The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-03-03
Grandma's Mistake.


was deaf, else she never could endure the
sound of her own voice, "my hearin's just
as good as ever twas. It's all in the way
folks have of mumblin' and cbewin' their
words nowadays, that can't hear moth
ing. Course / amt deaf-it never run in
the family. My mother and father both
lived to be over eighty, and could hear as
well the day she died as l can, and not one
of us thirteen children ever was the least
grain hard of hearing. My mother was a
Priggins, and the Prigginses never was a
deaf set. Father did have one sister
Aunt Rindy we used to call her--Miranda
Stebbins she married Luke Butterfeld for
her second husband his first wife, she was
Charity Miller-wal, Aunt Rindy was a
little hard O. hearing, but it all come o.
gettin' cold arter the measles, when she
was gal.' And grandma having cleared
her skirts of the sin and disgrace of being
deaf, would dig the end of her knitting
needle zealously into the sheath pinned to
her side, and go to knitting again.
1t was not often that grandma was trust
cd to entertain company alone either Mrs.
Freeman the younger, or one of her two
pretty daughters, usually assisted in the
business. But grandma had as strong
faith in her gift of edifying as when she
was fifty years younger, and never hesita-
ted to try it, One fine spring afternoon
young Mr.. May, getting sleepy over his law
studies, threw the books aside and saunter-
cd out to call on the Freeman giIls. Now
it so happened that Mrs. Freeman was at
the sewing circle, and the hired girl had
gone home sick, so Lucy and Belinda had
the kitchen work to do. Lucy was up to
her dimpled elbows in batch of bread
and Belinda was giving the dish cupboard
a thorough overhauling and putting to
rights, SO neither of them heard the door
bell ring. Neither did grandma, though
she was passing through the hall and saw
it ringing, so she was quick witted enough
to open the door, and found Mr.. May, all
smiles and bows, on the steps.
"Good afternoon, ma'am," he said po-
litely, raising his hat, "are the young la
dies at home ?"
"Pretty well, 1 thank ye," squealed
grandma " though my rheumatic bothers
me some. Walk right into the sittin'
room," for Mr.. May often called there, so
she knew him well by sight, and she felt
quite flattered by his polite salutation.
Mr. May hesitated, but there were two
other fellows just coming down the side
tion and answer, so in he went.
"Take this chair" and grandma was
surprisingly active in hauling up a big
armchair for him "now amt that com
fortableP That cushion is the best of hen
feathers. I've seen live geese feathers not
a mite softer. worked the cover myself
since was seventy years old, but I've got
sight handsomer one that / worked when
was a gall" and down on her knees at the
lower bureau drawer plumbed the lady,
and drew out a once gay but now faded
sample, whereon divers impossible birds
and flowers were wrought in worsted.
"There," said she, spreading it over his
knees, 81 did that all afore was fifteen.
Gals amt what they used to be-" f.
"It's very pretty" said Mr.. May, think
ing he must say something in praise of it.
81 called to see the young ladies'. Are they
at homeP" m rui-
"Not but dreadful little of it at home,
mostly done at school. Such things was
taught in school them times, and think
If they were now in place of alzebry and
bottomy and such nonsense it would be
better, don't you think SOP"
dare say,' and while grandma care
fully put away this souvenir of old times
he tried to study his way out of the fix
She must be very deaf" he thought,
"but I'll try once more"
"Where are Misses Belinda and Lucy p"
he screamed, when she had settled herself
in chair. qu gI.IH
eyes sir, Tryphena Newton has been
at work here all winter, but she's gone
home with a sore finger, and Pm afraid
she'll have a felon ont. Anyhow, it begun
just as James wife's first husbands sister
began-she was Sal Maria Gage-and she
had pretty hard time ont. She was
keeping the districk school and boarding
with us when she took it, The gals do all
the work now, but they're smart as
lection, though Bel.nda's a trihe the best
for business. Maybe you're courtin' one
on 'em,p she continued, looking at him
with what she meant for a roguish smile.
tfHaDo, "A y, vyaa Mr. Mav,a nnantal