Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-08-21

young man danced fore-and after
with me; and Aunt Sophy sat in the
corner, and lived over her young days,
she sad. After a time somebody pro-
posed we should hev a game of rolling
the platter, with forfeits, and a great
iroiic 1t made, can tell you; and the
best OF 1T was. when Elisha Ferris made
such haste ter catch the platter before
II got done spinning that he stumbled
over Aunt Sophy's cricket, and meas
urea his length on the floor. was that
tickled ! couldn't keep myself from
laughing right out, though s'pose it
want mannerly. But was glddy as
a windmill in them DAYS.
I'm glad | can amuse you so we'll,
Miss Hannah Elizabeth" said he, get
ting up very red in the face and not a
wmt handsomer than ever.
Thank you," says /; you're allus
ohhgtng. But, you see, that stumble
gave him forfeit ter pay, and Ben
Smelling he was elected judge and he
tod fhTbc ter measure three yards Of
punk ribbon with our Jack, which lest
set her young man and Becky Harris
on tenter-hooks ; and then, ter cap the
climax, he sent Elisha Ferris ter Rome
wick Becky, which sort o riled Jack,
and made me clap my hands.
Pleasant journey to you :" shouted
( Comstock.
Now p'r'aps you dunno what going
yer Rome IS like, since forfeits hav
I gone ont OF fashion considerable but
when was gal they was all the 60
wen, you see, the way they went TO
Rome was putty cheap in them days,
though, mercy knows, it cost Elisha
Ferris dear enough! They jest locked
arms together and went round the
I room. and he kissed all the girls, and
the young men they kissed her-if they
4 could Well, Elisha he gave his arm
ter Becky, and Becky she blushcd up
IKE a peony; and jest then got up
4 ter look after the fro, and didn't mind
\ how they was Citing along on their
/ journey, till felt somebody's hand on
my shoulder, and looked up ter find
4 Esishas great mouth within half an
inch OF my cheek gave such
! scream that i brought on Aunt Sophys
1 palpItatlon, and old lady Petti,rcw
thought there was fire and | Jerked
myself out Of his reach and run for
/ closet, and he aler me.
''Ail roads .cai 10 Rome" said he,
trying ter pail open the cupboard
door. I'm bound ter git there before
20 home.
If YOU come into this closet, said
4 J. II II shoot You, upon honor :" show
ing him Jacks pistol through tic
4 crack. You sec Jack had bln out
shooting At mark that afternoon, aad
he'd brought II IN and LEFT it ON the
cupboard shelf, and when Ia asked
him If twas loaicd, he said, II told
Comstock ter fire oil the last charge,
cause II was getting too dark ter see
the mark. Aud SO when Ferris, spite
Of all | could do, wrcnched open the
cupboard door, and found myself at
his mercy, LEST p'inted the pistol Al
him and pulled the trigger. Thinks |,
"l'll give him little start for his
pains And, bless us 80 did
There was q noise like ten thousand
earthquakes, seemed 10 me, little
squirt Of flame, and thimbleful OF
smoke, and Elisha Ferris dropped like
log Comstock hend't fired off the
last charge he'd
The girls all screamed like so many
catamounts, and thought I'll killed
him for ,art.n. | leaned against the
cupboard shelf q minute ter git myself
n hand but | seemed ter be growing
all numb ike, and the voices sounded
as il they come through a speaking
tube, and the folks all 'peared ter be
moving behind fog and then didn't
sense nothing more till most of em
hcd gone home, and the doctor was
looking after the wound and hcerd
Aunt >ophy saying, Twas dreiful
heerless in you, Jack, ter leave fire
arms handy and Jack, SAYS he, Its
dreilul foolish fu. woInen~foIks ter han
die en-. Hannah Liz has done putty
DAYS work And then Elisha Ferris
ups and takes my part, as poorly as he
was feeling shed no thought Of
hurting Of me, said he land it served
me right for pesterln. of the poor
child" And got on my feet at that,
and went inter the room; and says |,
DIR. Motherwort, if you'll be SO good
rs ter hire me fur nurse, | won't ask no
wages. You see, I've made him sick,
and its my right ter help cure him."
I'm most cured already said Eli
sha, opening his eyes at the sound of
my Voice, and smiling jest little
jest so" said the doctor '.only
keep him quiet"
Well, DR.. Motherwort said it
wouldn't do ter move him, and Jack
ana we nursed him together. You
see, the ball had gone clean through
his right shoulder, and it took time
and while Jack was at his work he'd
Elisha on my hands and cooked his
meals-no great shakes at fust-and
fixed his pillers twenty times day,
and bathed his head, and brought him
the news, and read the arabian Niqhts
ter him and the Weakly Trt, and
treated him as tenderly Is would hev
treated Jack if it he'd been him. And
when he was on the mending hand l
played back CANNON with him, and
wrote his letters ter his folks-he
hedn't nobody but merried sister
and laughed at the stories of his
school-days till the tears run down my
cheeks.
"He's growed quite pale and inter-
esting," said Ann Jenkins, catching
sight Of him through the open door,
while she was making me call, "but
he amt no handsomer than ever :"
and, you see, it jest took me all bv
surprise, but felt the blood tingling
in my face, aud my temper a Citing
up and says l, Handsome is as hand
some does, smart as you please, before
l remembered that I'd used ter agree