Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-08-01

'0IAuUu6 EkcoWAu WAS very, YER
deaf. But the WORT Of it was chat sh
did not know it, but always insisted sh
was not. II tell ye," she would squea
out in way that proved Mt once tina
she was deaf, else she never could en-
dure the sound of her own voice, "m,
f,earin's jest as good as ever twas
It's all in the way folks has o. mumblin
and chewin' their words nowadays, tina
I can't hear nothing. Course ain
deaf-it never run in the family. NJ
father and mother both lived to he owe
80, and could bear as we'll the day the,
died as l can now. and not one of us thir
teen children ever was the least grail
hard O. hearin'. My mother WIS Prig
gins, aud the Prieginses was never dea
set. Father did have one sister-Aun
Randy we used to call her, Miranda
6tebbins abe marrled Luke Butterfield
for his second wife; his first wife was
she that was Charity Miller wal,
Aunt Randy was little hard a. hearin',
but it all come o. getting cold AFTER the
measles, when she was u GAL" 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
" assisted in the business. But grand
ma had q strong faith in her gift of
.edifying as when she was fifty years
younger, and never hesitatel to try it.
One fine spring afternoon young Mr..
May, getting sleepy over his law studies,
threw the books aside and sauntered
ont 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
q batch OF bread, and Beliqt1a was Civ
ing the dish cupboard q thorough over
hauling and putting to rights, so Meth
or Of them heard the door bell. Meth
or did grandma, though she was pass:
ing through the hail 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. ;
Good afternoon, ma'am," he said
politely, raising his hat, "are the
young ladies at home 2"
=" Pretty well, I thank ye, }" squealed
grandma; Though my rheumatic
bothers me some, Walk right into the
sittin.room." for Mr.. May often called
there, 80 she knew him we'll by sight
and she felt quite battered by his polite
salutation. Mr.. May hesitated, but
there were two other fellows Just COM
ing down the sidewalk, and he dared
not AK another question and answers,
so in he went. :
I ia Take this chair" and grandma was
surprisingly active in hauling up big
arm chair for him, "now amt that
comfortable9 That cushions the best
o. hen, feathers. I've seen live geese
feathers not q mite softer. I worked
the cover myself since I was 20 years
old, but I've got sight handsomer one
that worked when I was gol. :" And
down on her knees at the lower bureau
drawer pumped the old lady, and drew
out once gay but now faded sample
whereon divers impossible birds and
flowers were wrought in worsted.
I" There" said she, spreading it over
his knees, IL did that all afore was
Is. Gals amt what they used to be. :"
Its very pretty" said Mr.. May,
thinking he must say something in
praise of it. II called to see the
young ladies. Arc they home2"
"Not but dreadful little Of it home.
mostly did at school. Such things
was taught in school in them times,
and l think if they was now in place
Of alzebry and l'ottomy and sech nom
tense it wauid bye better; don't you
~ dase .say," was the reply, and
while grandma carefully put away this
souvenir Of old times, he tried to study
his wy ont :of the III. She must be
very deaf, he thought, "but III try
once, more"
"Whero are Misses Belinda and
Lucy2" he screamed, when she had
settled herself in chair.
= eyes, sir; Tryphena Newton has been
at work hefe all winter, but she's gone
home, with sore finger, and I'm afraid
she'll have felon ont. Anyhow,
it begins just as james wife's first hus-
bnn;!'s sisters felon legan-she was
Sal Mari Gage-and she had q proper
hard time ont. She was keeping the
destrick school aad boardin' with us
when she took it. The girls do all the
work now, but they're smart as lection,
though Belinda's triae the best for
business. May be you're courtin' one
on 'em," she continued looking mp OF
him with what was meant for o rough
smile.
"Hang it," was Mr.. Mays mental
ejaculation, "but the girls will proba-
bly, be in soon. I'll relieve her mind
Of that notion. Oh ! no, indeed /" he
replied, loudly, 81 am only a young
man, just studying law, you know"
Next Sunday morning!" cried the
old lady, fairly staring ont of her
chair with surprise. "Now you don't
say SO! At meetin' of course. Now
how sly they have kept 1t from mel"
lyon misunderstood me-" he
screamed, in terror. 81 didn't say
So"
Belindy, too2 Well, I'm glad it's
her for your sake. Cause she wouldn't
say no to s" good an offer. Belindy's
good gal, too. She's named after me.
and perhaps that's why I like her 1,
little better than 4" Lucy; but shall
IL" what's right by her when she goes
to housckecpin'. I'm savin' up Il half.
dozen solid silver teaspoons for her,
n mi oh on