Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-07-24
QUALITY HILL.

Mrs. WooDCoCK sat in the middle of
the room, with her feet on the rug of the
chair and her fingers in her ears
81 like to hear thunder we'll enough
I don't know but what | do. I am not
any afraid of that. But be some scarf
of the lightning" said she, starting as the
heavens blaZed over with sheet of
flame in instant glory, with crash and
roar that found its way through her fat
fingers AMI through two wads Of cotton,
bursting her ears like the trump of
doom.
"Mercy on mer shrieked Mrs Wood
cock, " that struck. Now you may rely
upon it, as true as you are living Great
ure, that struckw
Mr.. Spofferds old sorrel horse, the
only living creature in sight, made no re-
ply, but kept on nibbling away at the
white clover on the green before the
door. He only turned his back to the
driving rain, that flew from the west to
the east so fast and so heavy that it was
more like bank of fog than moving
drops of water; and gave passing shiver
when the rainfall changed to hail, and
ratified down in stones as large as birds
eggs.
But Mrs. Woodcock was above the
blind trust of the beast; so, pale and
trembling, she pressed her hands tighter
over her ears, and looked at spiders
web in the darkest corner of the room as
steadfastly as if she was sitting for her
photograph.
The thunder growled itself to sleep at
last the lightning flashed its life away
and the sun. broke out like sudden
smile on babys face Still the uncon-
fn
ears and gazed at the spiders web until
the outer door was flung open, and the
chOre boy shuffled in He was hempen-
haired, buttermilk- eyed lad of fifteen,
who was either half-witted or half
crazed-possibly both.
Ho! Aunt Prissy," he cried, "what
are you keeping Independence for, the
day after the Fourth? 1t has all come
off as clear as new cider, and you are
wasting your time sitting there like a
statue. You better be mending my
pantaloons.
AS he spoke a sudden sunbeam darted
through the western window and flashed
athwart the corner.
3" If there isn't cobweb right in my
kitchen" quoth Mrs Woodcock, deliber-
ateiy putting down her fingers and her
feet, and going for wing-a gray goose
wing that hung by strip of red calico
on a nail behind the door.
oh, you come, Orson? Where did it
striker" she continued, appearing to dis
cover the grinning boy.
"The hail struck everywhere, particu-
larly ON Dr. Seacrest's grape-vines. |
haven't heard as the thunder struck at
all, not even on some folks ears" re-
turned Orson, who was mainly composed
of pair of overgrown bare feet, blue
cotton frock and overall, set of broad,
white teeth and weather-beaten hat,
with wide, slouching brim.
"You don't mean to say the doctors
grape-vines are hurt essentially, do you?'
Queried Mrs. Woodcock, deaf to the i'm
pertinence as she had been to the thun
der.
Don't know nothing about no es
sences," replied Orson, who was fond OF
long words, but not clear as to their use
"But | can tell you one thing, though
You ought Just to see the doctors new
grape-vines he sets so much by. The
tendous and young grapes are fairly
chewed to bits. Yes'm. | don't expect
$500 in gold would put it back to where
it was an hour ago"
"How you talkw gasped Mrs Wood
cock, who liked to have things happen
and the worse they happened the better
she liked it. She was a very kind
hearted soul, but something to talk ovel
was worth as much as her dinner
But is it SOP" she continued, doubt
fully. Really and truly, Orson9 Now
speak the truth just exactly as it is"
Orson had as much idea of the truth
as he had of geology.
Yes'm," said he, getting bolder. "The
doctor said to me, 'Orson Larely,' sale
he, / wouldn't have this management
done to my vintonage not if you had of
fered me five hundred-dollar bill righ-
in my hand And then he looked az
sober as anything and walked straight
into the house. ] saw Mrs. Seacres
through the oriol window, and she wa.
crying like fury. You ought to take {
look at it yourself, Aunt Prissy, if yol
don't believe me" he concluded, in al
aggrieved tone.
Mrs. Woodcock did not believe him en-
tirely, to be sure, but there might b,
something worth seeing; so, after lit
tie rejecting she decided it would b
handy to have dose of salts and semi
in the house, and she might as well ste
up to the doctors and get it then as an
time.
There was no need to wait for th
grass to dry, for Mrs. Woodcock's choco
late and white calico, guiltless of pan
Ter ana innocent of trail, did not eve
brush the broad plantain leaves and tn
nrry speedwell blossoms bordering til
Weu-trodden footpath that led from he