The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-10-30
A Country WOman's Story.
BY JOSIAH ALIENS WIFE.

i store, but good land 1t was bigger
than all the shops In Jonesville put to-
gether, and 2 or 0 10 acre lots, and few
meetin' houses. But wouldn't have
acted skairt, If 1t had been as big as all
Africa. / walked in as cool as a cow
cumber. We sot down pretty nigh to
the door and looked round spell. OF
all the sights of folks there was comm
in all the time, and shinin' counters all
down as fur as we could see, and slick
lookin' fellers behind every one, and lots
of boys runnin' round, that they called
Cash" l says to Betsey.
"What u large family of boys Mr..
Cash's folks have got, and they must
some of em be twins, they seem to be
of about size"
] was jest thinkin' In APPLYING way of
their mother; poor Mrs. Cash, when
Betsey says to me:
Josiah Aliens wife, hadn't you bet
ter be purchasing your merchandise ?"
Says she, " will set here and rest till
you get through, and as Deah Tuppah
remarked, study human nature" "She
didn't have no book as l could see to
study out of, but 1 didn't make no re-
marks. Betsey is curious critter any
way; l went up to the first counter
there was real slick loolIin' fellow there
and l asked him in a cool tone, " If Mr..
Stewart took eggs, and what they was
fetchin' now ?"
He said "NIr. Stewart don't take
eggs"
Well, says 1, "what does he give
now for butter in the pail ?"
He said, /" Mr.. Stewart don't take
| butter"
"Well," says l, in a dignifed way,
1T hahn t no matter, Ionly asked to see
what they was fetchiu here. l haint
got any with me, for L come on tow
er." L then took little roll out of my
pocket, and u1done 'em. 1t was pair
of socks and "a pair of striped mittens.
And 1 says TO him in cool, calm way:
How much is Mr.. Stewart payin'
for socks and mittens now. know they
are kinder out of season now, but there
haint no danger but what Winter will
come, if you wait long enough"
He said, 1--WE don't take 'em."
L felt disappointed, for / did want Alex
| ander to have 'em, they was knit so
good. 1 was jest thinkin' this over,
when he spoke up, again, and says he,
"we don't take barton of no kind" l
didn't know really what he meant but /
answered him in blind way, that it
was jest as well as if they did, as fur as
/ was concerned, for we hadn't raised
any barter that year, it didn t seem to be
good year for it," and then l continued
on, " Mebby Mr.. Stewart would take
these socks and mittens for his own
use." Says l, 6 do you know whether
Alexander is well Off for socks and nit
tens or not ?"
The clerk said " he guessed Mr.. Stew
art wasn't sufferin' for 'em.''
"Well," says L in u dignified way,
"you can do as you are a mind about
takin' 'em but they are colored in good
indigo blue dye, they hain't pusley color,
and they are knit on honor, Jest as |
knit Josiah s."
"Who is Josiah ?'' says the clerk.
Says I, a sort of blindly. 81 He is the
husband of Josiah Aliens wife"
wouldn't say right out that was
Josiah Aliens wife, because L wanted
them socks and mittens to stand on their
own merits, or not at all. wasn't goin
to have 'em go, jest because one of the
first wimmen of the day knit 'em.-
Neither was 1 going to hang on, and
tease him to take 'em, never said an
other word about his buyin' 'em (only
mentioned in a careless way, that " the
heels was run.') But he didn t seem to
want 'em, and jest folded 'em up, and
in cool way put EN- in my pocket. 1
then asked to look at his calcos, for l
was pretty near decided in my mind to
get an apron, for wasn't goin' to have
him think that all my property laid in
that pair of socks and mittens.
He told me where to go to see the cali
cos and there was another clerk behind
that counter. L didn't like his looks a
bit, he was real uppish lookin'. But
wasn't to let him mistrust that 1 was
put to my stumps bit. 1 walked up as
collected lookin' as if owned the whole
caboodle of 'em, and New York village,
and Jonesville, and says 1:
Sc want to look at your calicos. y
"What prints will yeu look at ?n says
he meanin' toput on me.
SaysI, 4" L don't want to look at no