American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-04-10
FETCHING AND CARRYING.

FETCHING AND CARRYING.
"YOU see," ssid my great-aunt, adj
dressing US girls, cit was well-nigh thirty
years that followed sewing for a living
l could do tailoring and dressmaking
and mending and quilting, and such, as
well as the best, and so l was sent fol-
far and near. Now suppose 1 had al.
lowed myself to fetch and carry from
house to house whatever | might happen
to hear of peoples affairs, like some
muss many's the time. My mother
taught me better. Now, Sally says
she, when first went out to work, be
mighty careful how you carry news from
house to house, or tell what you know of
peoples private matters. even when 1t
doesn't seem as if it could do the least
mite of HARM And she went on to say
that some people never liked to have a
tailoress or seamstress or even washer
woman around, because some of them
are apt to be full of gossip, and to fetch
and carry from house to house. Even
when there isn't single thing they are
ashamed to have known, people like to
feel that they can keep their private bust
ness to themselves. SO my mother said,
and l found it to be exactly so. l
thought all the more of it after mother
was dead and gone Most people seemed
to like my way of keeping myself to my
self, and again there were others who
acted as if they were really provoked
because they couldn't get any more ont
of me, and they pestered me to death,
limiting around to see if by putting that
that and tbs. together they couldn't
make out something without asking me
outright. There were the two Snuffer
gi>;s, Lyddy Ann and Betsy Jane; they
wanted to know everybody's bust
ness, and were always trying to
find out something. And such
ridiculous things!-how many table
cloths the Snowdons used in a
week Chat was our minister's family,
and how much they paid their hired girl
a week and if she ate at the table with
the family. If stranger came to church
with any of the girls they couldn't listen
to the sermon until they had found out
who and what he was, and the next day
they made a business of collecting in
formation about his family, his property
and all such. always hated to 60 there
to work when any of the girls in Shrews-
bury or in the towns round were to be
married. They most generally sent for
me to help a spell, and of course knew
pretty much their affairs. But l wasn't
going to tell what the wedding-dress
was to be, nor just how much it cost q
yard, nor whether they bought it in BOs-
ton or nearer home, nor how many
pounds of cake they were going to make,
and all such. The girls said it kind of
took the edge off to tell everything be-
forehand; they all had rather come out
new. Well, when it came time for Dea-
con Goodman's daughter to be married,
there was great stir among the girls.
Matildy had lived in Boston considerable
with her Uncle Joshua, who was rich
and lived in a good Zeal of style, and so
the girls all expected that her outfit
would be something pretty handsome !;
with her gloves and slippers and little
notions, cost well-nigh thirty dollars!
Matildy said herself that she thought a
part of the money ought to be given to
the missionaries, but then it was pres
ent from her uncle, and SO there was
nothing to be said l was going there to
help about some matters and SO hap
pened to say that there would he great
curiosity among the young people to
know the particulars Of the wedding.
Lawful sakesp says Mrs. Goodman,
do, dear, tell them all they want to
know and Matildy said the same. for
she wasn't in the least stuck up. They
were only waiting for Spring to get home
from Ohio. That was a cousin of Matil-
dy's who was going to stand up with
her. He was named Aminadab after his
grandfather; but as people that had
known him from a baby would keep on
calling him Minnv, and the young men
called him Dab, his folks concluded to
cali him by his last name-Spring. /
said to Mrs Goodman that she would
miss Matildy when she came to go away
for good. Oh, yes, of course; but she
went on to say that she and the deacon
might go with the young folks to Boston
and that would make it seem not quite
SO sudden. Matilda was very anxious to
have them go and stay until after
Thanksgiving. The deacon insisted that
his wife should go, but he said what with
his rheumatism and some chores he had
to do on the farm he thought he had bet
ter stay at home and see to things. His
wife would hardly agree to this. She
said 1T would be the first time they had
been separated for thirty years, and, as
the deacon said, the first time they ever
had serious disagreement; and he
laughed as II 1T was an uncommon good
joke.
''Well, as ! left the deacon's with
such a budget of news that / was at lib
erty to tell, thinks l to myself, shall be
quite a welcome visitor at some houses
know of. As it happened, was going
to work for the Shutters the very next
day, and SO / should have a chance to
make up in a manner for being SO close
mouthed, as they called me, by speaking
out for once as free as other folks.
g got there the next morning rather
before they expected me, and as / stood
ready to knock at the side door / heard
my name and waited a moment. A win.
dow was open, and as one of the girls
was laying the table in the kitchen and
the other out in the back room ironing
they spoke pretty loud to each other and
/ could hear every word they said, though
they didn't hear me knock and knock
One of them said: Don't tell me about
Sail Barker's prudence and her being sc
mighty conscientious and all that.
warrant you she is as glad to poke tina,
great long nose of hers into other PEG.
Piles business as anybody, and it is only
because she is SO contrary that she likes
to keep things TO herself She feels SC
important when she has some great Sc
cret that she can keep from everybody
else, It is the way she takes to poster
folks And she went on about old maids
in a way that was scandalous. But l an
not going to repeat it. You may be sure
that felt pretty well riled up, and had
half mind TO 60 straight home; but
had sent my goose and lap-board along
for 1 had jacket to press off for Reuben
Snuffer, and SO concluded to put down