Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-03-26
Fireside Department.
Grandmother's Bedfellow.
BY MRS. $. NJ. WALSH.

Come, now. I've just thought
of story-true, every word of il
s:just as true as preaching" as
you children say; and I'm sure
that's the kind of story good
children. love best.
l do wish we could just sill
around a good, roaring wood fire,
in the open fireplace, instead Of
being gathered around this little
open-work .shole in the floor;;''
then there would be some relish
to the talk about. the. times when
your great grandmother was
young.
Yes;she was a young CIR, about
as old as Jessie, | guess, when
onestime'she went. to .spend,, the
night with friend about her own
age.
The old folks " ere away, and
in the little, lonely log house
these two young girls-just in
their teens-spent the long win
ter evening by the glowing, crack
ling fire, with never a thought OF
fear, talking, as girls will talk,
about all sorts of nonsensical lit
tie things.s / shouldn't wonder if
they..even discussed the fashions,
and consulted each other about
the style of the next "petticoat
and'short-gown" to be made; and
l am very certain that they did
not sit and talk with idle fingers,
but doubtless a good, stout wool
en- stocking-ef yarn, carded and
spun by their own thrifty hands
-dangled from, the. needles, and
grew apace as their busy tongues
kept going. PerhapsAthe wind
whistled and moaned around the
housejust as it does to-night;but
how dismal it must have sounded
through the tops of the great for
est-trees, amid which stood the
lonely log heuse;and even if they
heard an occasional howl OF a
wolf not far away, or the barking
of a fox skulking around the
chicken-roosts,r ,rthe sounds were
familiar ones, and these back
woods notice them but little
more than you do tonight the
jingling sshorse-car, bell, for the
whistle of a passing. locomotive.
And when the tall old clock
struck nine, they covered up the
remains oftheir now dying fire
which was their only way of pre-
serving it for mornings-said
their prayers, blew out the flick
ering tallow-candle and quickly
jumpediinto the great, motherly
feather-bed, and snuggled under
the warm blankets'and bed-quilts
that were never wanting in those
thrifty-days.
But they were no sooner set
tied comfortably in bed than both
were startled by a rattle, rattle,
rattle, that chilled their young
blood, and made their hearts
stand still with terror.
90 bark! What's thatr' whis-
pered one to another, as they
hugged each other closer, and
shook with cold fright.
Then they lifted their heads
from the pillow and listened in
tently, and it came again-rattle
rattle, rattle; and these girls
knew the sound perfectly well;
and, perhaps, by daylight, on the
open mountain-side, it would
scarcely have frightened them, for
a well l-aimed stone or two has
been the death of many rattle
snake.
But now, where was he9 They
could not step out of bed lest
they should put a bare foot right
on the horrid reptile. So all
they could do was to lie still as
possible and wait for the morn
ing; and, sure, never was morn
ing longer in coming.
At last, when it seemed they
could endure it no longer, day |
light sent its first beams through |
the; little curtained window, and
anxiously surveying the floor, land
making sure. beyond doubt, that
his snakship was not there, how
joyfully they sprang from the
bed and stretched their cramped
limbs!
Starting up the fire and hurry
ing on their clothes was the work
of but few minutes, and then be-
gan the search for the enemy of
their peace. Cautiously stripping
on the bed-clothes, one covering
after another,right under the last
quilt, next the sheet, lay Mr. Rat
tesnake, ,one hugh bunch of ugli-
ness, with his venomous head
peering out from the midst of
his horrid, coiled-up body; and if
those poor girls, whose charming
bedfellow he had made himself,
had been so unfortunate as to
stretch down a foot from its
cramped position all that long,
dreadful, night, without doubt his
repose would have been disturb
ed, and he would have repaid
the in6i Opitv in a ,ooo-o, it'll