The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-09-27

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self ter old lady Pettigrew, while the young
folks was playing games and flirting, and
pulling candy in the kitchen. And she car
ried me all the way through her courtship
and the children's mumps and whooping-
cough, and Mr.. Pettigrews blind-staggers
and jest as she was in the thick of soap-mak-
ing | see Elisha Ferris pushing our way,
and my heart begun ter sink into the hollers
of my feet, for knew he was coming ter
take me out ter supper, an I'd rither hev
starved fust And what do you think he
did but walk straight up to us and offer his
arm todd lady Pettigrewl was as
mad as fire, and glad of it too, if ever you
heerd of sich case. But | made it even
with him when we come ter go off. Says
he, "Shall | see you home?"
THANK you,' says /; and he begun to
crook his elbow. But | hev company
already" added, after keeping him in sus-
pense while and so | he'd, only it was no
body but Jack and his girl, Becky Harris
Now Aunt Sophy he'd bin making a patch
work quilt, time out of mind-a real Job $
trouble; and every time she'd git it out
she'd tell you who he'd gownd like this
bit, and who led aprons off of that other
80 it was almost like a story-book. with
more chapters than you could shake stick
at. Gineration after gineration was repre-
sented in that quilt, so ter speak: here was
scrid that he'd belonged ter her great
grandmother, when calico was as costly as
delane, and there was scrap of her own
baby -frocks, and yonder piece of her un-
cle's wife's sisters In fact, twas as good
as regular genealogical tree. root and
branch and blossom. And I'd he'd no end
of trouble with it myself, fur aunt s eyes was
failing of her, and il I'd threaded one needle,
l he'd thousand and one, and made enough
knots an hour ter take me across the Allan
tic Ocean in a week. No matter whether
was taking off the butter or skimming the
milk, or trying out lard, Aunt Sopby was at
my elbow with thread and needle ter tell
the truth, she was that blind she mistook a
| fly on the pantry wall for nail one day,
and set ter work ter hang the milk-strainer
on ter it. The fly resisted. Well. the
Jobs trouble was ended at last, and |
thought mine he'd too, as far as that quilt
was concerned but, goodness, it hednt
only jest begun, 'cording ter some folk s
thinking. Nothing ter do but Aunt Sophy
must hev quilting, and ask tho young men
in the evening ter supper and frolic.
hedn't nothing ter say agin that, for l was
as keen after sport as the next one, only
didn't mean that Elisha Ferris should come
inside our doors that night | thought the
sight of his ugly face would jest spile the
whole fun! However the folks come in the
afternoon, and used their tongues and fin
gers pretty nimbly; quilted in herringbone
and gossiped about the good old times, when
girls weren't so for'ard, and butter and
eggs fetched more, and about Miss Some
body's new fxings, and Mr.. Tother body's
house-raising, till it grew dark and supper
was ready. Aunt Sophy and we'd cook
ed up sight ofnce thiDgs-roast chickens,
made pies and jelles and cakes-that did
your heart good ter look at, if do say it,
And by-and-by the young fellows begun to
pour in in their Sunday-go- -to-meetin' best,
and standing dickies stiffer'n Puritan elder
Phoebe Snelling's young man, Tom Com
stock, Jim Jackson, snd fine crowd and
in minute or two who should come along
home with our Jack, as big as life, but
Elisha Ferris | jest gave Jack look
that was enough ter take an ordinary man S
appetite away, but it hedn't the leastest eff
feet on him.
Well, after supper they danced a while.
Elisha Ferris played on cornet he'd brought
along with him. and Phoebe Smelling was
glum cause her young man danced fore
and-after with me and Aunt Sophy sat in
the corner, and lived over her young days,
she said After time somebody proposed
we should hev game of rolling the platter,
with forfeits, and Il great frolic it made, l
| Icap oil ha hos Of hon
Elisha Ferris made such haste ter catch the
platter before it got done spinning that he
stumbled over Aunt Sophy's cricket, and
measured his length on the floor. | was
that tckled I couldn't keep myself from
laughing right out, though s'pose it wan t
mannerly. But was gddy as a windmill
in them days.
Pm glad can amuse you so well, Miss
Hannah Elizabeth" said he, getting up
very red in the face, and not whit hand
somer than ever.
Thank you," says I you're allus oblg-
ing" But, you see, that stumble gave him
forfeit ter pay and Ben Smelling he was
elected Judge and he told Phoebe ter meas
ure three yards of pink ribbon with our
Jack, which jest set her young man and
| Becky Harris on tenter-hooks and then,
ter cap the climax, he sent Elisha Ferris
ter Rome with Becky, which sort drilled
Jack, and made me clap my hands.
Pleasant journey to youl" shouted
Comstock.
Now, p'r'aps you dunno what going ter
Rome is like, since forfeits hev gone out OF
fashion considerable but when | was gal
they was all the go. Well, you see, the
way they went ter Rome was putty cheap
in them days, though, mercy knows, it cost
Elisha Ferris dear enough! They jest lock-
ed arms together and went round the room,
and he kissed all the girls, and the young
men they kissed her-if they could Well,
Elisha he gave his arm ter Becky, and Becky
she blushed up like peony and jest then |
got up to look after the fire, and didn't
mind how they was getting along on their
journey, till | felt somebody's hand on my
shoulder, and looked up ter find Eisha's
great mouth within half an inch of my
cheek! l give sich scream that it brought
on Aunt Sophy's palpitation, and old-lady
Pettigrew thought there was FIRE; and /
Jerked myself out of his reach and run for o
closet, and he after me- .ssr-e
All roads leads ter Rome" says he, try
ing ter pull open the cupboard door. lin
bound ter git there before 60 homel"
If you come inter this closet" said l.
III shoot you, upon honorl" showing him
Jacks pistol through the crack. You see
Jack he'd bin out shooting at mark that
afternoon, and he'd brought it in and left ii
on the cupboard shelf, and when I'd asked
him if was loaded, he said,
told Comstock ter FIRE off the last
charge, cause it was Citing too dark tel
see the mark" And SO when Ferris spite
OF all | could do, wrenched open the cup
board door. and fopnd mvaelf at HIS mar