The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-02-19

low,
And the fame OF thy worth like a pumpkin-vlne
And thy life be as sweet, and it's last sunset sky
Golden-tinted and fair as tny own pumpkin pie
MRS. ELDERKiN'S PITCHER"
One of Mrs. Stoves Fireside Stories.
'Ye see, boys said Sam Lawson,
as we were gathering young winter.
green on sunny hillside in June
'ye see folks don't alters know what
their marcies is when they sees 'em.
Folks is kind O. blinded, and when
a providence comes along, they don't
seem to know how to take it, and
they growl and grumble about what
turns out to be the best things that
ever happened to 'em in their lives.
It's like Mis- Elderkin's pitcher.
'What about MIS- Elderkin's pitch
er?' said both of us in one breath.
Didn't never tell We now?' said
Sam; why l wanter know.
No, we were sure he never had
told us, and Sam, as usual, began by
clearing the ground by thorough
introduction with statistical exposi-
tions.
EWal, We see Mis- Elderkin she
lives now over to Sherburne, in about
the handsomest house in Sherburn,
high, white house with green blinds
and white pillars in front, and she
rides ont in her own kerridge, and
Mr.. Elderkin, he's a deacon in the
church and colonel in the MALTA,
and a s'lectman, and pretty much
atop everything there is goin' in
Sherbune, and it all come out of that
are pitcher.
'What pitcher p we shouted in
chorus.
Lordy massy! that ares just
what I'm goin' to tell ye about !;
but ye see a feller's just got to make
bcginnin' to all things.
'Mis' Elderkin she thinks She a
great LADY nowadays, l s'pose, but l
member when she was Miry Brown
over herein Oldtown, and l usedsto
be waitin' on her to singing school.
'Miry and l was putty good friends
along in them days, we was putty
consid able kind o. intimate. Fact
is, boys, there was times in them
days when l thought whether or no
l wouldn't take Miry myself said
Sam, his face growing luminous with
the pleasing idea OF his former mas
culine attractions and privileges.
'Yis,' he continued, there was a
time when folks said l could had
Miry eff I'd asked her, and l putty
much think so myself, but didn't
say nothin'; marriage is alters kind
O. venturesome an Miry had such
up-and down kind o ways, l was
sort o. fraid ont.
But Lordy massy, boys, you
mustn't never tell Hepsy l said so,
cause she't be mad enough to bite a
shingle nail IN two. Not that she
sets SO very gret by me neither; but
then women's backs is alters up eff
they think anybody else could had
you, whether they want you them
selves or not.
'Ye see, Miry, she was old Black
Hoss John Browns da'ter, and lived
up there in that are big brown house
by the meetin'. house that has the
red hollyhock in the front yard. Miry
was about the handsomest gal that
went into the singers seat a Sun
day.
Il tell you she want none O. your
milk. and sugar gals neither, she was
main strong built. She was the
strongest gal in her arms i ever see.
Why, l have seen Miry take up a
barrel O. flour and lift it right into
the kitchen, and it would just make
the pink come into her cheeks like
the roses, but she never seemed to
mind it grain. She had good,
strong back Of her own, ard she was
straight as poplar, with swapping
black eyes, and | tell you there was
q snap on her tongue, too. Nobody
never got ahead O. Miry; she'd give
every fellow as good as he sent, but
for all that she was gret favor
lite.
'Miry was one O. your briery,
scratchy gals, that seem to catch
fellows in thorns. She alters fit and
tlouted 'em, the more they'd be arter
her. There wasn't gal in all Old
town that led such string o. fellows
arter her, cause you see she'd now
and then throw 'em good word
over her shoulder, and then they'd
all fight who should get it, and she
would just laugh to see them do
it.
sWhy, there was Tom Sawin, he
was one O. her beaux, and Jim Moss,
and Ike Bacon; and there was a
Boston boy, Tom Beacon, be come
up from Cambridge to rusticate with
Parson Lathrop, he thought he must
have his say with Miry, but he got
pretty well come up with. You see
he thought cause he was Boston
born that he was kind o. aristocratic,
and had a right just to pick aud
choose among country gals, but the
way he got come up with by Miry
was to funny for anything.
DO tell us about it, we said, as
Sam made an artful pause, designed
to draw forth solicitation.
wal, ye see, Tom Beacon he told
Ike Bacon about it, and Ike he told
me. Twas this way. Ye see, there
was quiltin' up to Mis- Captain
Broad's, and Tom Beacon he was
there, and come to goin' home with
the gals, Tom he cut Ike out, and
got Miry all to himself, and twas a
pretty long piece of walk from Mis-
Cap. Broad's sup past the swamp and
the stone pasture clear up to Black
Hoss Johns.
wal, Tom he was in high feathers
cause Miry took him, SO that he
didn't really know how to behave ;
and SO as they were walking along
Parson Lathrop's apple orchard,
Tom thought he'd try being familiar,
AMI he undertook to put his arm
around her Miry. Well, if she didn't
Just take that little fellow by his