The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-09-05
Grandma's Mistake.

Butthe worst of it was that she did not know
it, but always insisted she was not Il tell
ye," she would squeal out in way thai
proved at once that she was deaf, else she
never could endure the sound of her own
voice, ''my hearin's Jest as good as ever
twas. It's all in the way folks has of
mumblin' and chewin' their words now
adays, that | can't hear nothing. Cour Sc
| amt dealt never run in the family
My father and mother both lived to be
over so, and could hear as well the day
they died as | can, and not one of us
thirteen children ever was the least grain
hard OF hearing. My mother was n Prig
gins, and the Prig9inses never was q deaf
set. Father did have one sister-Aunt
Rindy we used to call her. Miranda Stcb-
bins; she married Luke Butterfeld for his
second wife; his first wife was. she was
Charity Miller wal Aunt Rindv WAS a lit
tie hard o hearin', but ii all come O gettin
cold arter the measles. when she was a
gal" And grandma having cleared her
skirts of the sin and disgrace of being deaf,
would DIG the end of her knitting needle
zealously into the sheath pinned to her
side, and 90 to knitting again.
1t was not often that grandma was trust
ed to entertain company alone; either
Mrs. Freeman the younger or one OF her
two pretty daughters usually assisted in
the business. But grandma had as strong
faith IN her GIFT of edifying as when she
was fifty years younger, and never hesi-
tated to try it. One fine spring afternoon
young Mr.. May. getting sleepy over his
law studies, threw the books aside and
sauntered out to call on the Freeman girls.
Now it so happened that Mrs. Freeman
was at the sewing circle, and the hired
girl had gone home sick, so Lucy and
Belinda had the kitchen work to do. Lucy
was up to her dimpled elbows in batch
of bread and Belinda was giving the dish
cupboard a thorough overhauling and
putting to rights, so neither of them heard
the door bell. Neither did grandma,
though she was passing through the hall
and saw it ringing, so she was quick wit
ted enough to open the door, and found
Mr.. May, all smiles and bows, on the
steps.
Good afternoon, ma'am," he said
politely, raising his hat, care the young
ladies AT home?'
'Pretty well, | thank We" squealed
grandma "though my rheumatic bothers
me some. Walk right into the sittin'-
ROOM" tor Mr.. May often called there, so
she knew him well by sight and she felt
quite flattered by his polite salutation
Mr.. May hesiated, but there We're two
other fellows just coming down the side
walk, and he dared not risk another cues
ton and answer. so in he went.
Take this chair" and grandma was
surprisingly active in hauling up 4 big
p1,nY h ,,,'f
tortableP That cushion is the best of hen
feathers. I've seen live geese feathers
not a mite softer. | worked the cover my
self since was 10 years Old but I've got
sight handsomer one that | worked
when | was gal" And down on her
knees at the lower bureau drawer pumped
the old lady, and drew ont a once gay but
now faded sampler whercon divers inn
possible birds and flowers were wrought
in worsted.
There" said she, spreading it over his
knees, 81 did that all afore | was l5
Gals amt what they used to be-"
''lt's very pretty" said Mr.. May think
ING he must say something in praise of it,
II called to see the young ladies' Are
they at home?'
mot but dreadful little of it at home,
mostly | did it at school Such things
was taught in school in them times. and
think if they was now in place of alzebry
and bottomy and sech nonsense it would
be better, don't you think SOP"
II dare say" was the reply, and while
grandma carefully put away this souvenir
of old times, he tried to study his way
out Of the fix She must be very deaf he
thought, ''but III try once more"
"Where are Misses Belinda and Lucy ?'
he screamed, when she had settled her
self in chair
Eyes. sir, Tryphena Newton has been
at work here all winter, but she's gone
home with a sore finger, and Pm afraid
she'll have felon ont. Anyhow, it be-
gins ust as James wife's first husbands
sisters began-she was Sal Mari Gage
and she had a proper hard time ont. She
was keeping the districk school and board
ing with us when she took it. The girls
do all the work now but they're smart as
lection, though Belinda's a trifle the best
for business. May be you're a courtin
one on 'em," she continued looking up at
him with what was meant for Il rOugish
smile
Hang - was Mr.. Mays mental ejac-
ulation, "but the girls will probably be in
soon. I'll relieve her mind of that notion
Oh no, indeed y he replied, loudly, Il
am only young man, just studying law,
you know"
"NeXt Sunday morningw cried the old
lady, fairly starting out of her chair with
surprise. "Now you don't say so! At
meeting of course. Now how sly they
have kept it from me !'
"You misunderstood me-" he screamed,
in terror 81 didn't say so.''
"Belirdy, too9 Well, Pm glad it's her
for your sake. Cause she wouldn't say
no to so good an offer. Belindy's a good
gal, too. She's named after me, and per-
haps that's why like her a little better than
| do Lucy, but shall do what's right by
her when she goes to housekeepin'.l I'm
| saving up half-dozen solid silver tea
spoons for her. and | shall give her my
gold beads, too," taking hold of that
string of ancient adornments which en-
circled her great fat neck. "Shall you
60 right to keepin' house ?''
81 tell you I'm not going to be married., -
he screamed, so loud that it seemed to
him all the neighbors must hear.
"Of course you want a home to be
HaPPy, ahyoouy uoeS, anu Always u1u
believe in young folks going to house
| keeping as soon as they was married."
"You're altogether mistaken - he
screamed in her ear the prespration start.
ing from every pore.
"The house already taken? Now
never! And to think they was trying tc
keep it from me, and you've told me all
about it I shan't tell them, though, MOI
anybody else, so you needn't be grair
afraid | can keep secret if am an ole
woman"
! 81 wonder who gradma is talking