The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-04-30

bright, saucy, CHEEKY, ard willful enough ;
but as her father said, "chuck full o. grit -
Grit is a distinctive Yankee virtue.
1t is silica handed down from the men
who set their feet on Plymouth Rock
and heard the wintry sea dash be
hind them and the wintry winds
howl on their track, while before them lay
a worse wilderness and wilder hOwls, but
did not turn back. George was a hand
some young fellow, full of life and en-
ergy, fond ofpleasure, like all young peo-
pie, but courageous and fit to turn his
hand to anything; he was twenty-five.
and had already been a Farmland, clerk
in country store, chain-bearer, and then
surveyor on a railroad, district school
master now he had learned carpentering,
and had just set up little shop of his own
in Hillside. ten miles from Noppit. He
and Ruth were half lfquarreling with one an
other always; now they were in the full
tide of saucy repartee, when suddenly a
stir in the long kitchen announced sup
per--not for them; the old people took
their turn first, but the youngsters were
to do the waiting, and these two got to
the door just as ParsOn Wilbur rose to ask
a blessing. Poor old mani as he stood
there holding on to Aunt Nancy, with un-
closed sightless eyes and trembling out
stretched hands, so pathetic was the spec
tacle that stranger might endure the
long and rambling prayer he uttered; then
came the real business. What cups of tea
disappeared. what piles of biscuit, pickles,
and sliced ham, what cakes of all species
A hygienic philosopher would have shud-
dered and predicted an epidemic next
morning; bat where the soil grows null
lein and mayweed have always observed
that the people can eat unlimited pork,
pie and cake. | don't know why, nor do
| offer any theory; but so it is y
Nor was the feast silent, but seasoned
with such utterances as seemed good to
the guests. Mrs. Deacon Peters, in a loud
voice, cOmmemOrated the death and vir-
/ tues of Mrs. Deacon Graves, and the meek
relict brandished his pocket-handkerchief.
shifted a little, and said he was ''Obleeged''
to her. Then this fearful and wonderful
| female turned upon the poor old parson:
''And here we be again, Parson Will
bur; / didn't expect last year you'd sur
vive to hev another party; you've failed
/ some sence then, it's a fact, but here you
ber'
"Ges'm. yes,'' feebly piped the old
man. ''It's of the Lords mercies we are
not consumed; if | could only have an
assured hope of salvation should pray to
be taken; heart and flesh fail, yea, am in
straits Ofttimes; longing, if might, to de-
part in peace"
Poor old man in ninety-three years he
had only known the Lord through the AS
sembly's Catechisml
Mrs. Peters aggressive voice having
broken the silent buzz of eating and drink
ing, there now began the flow of soul, and
the young folks returned to their chat.
Il don't see why can't have a dOna-
ton party too" said George to Ruthy.
"Who do you s'pOSe would give you any
thing?" she snapped back.
Il think you would" was the confident
answer.
IL should like to know what?"
Sass" replied George, dryly.
There was a litter from the by-standers
that fired Ruthy's soul.
mo need o. that; l don't send salt to
the sea-"
"Guess you've got it now, George" a
sheepish youth chuckled.
Sass? oh yes, | told you / should! :"
Ruth was little cornered, so she re-
sumed the subject seriously, for now the
table needed fresh supplies, and the rest
were swarming toward it.
"What on earth do you want donation
party for, George Wilbur"
"Oh, want something"
"What?"
81 don't know as shall tell"
"Well, amt curious
That's lucky" replied the eXasperat- |
ing George, knowing very well that those
brown eyes were as curious as a sparrOw's, |
and that he had inflicted a small thorn on
Ruthy's soul that would fret her till she
made him take it out. George was sly,
Now it came to be the young peoples
tuin for supper, and merry time they had; |
in the middle ofwhich Ruthy May sudden
ly announced:
George Wilbur says he wants dOna- |
tion-party-isn't he greedy?"
Good for GeOrger' said Sam Hill.
Wen give him one when his shanty's up
over to Hillside"
"What do you want, George? tins, or
wOoden-ware, or garden-sass 2" screamed
Hetty Adams, from the other end OF the |
table.
"That's tellin'!" answered George.
Ruth's eyes flashed
II guess he'll take what he can get :"
II shan't take what | can't get, of |
cOurSe,' was the cool answer. Sam Hill |
stood up i'm his chair, "spry as a cat" said |
Aunt Sally, who was g waitin' on the tea
pot"
Everybody who's in favor of giving |
George a donation-visit when his shanty's |
up. please to say, Aye!n and the Ayes |
had it. But there were months to pass
first. and after that nights supper was |
eaten, the tables cleared, the Parsons |
thanks delivered in a wandering, prOliX |
discourse that still touched many a kindly |
heart that had vibrated so many years to |
his voice, a cheerful hymn was sung, and |
all the women gone upstairs to roll them |
selves up in frost-proof bundles, George |
contrived to stop Ruthy at the foot of the |
stairs l
'Say, Ruthy. you'll fetch me somethin' |
to my dOnation-party, won't you? do
nOw!"
"Sass?"
"No,' said George. with look that sent |
her up stairs quickly; for, to tell the
truth, George and Ruth had been, in the |
phrase of their kin and country, /" keepin' |
company" for more than one year, and |
though with real New England reticence, |
their hopes had never taken shape in |
words, each knew well that the other felt |
their mutual necessity, that it was only a |
matter of time when the outward and audi |
ible sign would be given.
George had a good business in eXpecta- |
ton. he had hired saw and planning mill
and two men to help him. Hillside was a |
place of great ''mill-privilege, and new |
factory lust built needed arrow of tenement |
houses. For these he had taken a contract. |
and meantime had bought two acres of
land Just above his mill on the bank of
Mad River, and as soon as spring came |
meant to get out the timber and plank and |
build himself a little house; ''dredful |
handy to the shop and mill,' as his fore
man said. Ruth meanwhile taught school
in Noppit Centre, halfway between old |
Noppit and Hillside; boarding in the taml- |
ly of a master carpenter by the name OF
Heale, who had brought her over tonight |
with his wife. for George had to go thirty |
miles west the next morning to settle |
lumber contract. and was not able TO take |
her himself; so he tucked her up in the |
sleigh beside Mrs. Heale and said a reluctant |
goodnight. Now Mrs. Heale certainly had |
as much claim to be called the mother of
mischief" " as the proverb says midge's |
wing has, though she was by no mean so
small. Nature had given her full measure;
her figure, unlike most American women's |
was full and plant. and even graceful; her |
rose and white skin showed her English |
descent as well as the large blue ewes and |
red-gold hair that wound its waves about |
her head and parted in little rings over |
Ill