The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-01-02

man or woman there but what the
perspiration jest poured down their faces.
We was a haggered and melancholy
loolin' set. There was piece of woods
little ways Off, but 1t was up quite
rise of ground, and there wasn't one of
us but what had the rheumatic, more or
less. We made up fire OH the sand,
though 1t seemed as If 1t was hot enough
to steep the tea and coffee as 1t was.
After we got the fire started, histed
umberell, and sat down under 1t, and
famed myself hard, for was afraid of
sunstroke.
WAL / guess had sat there ten min
utes or more, when all of % sudden /
thought, Where is Josiah 1 hadn't
seen him since we had got there. riz
most wildly, /" if they had seen my COM
panion, Josiah ?" They said 4" No, they
hadn't" But Celestine wilkins little
girl, who had come with her grandpa
and grandma Gowdey, spoke up, and
says she, 81 seen him goin' off to-
wards the woods; he acted dreadfully
strange, too he seemed to be walkin
off sideways"
Had the sufferin's we had undergone
make him delirious ?" says / to myself;
and then 1 started off on the run to-
wards the woods, and old Miss Bobbet,
and Miss Gowdey, and Sister Minkley,
and Deacon Dobbins' wife, all rushed
after me. oh, the agony of them or
minutes, my mind so distracted with
forebodin's, and the perspiration pour
in down. But, all of sudden, on the
edgeof the woods we found him. Miss
Gowdey weighed 100 pounds less than
me had got little ahead of me. He
sat backed up against tree in awful
cramped position, with his left leg un-
der him. He looked dretful uhcomfort-
able, but when Miss Gowdey hollered
out: Oh, here you be, we have been
skairt about you; what is the matterY"
he smiled dretful sick smile, and says
he: I" Oh, L thought I'd come out here
and mediate a spell. 1t was always a
real treat to me to mediate
Jest then came up, a pantin' for
breath, and as the women all turned to
face me, Josiah scowled at me, and
shook his fist at them wimmin, and
made the most mysterious motions with
his hand towards 'em. But the minute
they turned round he smiled in sick
ish way, and pretended to go to
whistlin'.
"Says L: "What is the matter, Jo-
siah Allen? What are you off here
for ?"
:" am meditatin', Samantha
The wimmen happened to be a look
i'm the other way for minute, and he
looked at me as if he would take my
head off and made the strangest motions
towards ,em but the minute they look
ed at him he would pretend to smile that
deathly smile.
"Says /: Come, Josiah Allen, we're
goin' to have dinner right away, for we
are afraid it will rain"
"Oh, wal" says he, ga little rain,
more or less, hain't goin' to hinder me
from meditatin'."
81 was wore out, and says I: +" DO
you stop meditatin' this minute, Josiah
Allen"
Says he: I" l won't stop, Samantha.
i let you have your way good deal of
| the time; but when take 1t into my
head to mediate, you hain't goin' to
break itup."
Essays /: Josiah Allen come to din
ner."
"Oh,I hain't hungry, say she. " The
table will probably be full. had jest
as leves wait"
"Table full!'' says l. "You know
| jest as well as do that we are eatin' on
the ground. Do you come and eat your
dinner this minute"
yes, do come" says Miss Bobbet.
! "Oh, says he,with that ghastly smile,
pretendin' to joke, I have plenty to
eat here; can eat muskeeters."
The air was black with em; could
not deny it.
"The muskeeters will eat you, more
likely" says 1. Look at your face
and hands"
''Yes, they have eat considerable of a
dinner out of me, but / don't begrech
'em. hain't small enough, hope, to
begrech 'em one meal"
Miss Bobbet and the rest turned to GO
back, and the minute we were alone he
said:
"Can't you bring 40 or 80 more vim.