The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-04-09

III we can ma any Olu relics Oh ullS Iolr
William. L know there are things there
that belonged to our great-great-grand-
father; perhaps there are some even
older.
They ascended to the low-roofed, dim
ly-hghted attic. 1t was seldom entered,
being accessible only by very dark,
steep, narrow, and crooked fight of
stairs, and had long since been given
over to dust and cobwebs. There stood
the old spinning wheel which their
grandmother had used when girl.
They surveyed it with some curiosity,
and then turned to the desk which had
been their great grandfather's. 1t was
very much dilapidated.
"Don't touch that dusty thing" said
Jerusha to her sister, who was more en-
thusiastic and persevering in her search
after antiquities.
81 just want to see if there isn't an old
will or anything in these drawers" re-
piled Hannah, opening one after another
:" No, they are all empty" she added
soon, with sigh of disappointment.
All, if the old desk could but have
spoken!
Here is the place to look for wills"
called Jerusha from behind huge chest
us she drew forth package of papers
yellow with age They were receipts
and letters written by hands long turned
to dust. "That is all, !" she said, repla-
cling the papers i'll the chest.
"But here is one you dropped, ex-
claimed Hannah; "and a will, too, sure
as | breathe !"
"But," said Jerrlsha, looking over her
shoulder, cit is only the one of which
we saw copy in the book of genealogy,
and can do us no good.
" / will that my daughter Mary have
the largest pewter platter; and my
daughter Hannah the next largest" read
the elder sister aloud. "Oh, yes, it is the
same. What is this curious old broken
blade!' she asked, spying a bit of rusty
steel For aught we know this may
have been u piece of Sir Williams
sword"
"Hannah - exclaimed Jerusha, "what
is your idea of shield | believe this
is one" holding up a huge piece OF
metal. " Knights have shields, don't
they"
"Of course" answered Hannah. "Let
us show them TO grandmother, and ask
her if we can't have them. 1t is shame
to keep them slowed away in this dark
attic. / wonder people haven't more
family pride. | would rather have found
Will making us heirs to some old En-
glish estate but it is something to have
knighted ancestors sword and shield.
SO saying, the young ladies descended
the crooked stairs and sought their grand
mother.
Lawful sakes girls, what have you
been doing in the garret with your Aunt
Mary's pewter platter p
" Pewter platter :" exclaimed Hannah,
aghast.
Certainly, your Aunt Mary's pewter
platter, child and many roast pig it
has held. 1t belonged to her Aunt Mary
before her. In them days it was kept as
the brightest steel you ever see. | remem-
Der one Thanksgivin' after ] was engaged
to Phineas-your grandfather, L mean
he brought me here to dinner, and your
great uncle Ebenezer's folks were here,
and Aunt Jemima, and Cousin Cynthy
Ann. Oh, what times Cynthy and me
had in them days Poor Cynthy Ann,
she married Budder, and didn't live
long after. That was the last dinner your
Uncle Ebenezer ever eat off that ere plat
ter, for he died the 4th of May-same
day of the month you was born, Jerusha :;
and Elizy Modget, she married the 9th,
the same day Cousin Sarah was married,
only that was tho 9th of February. That
Thanksgivin' Day, Mary Susan come
over in the evepin' with Josiah Perkins,
Ill s., H.,
great ktchen-old and young. Folks
said Mary Susan was goin' to marry
Josiah but lawful sakes they didn't
know, for she married Jonathan Bumble
ton-he of the one arm.
Did he lose his arm III the service of
his country, grandma p
Claw no, child, in a sawin' mill,
and your Uncle Silas was there at the
time, and he run for the doctor, who
was just gone to tend to Mandy Mig
gler's youngest (she that was Bum
bleton, and lived OH Meetin' House
HilD, which was took down with the
measles that very mornin', and after
him all the others had it-and poor
Mandy was kept fussin' over them chill
dren all winter.
"And what is this p asked Hannah,
when the old lady paused for breath.
"That," she replied, looking over her
spectacles attentively at the broken
blade, seems very much like an old
carving-knife i'll fact, remember now,
that broken knife was put away i'll the
galret, for your grandfather never could
bear to throw away anything.
The girls restored the ancestral sword
and shield to their place in the attic.
"To Think" said Jerusha, "that it
should have been pewter platter to
hold vulgar dinner, rather tlsan a
shield to guard the noble form of Sir
William, and that this blade should have
carved roast pig instead of vanquished
knights. What do you think of Joe
Jobstock now, my DEAR
II think he is plebeian fellow,
and unworthy the hand of n Phim-
sickle. What if these are not Sir Will
iam's sword and shield, it still remains
true that we had such an ancestor" f"
So they left the old attic, never once
casting another look ut the desk, which
stood there grim, dusty and silent. The
Phimstickle girls returned home and
never revisited the attic, for very soon