Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-06-25
TONY HARDsoRABBLE's WIFE.

Tony Hardscrabble was carpenter,
blacksmith, mender of tubs and barrels,
and Jack-of- all trades for the rural
neighborhood in which he lived. His
little shop in which he made horse
shoes, ehod the farmers horses, sharp
ened plowshnres, made tables, doors,
desks, oupboards, bureaus, and occa-
slonally coffins ; in which he pounded
away at wonderful pork and vinegar
barrels, and frightened up dilapidated
old tubs and casks this little shop was
situated at point in the woods where
an old road crossed q new one, and was
in itself q queer. patched-up, new and
old building. Tony owned no corner
lots, but no ono intruded upon him.
His little house, the gay, hewn 10 g
divided by seams of white plastering,
seemed cosy and comfortable and
while the shop opened on the road the
: house stood back among the trees.
North, south, east and west were neigh
bors within quarter or half mile range,
and the neighborhood was thickly set.
tied. But no one saw the advantages
of corner lots near Tony's shop, not
even the spectators and wise men of
the village three miles distant, and
Tony was sole resident ut the Corners,
where he had garden patch that did not
flourish and family that increased rap
idly. Tony had fair skin where it
sho ved above his elbows and below the
collar band of his shirt COLLAR he dis
dalned to weary, but his face had dark.
grimy look. He was strong without
being stout, and was fond of displaying
ms sire 9Th and prowess. His face was
that OF daring, resolute man, and his
nelghbors never took much comfort in
looking at it. Tony was handy man
and, as the country people said, was
not afraid Of work. He never received
much ready money, but he & It his pay
III shape of corn or -four or pork. or
money in good time. The people who
patrenized him did not neighbor with
him, however. They knew little about
the family, but they inferred that Mrs.
Hardscrabble had hard time of it.
She was a good-natured, round-faced
woman, who was always busy indoors.
and who seemed to take great comfort
with her children, all of which was n
mercy, the good old women of the
neighborhood thought, as she had little
comfort iii her husband.
Tony's wife i'll those days did not
make much of an impression. People
caught only glimpses of her, but they
knew she was comely woman. While
other women of her age in the neigh-
borhood were sallow and broken down,
Mrs. Hardscrabble was fresh, plump
and strong. The face was attractive.
but had little character; and Tony's wife
was classed among the simple-minded
drudges, and was frequently referred
to as woman who thought the world
and all Of her children, but who had
not an atom of spirit. And Tony was
good to her. That was all people could
say about Tony's wife.
Tony had never been seen ut church.
He had certain loose ways aud indepen-
Gent notions that the people did not
like. He considered that there was no
harm in taking mess of roasting ears
from any mans corn-feld whenever he
wanted them. He thought the carrying
OH OF fine watermelons from some old
farmers carefully guarded truck patch
was good sport. He would take a fine
walnut rail from fence whenever he
needed seasoned walnut for framework
IN his shop. He shot game in season
ana out OF season, on Sundays as we'll
as work-days. He had been accused of
shooting TAT young hogs and wringing
the necks OF other peoples chickens,
but only accused. Ho would take his
boys and go on nutting expeditions on
Sundays, and always had an abundant
supply OF wild grapes, berries, nuts.
plums, etc. He was the freebooter as
we'll rs the Jnck-of-nll trades of tho
neighborhood, and was considered a
suspicious character.
So,when it was announced that Squire
Prim's house had been broken into and
over thousand dollars in money taken,
and that the smoke-house had been
broken open the same night, and that