Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-08-07

0Fduuuld Er06uldn WAS very, very
deaf. But the 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 that proved at once that
she was deaf, else she never could en-
dure the sound Of her own voice, "my
hearin's jest as good as ever twas.
It's all in the way folks has O. mum blin
and chewin' their words nowadays, that
[ can't hear nothing. Course [ amt
deaf-it never run in the family. My
father and mother both lived to be over
80, and could hear as well the day they
died as / can now, and not one of us thir-
teen children ever was the least grain
hard O. hearin'. My mother was Prig-
gins, and the Prigginses was never deaf
set. Father did have one sister-Aunt
Randy we used to call her, Miranda
Stebbins; she married Luke Butterfeld
for his second wife; his first wife was
she that was Charity Miller wal,
Aunt Randy was little hard O. hearin',
but it all come O. getting cold arter the
measles, when she was gall And
grandma having cleared the skirts of
the sin and disgrace OF being deaf,
would dig the end of her knitting needle
zealously into the sheath pinned on
her side and go to knitting again.
It was not often that grandma was
trusted to entertain company alone;
either Mrs. Freeman the younger or
one of her two pretty daughters usual
ly assisted in the business. But grand
ma had strong faith in her gift of
edifying as when she was fifty years
younger, and never hesitated 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 dimp1ed elbows in
a batch of bread, and Belinda was Civ
ing the dish cupboard thorough over
hauling and putting to rights, so neith-
er of them heard the door bell. Meth
er did grandma, though she was pass
ing through the hall and saw it ring
ing; so she was quick witted enough to
open the door, and found Mr. May, all
smiles and bows, on the steps.
I" Good afternoon, ma'am," he said
politely, raising his hat, care the
young ladies at home 2"
Pretty well, [ thank ye," squealed
grandma; Though my rheumatic
bothers me some. Walk right into the
sittin' room" for Mr.. May often called
there, SO she knew him well by sight
and she felt quite fattered by his polite
salutation. Mr.. May hesitated, but
there were two other fellows Just COM
ing down the sidewalk, and he dared
not ask another question and answers,
so in he went.
g Take this chair and grandma was
surprisingly active in hauling up a big
arm chair for him "now amt that
comfortable 2 That cushions the best
o hen feathers. I've seen live geese
feathers not a mite softer I worked
the cover myself since [ Was 70 years
old, but I've got sight handsomer one
that [ worked when [ was a gal" And
down on her knees at the lower burea1
drawer pumped the old lady, and drew
out a once gay but now faded sample
whereon divers impossible birds and
flowers were wrought in worsted.
:" There, said she, spreading it over
his knees, Il did that all afore I was
Is. Gals amt what they used to be-"
cts very pretty" said Mr.. May,
thinking he must say something in
praise of it. 81 called to see the
young ladies. Are they home :"
"Not but dreadful little of it home,
mostly [ did 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 non
tense it would be better; don't you
shink So"
81 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 I'll try
once more"
"Where are Misses Belinda and
Lucy?" he screamed, when she had
settled herself in chair
eyes, sir, Tryphena Newton has been
at work here all winter, but she's gone
home with sore finger, and I'm afraid
she'll have a felon ont. Anyhow,
it begins just as james wife's first hus-
bands sisters felon Eegan-she was
Sal Mari Gage-and she had proper
hard time ont. She was keeping the
destrick school a1d boardin' with us
when she took it. The girls do ali the
work now, but they're smart as lection,
though Belinda's trife the best for
business. May be you're courtin' one
on 'em, " she continued looking up at
him with what was meant for q rough
smile.
+" Hang it, was Mr.. Nays mental
ejaculation, but the girls will proba-
biy y be III soon. I'll relieve her mind
OF that notion. Oh ! no, indeed - he
replied, loudly, ''I am only young
man, Just studying law, you know