The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-02-08
" A HARD WINTER"

"Lawks-a-mussy, Joe! don't it look
nice in thcrc:"
Yes: but it's awful cold out here
lnjun summer they calls this time o.
year, but don't see no summer bout it.
Did yer ever know such q wind?'
Amt it summer in there, thought
see the big fire they got. DO yer s'pOse
them folks in there is ever cold like we
I'm very cold, Joe," he added, mourn
fully, as the chill November blast swept
round the corner from the Avenue, and
the biting dampness made its way through
his scanty clothing.
"Wa'al, it is hard on little chap like
you: but don't cry it's going to be hard
winter, young un, and yer mustn't begin
to fret now. This amt nothin'; stop till
it SHOWS and freezes before yer make q
fuss. Wen go up that there stoop oppo-
sitc-therc amt no draft in the westibulc
and there we can get better look at
the fire, and see what the swells is a-dOin'.
Ill tell yer all bout 'em. Bless yer, l
knows the family.
Does they know you, JOe?"
"Wa'al, | wouldn't like TO say that for
certain. Yer see, there amt nothin'
VERY perticklar about my personal APP
pearancc, and they mightn't know me
from any other Teller bout my size, but
| knows them. Fust, there's the old
lady"
who's shey ~
"She! why, she amt nobody. It's the
young oman what's the hull concern.
She lives with her."
"What fOr."
"Why, cos it amt proper for harm
some young woman 10 live all alone.
But you can't know anything bout the
ways of perlite s'ciety-how should yer ="
How do you know!'
"Wa'al, yer see, life has its ups and
downs. When l was little Teller bout
the size of you, was lOafin' round here
Ter who wears tin buttons on his coat and
tight yellcr breeches tucked inside his
shiny boot-lcgs; yer'll see him round
somcwheres in a minute or two if yer
watch-Jecms wanted letter put in the
box on the lamp-pOst for his missus. Eel
lers like him don't like movin' round
much; they gifts so accustomed to takin'
their exercise ridin' on the kerridge long
side the river, and they grows 50 fat and
lazy, that when they is sent on an GRAND
afoot it's an awful trial to 'em. When
he CONS out with the letter he catches
sight OF me. and axes me if I was lad
as could he trusted, and would like to
earn an honest penny. ses yes and
he guys me the letter. It's VERY i'm
pOrtant,' says Jeems. It's from nv
young missus, Miss Maud Congdon, to
the Rev. Howard Langly; it's as how he's
to dine with her next Monday, apd you
mustn't on no account lose it, So takes
it VERY careful. You never seen letter
like that, young 'un-sech q little,
smooth, shiny, white thing, with the least
little bit of writing on one side and q
postage stamp, and on the other a lot of
big letters all sorts of colors. snarled up
in a tangle till yer couldn't make 'em out
wat they was, only they looked like a lii.
tie bokay printed right in the middle.
And then how it smelt!-just like them
nOsegays you see the gals a-sellin' on the
corners of Broadway. was awful 'fraid
I'D silc it, cos my fingers never isclean,
there bein' no convcniences for gittin'
'em SO where I live; but l took hold of
it by the corner and got it into the lamp.
post box without a bit of smudge."
"WhO else did yer know?"
"The cook took fancy to me, and
many's the breakfast I cat sittin' on q
bench in the back yard. They used to
give me the drumsticks off the fowls;
there amt nobody in that house would
eat drumsticks-Lor' bless you, no;
second j'ints was what they wanted-but
liked the drumsticks.'
ooh, Joe, wouldn't one go good now ~
Don't be unreasonable, young un.
Times now is too hard for people in your
circumstances to banker after poultry.
Git in this corner That theer wind is
comm from the northeast, and it won't
hit yer 80 hard jest here. Ye're scch q