The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-03-23
From the Home Circle.
The Andrews Family in the
City. n
SEEING THE .eELEFHANT.'

"Dad told us that when he go
through harvest he'd take US all dow
to the city so we put on our broad
brimmcd Gun zbonnots, to preserve OIL
compilations, and set to work raling
hay-for we expected TO cut a grea
swell in the city. We worked smar
for dad,so as to have him get through
we were so anxious-just- like one i!
when they're waiting for their beat
to come Sunday night.
"Jane Ann, she made her berage
Bet, she altered over her lilac silk
and I trimmed my Tuscan with red
white and blue flowers. It looked
stylish, 1 tell ye. Well, we were
more'n fortnight fixing up before
dad was ready to start. Finally he
hitched in the old mare, and we six
gals bundled in.s - TCsJ ~ ~ i
'E'9Twas "a splendid morning, an6
everything looked as serene as frisk
ing lambs in a pasture. Dad drove
up side of the park, as he called it; il
looked like a great pasture, though i
they'd had any sense they'd cut down
some of them trees, if they expected
to raise half crop. Most all the
ground was covered by the shade
and you know that grass that grows
in the shade amt half so sweet as thai
which has the sun.
We went across the street and got
seven two-cent glasses of small beer
just to wash the !, dust out of oul
throats then we all went back to the
wagon and got in. just then we saw
a training company coming down the
street; the band was playing 'Por
goes the. weasel like sixty Dad rein.
ed up the hoss and axed man if the
Mexican war had broke out again
The sassy coot, he bust right out q
laughing, and says he:
'1 guess you don't teke the papers
up in your part of the country, dc
your" f-ssr.
sDad never answered him, and !
wouldn't if I'd been him he just hit
the old mare O clip with the whip, and
sung out, 'g'lang.,
"When the military company got
close by the wagon, the music put
right into it as loud as it could. The
old mares fourteen years old, but il
you'd seen her pPanee, you'd thought
her colt. Dad hollered at her, but
she only acted worse. The fore wag-
on wheel struck something in. the
road, when the old mare gave an aw-
full jump, and Angeline and I, who
were sitting on the back seat, went
right out of the wagon ker-slam.
You see the seat tipped back, and we
were SO heavy that over we went,
right into the mud. 1t was dry
enough OF home, but Bet declared
that she saw a sprinkling- going
about the streets drawn by q -hess.
For the life of me can't tell what
they should do that for; mud's bad
enough when we are obliged to have
it without makingfit. ~
tits a wonder that we didn't break
our necks. The gals aud dad were
eenaTnost. scared to death, but the
folks that were looking on seemed
mighty tickled about it. Dad he lust
spit out little of his mind right on
the spot, and he told them thew didn't
know no better than to laugh at an
unfortunate females .misfortunesI
81 wouldn't have cared a suap if 7
hadn't give my Tuscan such a lam.
daubedl her face all over
mud, and L went with her to a pump
That there was on the park, and she
washed heFeface. Dad bought Goa
coanut and cracked it on the Iron
fence that was around the pasture.
After he ate that up he axed us if we
didn't want to see steamboat. OF
course we said yes = so he fastened
the hoss good and strong, and we
started. Twas killing way to walk,
but we got there finally.
"Twas as pretty as a pictur'. that
It was right close ND to
what they called the dock, and there
was thing made out of boards to
walk on to it on. Dad went fust and
we gals follered. / tell We it was fur
nlshed as nice inside as old Deacon
Browns parlor; the wood was carved
and golded. 1t was splendid, and no
"What puzzled me was where the
folks slept. Dad took us down stairs
and showed us some little shelves all
around the kitchen. l told a nigger
woman who was there how to make
some gingerbread for she was house
keeper for the steamboat, and /
thought I'd be doing favor; but the
pesky thing, she grinned clear around
70 her ears, and showed her teeth,
ana rolled up her eyes, and saws she
II guess you'se from the rural des-
tricts? ?" ~
Il never answered her, but kept
rlght straight after dad. He took us
down into the place in the basement
OF the steamboat where they han their
machinery and steam arrangements
put they had such big fire down
there, and it was so pesky hot that
we soon left.o We hadn't any more
than got through the chambers of the
poat and up into the parlor, than dad
neard a man say, We'll, there goes the
Dell the boats agoin' to startI'
cut sticks, gals said dad, and we
run with all our might, dad right close
after us. We got across-us girls
the plank concern, and then turned
round to see if dad was coming.
They were pulling the great plank in