The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-07

defence. A fine row would the men folks In the |
family get up n the story told by tue old woman
But there's one thing must be said about the
old woman. Even though shes no more than |
ninety, she's curiosity enough. You don't every |
day see woman OF that age a. fresh and lively |
as she Is There .hs are IsT women oil Sixty can
Twilight had given place to night when we |
reached tho weather stained frame house IN
which Mrs. Perkins lived with her son. The |
windows were all dark, but Mr. Baker led the
way to the rear OF the dwelling, and shocked at
the door. 1t was opened by Chester Perkins,
broad houldered, shaggy farm hand, and we
stepped into a low ceilinged. rudeiy -furntshed
Kitchen, in which the only light was emitted
from the wood IRE In the cooking stove. At a
table where they bad been eating a frugal sup
per In the dark sat an old woman her form
dimly outlined against the window Mr. Baker
| explaiued the object OF my visit, and we were
| welcomed and given seats. My purpose IN call.
une Z pected. We lost little time in preliminary
tax; A., .,.,,,. ..,, tho o,a woman.
"Tm los years old. That's my age nor no MIS-
She talked in a loud. high. shrill voice. that
| was singularly strong even for woman OF
| eighty. AT tho same time she gesucuated IN
| quick. nervous manner aud stamped upo" TUG
"By what means, madam" inquired, do
you determine your seei have You
| mo, haven't" she said the way nx " ls
ibis NY father was DRAFTED INTO tne REVOLT
| that was two years afure the peace. was then
Jest four years old, and my mother she bein'
bnnds.she nut m e out to the Psrkses- old Farmer
ParEs--and there stayed till / WINS eightosn.'
| Here her son Chester chimed In. Elder Bee
| man OF westford,' he said. "he was down nero
| a few weeks ago, and saw us, and be made out
main draft was two wears afore this country be-
came free. and that makes mother jist lOe.'
| How old are YOUR | asked
ny said ne. with little hesitation; 81 am
fist seventy one
Mr. Baker Haven't you got candle 80 we
eau iilumine things littleF
HARDY PEOPLE.
Chester fetched a tsllow candle from closet
and lighted II. A stalwart fellow he was for II.
| Hts brown tangled har was only tinsed with
gray, and hts skin hardly showed the decay Of
worth looking at, her arms, barred to above the
elbows. were like those OF a porter in his prime.
| Her eyes eparkled with singular brightness IN
" How is your hairf" said Mr.. Baker, taking
| up the candle and holding It close to her face.
Got any left?" She removed the cap from her
head. and showed a very creditable stock Of
healthy white hair lasd ST u snot BEHIND ~ Which
you determine your age, than that which you
have YOUR HlTs y0 Have ES0i yoa noted noted
anniversaries of your birthday AZ they came
around Have your friends been IN tbs nabit q
concentrating you on those daysI Have YOU
always been able during your lie. and AZ every
stage. to tell how old you then were2'
1t was a little while before sue replied, but she
"No. no never took no notice Of It,"
| She did not know how old she was at the time
| OF her marriage, nor when her children were
born nor when her mother died. Her recoiec-
| ton on these points was extremely imperfect
, | She said she mad two children. one Of them was
| Chester. The other was = daughter living Ia
A | wulimantic. marri ed to a buggy maker named
winsnr. Her father nd been killed IN the Revo.
n | lutionary war. She mad married n III N named
i Perkins, no treated her BADLY ana nnaly sbsn
r doned her, and she had not heard OF him iol
y | many years Her son Chester had been taaef
, bv him TO one of the Western states when h.,
q was a boy of seven, anu she did not sec d IN To-
e | IN ,nv wears. Chester had been Informed tha
: snc was dead, but finally, hearing tnat she wa.
|
= wears ago and lived VITA her ever since
she inslsted that she Tecollecied dis'in. q,
Washington and the others. although when
r. emo to detail. could not get much satiafic
!, | tiOu out Of hcr. sue nd worked very hard al
~ hos NE AT the rud=st and most sxhtUs-ins farm
Y laUor. ehoppi0g wood, milking COWS, tenlin'
8 | cattle. aud bearing heavy turdens. with M
/. | rude food but toe puIs air Of that priUi,lv
1 COUNT, life ,he nad grown Up strong aud rugged
A | and now soc looked 10 vain for even a alan 81
: anywhere nolr ner age who was as tough au'
o | hardy as she.
j. erRIKrNo An ATTITUDE.
Yes" she cried doubling her Oats and az
= | suniing y spsTing attitude, list show me tn
! mao BrInl him on. Amt afraid o none
them"
= | with both 0sts at an imaginary foe.
: "why, KIN chop cord O. wood TO-DAY with
: out any trouble. l needn't do Il, YOU know
N Chester does II for me now, cause IN gettn
x little old, you know. but k,n do i any dav"
, | Our drive back through the woods was In dee
=, darkness, and the cool Night air made us buttoI
/, our coats tightly around us. At Mufphy-
|
q | cured for inc in the neighoorine house Of
| widow, whose husband. having raised famil
A aud worked hard all nis lite. mad died just - h
l. was getting wei To do. there found sprea
y | for me what IN that primitive region would b
n | considered very tolerahe supper. consisting q
II tea bread and biscuit. irult cake. sponge cas'
N | douehnuts, and whortleberries. WAS 500
layed 10y looking at my hostess's daughter q
etghtesu, WOO, with curis OF isnt brown, SAT !
+, the setupulo.sly neat and somtorta9is room
. sene lamp read hight literature. About ten W.
shown TO a large and cheerful bedroom. wher'
u ! after finding On a side table. and glincing owe
some old Patent once reports that mad bee
70 turnsd-evidently by my hostess far dsugt 10
| into scrap books, confessed maioly OF news
10 | paper poetry. aud stories Of love, Temperance
ar and relison-hfter lnis. | say, rolled into .
old-fashioned feather bed, and, aided by my rid
through the tracing country air, soOn noats
Early tho next morning, after settling m
IS hostesss bill Of seventy-nve cents for Iodg nj
supper, aud Notwithstanding Is cheap In tai
d secluded region-I went TO Murpny's TO AVA
i the stage coacn on IFS way lack 10 Wilimantll
At Murpny's met Miller Lomeard and sever
& other woithies OF the neisnbornooe. IT.,
we're ali anxious To know the result Of my Wis
l. to Mrs. Perk ms, eni they gave me good de.
?, Of interesting information ABOUT the singul,
thiugs aud noteworthy people IA Ashford iowI
g. ship and It's vicinity.
d, "rhi. IL great county" said Miller Lon
" ss eS air "a as r6is N New YORK. WY, peop
take care o themselves up here there's no u'
Il Ss Mis Iynf ever az thhHin " dnS TsssT
Of hearty old folks, there's Deacon Hall Tisl
49,, | nigh here-hss wagon thaker-He's over mn
~ " years OLD. and as fresh ss schooltoy.
>. was the Teller to dance fur you when he vi
:. | young. hey say he many time Kicked q
- | ceiling with his toe. And there's his vii
70 who's older than he Is and lust - bright az Il
% least. That's the Kind VI couples they RAISE
~ | Nindnam county
IS The stage coach rolled M before ocloc
-. | and rode back To Willlmantic. There LOCKE
10 up Ninsor, the buggy maker the son-in-law
!" | Mrs. Anna Perkins. He Is one 81 the re lativ'
~ who do not agree with Mrs. Perkins in h.
20 estim ate OF her age. He avowed intense dsgu
" | al her claims 70 antiquity He told me tn 4
re- | undetstoOd the old woman's age to be but lit
" ABOVE eighty He mad recently talked the que
10 ton over with her sister In Norwich and III
10 seen the family record OF births and deaf
~ contained in the latter's big Bible.
or COMFORT AND REFINEMENT
~ A few hours later took the train for the .
town 90 Norwich, where there are streets lin
Il with venerable trees, meetinR overhead, al
no where sOme what OF a pTeteuson prevails TO NJ
lr. and aristOcrlcy. There l found the residence
he Mrs. Rose, VINO Ia niece OF Anna Perkil
~ With her lives her mother, Mrs. Abby PnilhT
l a sister Of Mrs. Perkins, These ladies have e'
NJ IDENTIFY been accustomed TO much more renn'
er living than the old woman Of Ashford. III
OF laughed heartily at the account gave them
ne my Investigation. Mrs. Perkins, they thougi
had intervals OF mental arrangement, aud IN
nd accounted In that way for her claims TO toe q
I've | unCtiOu of being a OenLendrtdn. Chester ~