Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-09-23
4 aoos Natavei Woman


Each forenoon, during the Tires sue
cessiye blistering August days, Mr.
Tree Press, donned my old orig
borrowed brother Toms Sunday boots,
and plodded down The dusty road fer
half a mile, fell over Iosr fences, Skin I
mished across an old pasture ehefo
there were seven or eight Of the f'fero-
ciouseste kind of cows, fell thFeugh i.
brush fence, and was then at the berry
patch
You've picked berries, havu't you?
All you have to do, you know, is To sit
on the fence and whistle. They'll drop
off the bushes into your. pail--iI yon
whistle long enough and loud enough
never could get the pucher to lny
mouth, or couldn't get the right balance
on the fence, or something or other,
and had to pick mine from the bush
es. fell over logs; stumbled over
logs; ] stumbled over half barred rocks;
got tangled up and regained my li5er
ty only by leaving many old strips Of
old calico on the L1iars. And the
snakes /! More than twenty times an
hour felt EN- under my feet, or !
thought did, and once when O fright
ened chipmunk dashed over my foot !
let FIVE quarts of the biggest kind OF
berries fall '.kerslap" into q patch of
nettles.
But blackberry jam IS good, isn't it.?
Good to eat on warm, light biscuit
WREN the winter wind kicks up its fros
zen heels around the house and across
the desolate moadows. was working
for blaekheEs: JAM Jam, and SO Ipersevered.
,The briars raked across my hands, the
mosquitoes raised great mounds on
my nose, and the sun planted freckles
from chin to brow, but at the end Of
the third day had fourteen quarts =
heaping big quarts Of long, sleek blacks
berries--the kind that melt in your
mouth and leave no seeds to hunt 8
hollow tooth.
The biggest kind of q dishNpan heapo
ing full. | had the sugar and the cans,
and rolled up my sleeves, placed the
pan in the big rocker and sat down on
stool to pick EN- up by handsful and
hunt out the twigs and bits of tiny
leaves. Just as I raised the first hand
ful Sister Sarah's new beau knocked at
the door, He called 'sto see If moth
ers rheumatism was any BETTER" He's
a very nice young man, you know, and
he feels at home in our house. While
/ remained at the door an instant to
look up morning-glory he BUSTED
ahead into the sitting room, Ilheard a
yell and ran after him, knowing exactly
what had happened &
Do you think I found him seated in
that big painful Of berries? No, sir;
didn't-he had just got up! Went
right into the sitting room, and being
blinded by the darkness he banged
himself down on top of those fourteen
precious quarts of long, sleek, luscious
blackberrio8l He's very heavy for
man of his age, aud he went RIGHT
to the bottom Of the pan. The song
OF the BERRY me in the glrdon" would
have been appropriate, but he didn't
sing. He. said something about
"Lordy," and went away without ask
ing after mothers rheumatism, or with
out inquiriDg the price Of blackber.
ries.
Did get mad? Nc, sir. There was
my jam, jammed into the middle of
next week, aud the berry season was
over, but never said a word. I went
to the door, and afar down the dusty
road | saw Sarah's beau leaning against
the fence. When father came up that
evening he excitedly announced that
murder had been committed near by;I
id the fence was all covered with
gore. Our ncighborhood is divided.
Some contend that I ought to buy the
young man new pair of white pants,
and others argue that he ought to pay
me for fourteen quarts Of blackberrios.
If it had been painful of melted SUI
gar Should have no complaints to
mike. Aunt RUrH.
Maple Hill, Sept. 4,
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