Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-09-12
Geletteo AlisfeIIanD.
GRANDMA'S MISTAKE.

Grandma Freeman was very, very
deaf. But the worst of it was that she
did not know it, but always insisted she
was not. II tell yc p she squealed out
in a way that proved at once she was
deaf, else she never could endure the
sound of her own voice, my hearin's
just as good as ever twas. It's all in
the way folks has o mumblin' and chew
in their words nowadays that / can't
hear nothin'. Course / amt deaf-it
never run in the family My father ard
mother both lived to be over 80, and
could hear as well the day they died as |
can, and not one Of us thirteen children
ever was the least grain hard o hearin'
My mother was a Priggins, and the Prig-
ginses never was deaf set. Father did
have one sister--Aunt Randy we used to
call her--Mranda Stebbins; she married
Luke Butter6eld for his second wife; his
first wife was she that was Charity Mil
ler Wal, Aunt Randy was a little hard
o hearin', butt all came O gittin' cold
arter the measles, when she was q gal :"
And grandma having cleared her skirts
of the sin and disgrace of being deaf,
would dig the end of the knitting needle
zealously into the sheath pinned on her
side, and go to knitting again.
1t was not often that grandma was
trusted 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 hest
tated to try it,
One fine Spring afternoon young Mr..
May, getting sleepy over his law studies.
threw his 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
dmpled elbows in a batch of bread, and
Belinda was giving the dish cupboard a
thorough overhauling and putting-to-
rights; SO that 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-witted
enough to open the door and find Mr.
May, all smiles and bows, on the steps
Good afternoon, ma'am," he said po-
litely, raising bis hat. care the young
ladies at home %
pretty well, I thank ye," squcaled
grandma, "though my rheumatic bothers
me some. Walk right into the sittin'-
ROOM" for Mr.. May often called there,
50 she knew him well by sight, and she
felt quite fattered by his polite saluta-
ton. Mr. May hesitased, but there were
two other fellows just coming down the
sidewalk, and he dared not risk another
question and answer, SO in he went.
Take this chair" and grandma was
surprisingly active in hauling up big
armchair for him ; "now amt that COM
Portable ? That cushions the best O hen
feathers. Pve seen live geese feathers
not mite softer. / worked the cover
myself since | was 20 years old, but I've
got sight handsomer one that | worked
when | was gal" And down on her
knees at the lower bureau drawer plump
ed the old lady, and drew out once gay
but now faded sampler whercon divers
impossible birds and flowers were work
ed in worsted
"There," said she, spreading it over
his knees, 81 done all that Afore | was
10. Gals amt what they used to be"
ITS very pretty said Mr.. May,
thinking he must say something in praise
Of it, ~ called to see the young ladies.
Are they at home p
''Not but dreadful little of it at home;
mostly done it at school. Such things
was taught in school in them times, and
1 think if they was now in place of alze-
bry and bottomry and sech nonsense il
would be better, don't you think so p
Il 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 arc Misses Belinda and Lu-