
Of its size; IN fact, a very marvel of
magnitude and gorgeousness was this
pocket or hat-handkerchief So large,
indeed, was it that Mrs Deacon Moses
was reported, and commonly believed
to have worn it, folded kitten" on
her conubial shoulders, one afternoon,
to the lecture preparatory, which
assemblage was, in Hickorytown, a sort
of undress sclemnity, neither requiring
nor admitting of tull-drcss pontIticials
As to the color, this same article in
evitably suggested millennial union
OF the tiags of all nations, their com
bined hues and mingled designs being
brought together to produce kaleido-
scope effect, which was, in an eminent
degree, unique and startling.
If have seemed, in this description
Of the handkerchief, 10 lose sight Of
the man, it is because the man is. at
the present, lost sight of behind the
iaf iaI fo.o
being for an instant, obscured III the
gorgeous folds Of the bandana. From
this brief eclipse, however, Deacon
Moses energies, and with fresh strength
picks up the threads Of his converse
ton, if, indeed, that can be called con
versation which is not dialogue but
monologue, not coloquy but solilOquy.
But / set out TO tell We bout Aunt
Reeny You see we don't hev much
company mp to our 'us'n' ef / do GIT
anybody tn talk to I'm apt to run ON
but We see Aunt Reeny-Irene Manton.
she that was, merried to Uncle Mace
lah Bangs An an old brute he was,
an a beasts life he led her, n bimebv
he had a cancer n that made him forty
times crOsser n he Wos before, which
Warn't necessary no how Beat ali how
long he lived arter that thing took holt
on him Seemed as eli he didn't die coz
the Lord warn't IN want o Just such.
But he did die finally, an twarn't long
arter that fore his wIdder come to our
place ! tell YOU she was a woman.
so Cross !. Bless yer dear heart, no
She was Just the meekest, cleverest,
blessedest leetle ole critter t ever did
live. From the day t she come to our
house, remember 1t s ii 'tw this
ere morning., GENE It Settln in an old
rocker, the only property she owned in
the world-from the day she came in
ter my house a-Settn IN that cheer to
the day t she went out on t a layin' in
her paupers coffin, that air woman
never said or did a thing to trouble
any livin' crittur inside ont Gin rally
speakIn women paupers are more pes
term than men pauperS. L dunno why,
only they be. There's Bash now. She'll
have her tdntrums to this day. Like
nough she'll git mad an won't open
her head, nor speak a word to none Of
us from one weeks end TO mother.
faint a woman's way, mostly, o show
IN her spunk, but see'll talk to herself,
AN to Jerry-that's her brother, YOU
know-he has to take 1T at thin times
Now, ] don't never pay no 'ttention to
none of her righteousness, but my wife
don't like it.
You see ther was a good deal t WIS
extraordinary about Aunt Reeny Meb-
by | shin tire ye out with this yarn
Thank ye-much obleeged for the com
pliment. I'll go ahead.
You see Aunt Reeny wartime com
mon woman. Poor as poverty's back
door'n he'd ben, all her born DAYS
You know most o the towns poor
have seen better DAYS Efthey haunt,
they sware they hey, an tn come 'long'n
and Sc down 'mouost 'em. n hear EN-
runnin' on, why bless my soul, you'd
think they'd all ben kings n queens
once. But Aunt Reeney warn't worth
q dollar III the world when she come
there, n yet she hadn't ben there a
month before everybody under that ruff
respected her sef she'd ben the grandest
lady in the land She WIS SO kind n
Town II forgivin, 'nonselhsh like. Eff
WIS goin' of somer'ers it was,
Deacon Moses, can't | git down Yer
oyercoat, and can't | find yer
amberel fur YOU? An when
/ got back, she'd come a-walk-
ing SO slow an soft like
she WIS lame-out ont the piazzy tn
meet me, peals to me sometimes | can
see her Jest rs she used to look, her
face all peaked, and wrinllied and her
hair white like the under side OF Il sill
Ner-leaf poppler tree, creepln' out ont
the stOop a-smilin and askin', Have
you had a good time, Deacon Moses ?
Did you find Sophy well and the chill
dren!' Then when | got in she'd come
an Sc down with her knittin' work long
side 0 the table while | eat my supper,
and she'd want tn know all about
Sophy, aud little Jack, and all of EN-
An her woris-wall, [ can't tell You
nothing there amt no sort o use try
IN to tell you nothin t all about it.
Their amt no givin' you no sort of an
Idea what Aunt Reene was anyhow, no
way nor shape But theirs something
| must tell, cause t was sort O remark
able. An that was the way she died.
You know Sophy'S my married
daughter. She's wife to young Ned
Langley the storekeeper down t the
Falls Ever been int that store O. his
EN-! | s'pose its bout the ueatest
thing o that sort Their is in these parts
Sophy allus was n proper smart girl
Takes after her mother Sophy does
But then, that amt neither here nur
there What | was gOin' to tell was
how Aunt Reeny died. 1t was IN straw
berry time, If | remember right, and
Sophy was stayin t home with her
boy, that's Jack. He was goin on three
II