Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-11-17
IOWA. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER H. 1871

and, Lordy massy, didn't Hubby
have a time ont when the minister
began to come out of his study, and
want to tend round and see to
things? Hubby, you see, thought
all the world of the minister, and
she was most afraid to laugh, but
she told me she couldn't, for the life
of her, help it when his back was
turned, for he wuzzled things up in
the most singular way, but H"ldy
she'd jist say yes SIR and get him
off into his study and 90 on her own
way.
'Huldy,' says the minister, one
day, You aint experienced outdoors
and when you want to know any
thing you must come to me-
yes SIR says Huldy.
Now, Huldy,' says the parson,
you must save the turkey eggs SO
that we can have a lot ofturkeys for
Thanksgiving
sYes SIR says Hubby, and she
opened the pantry door and showed
him a nice dishtul she'd been sayin'
up. Wal, the very next day the
parsons hen-turkey was found killed
up to old Jim Scroggs' barn-folks
said Scroggs killed it, though
Scroggs he stood to it he didn't-at
any rate, the Scroggses they made
a meal on it, and Hubby she felt bad
about it, cause she'd set her heart
on raisin' the turkeys-and says
she, 'Oh, dear, don't know what l
shall do, l was just ready to set
her.
DO, Huldy?' says the parson,
'why, there's the other turkey out by
the door, and fine bird, too, he
is.'
Sure enough, there was the old
Tom turkey a struttin' and sidin'
and a quitterin' and tiountin' his tail
feathers in the sun, like q lively
young widowcr, all ready to begin
life over again.
But says Hubby, you know he
can't set on eggs
'IIe can't? I'd like to know why,
says the parson-'hc shall set on
eggs, and hatch 'em, too
sOh, doctor,' says Hubby, all in a
tremble, cause, you know, she did
MT want to contradict the parson
and she was afraid she should
taught never heard of a Tom tur-
key settin' on eggs
why, they ought to- said the
minister, getting quite earnest;
what else be they good for? You
Just bring ont the eggs, now, and
put 'em in the nest, and I'll make
him set on 'em.'
So Hubby, she thought there
weren't no way to convince him
but to let him try; SO she took the
eggs out, and fixed 'em all nice in
the nest, and then she come back
and found old Tom skirmishin' with
the parson pretty lively, tell ye.
You see, old Tom he didn't take the
idea at all, and he Topped and COB
bled and tit the parson, and the par
sons wig got round so that his cue
stuck straight out over his ear, but
he'd got his blood up. Ye see, the
old doctor was used to carryin' his
pints O doctrine, and he hadn't fit
the Arminians and Socinians to be
beat by Tom turkey-so, finally,
he made a dive and kctched him by
the neck in spite O. his floppin', and
stroked him down and put Huldy's
apron round him.
There, Huldy,' he says, quite red
in the face, we've got him now,'
and travelled off to the barn with
him as lively as cricket.
Huldy came behind, iist chokin'
with laugh, and afraid the Parson
would look round and see her.
Now, Huldy, we'll crook his legs
and set him down. says the parson
when he got him to the nest, you
see he's getting quiet, and he'll set
there all right
And the parson he sot him down,
and old Tom he sot there solemn
enough and held his head down all
droopin', lookin' like rail pious
old cock, as long as the parson sot
by him.
'Thcre; you see how still he SETS
says the parson to Huldy.
Huldy was most dyin' for fear
she should laugh. I'm afraid he'll
get up says she, when you do
oh, no he WON'T says the Parson,
quite confident; there, there' says
he, layin' his hands on him as if he
was pronouncin' a blessin'. But
when the parson riz up, old Tom he
riz up, too, and began to march
over the eggs.
Stop, now,' said the parson; I'll
make him get down again; hand me
that corn basket, we'll put that over
him.
So he crooked old TOMS legs and
got him down again, and they put
the corn basket over him, then they
both stood and waited.
sThat'll do the thing, Huldy, says
the parson.
Il don't know about it, says HUI
dy.
'Oh yes it will, child under
stand,' says he.
just as he spoke the basket rlz
right up and stood, and they could
see old Toms long legs.
'Tll make him stay down, con-
found him. says the parson, for yo"
see parsons is men, like the rest on
us, and the doctor had got his spunk
up. ,,,,
you jist hold him mint and III
ret something that'll make him
stay, l guess and ont lie went to
the fence and brought in a long,
thin, fiat stone, and laid it on old
Toms back.
Old Tom, he wiltcd down con-
siderably under this, and looked
rally as if he was going to give in.
He staid still there good long
spell, and the minister and Huldy
left him there and came up to the
house, but they hadn't more than
rot in the door before they seen old
~ ,,;nn;u, olonr. MS high step