Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-12-27
Josiah Aliens Wife at A. T. Stewards.
ny MARIETTA HoLLEY.


store; but good land! twas bigger than
all the shops of Jonesville put together,
and two or three ten-acre lots, and a
few meetin' housen. But l wouldn't
have acted skairt if it had been as big
as all Africa. walked in as cool as a
cowcumber. We sot down pretty nigh
to the door and looked round spell.
OF all the sights of folks there was a
comm in all the time, and shinin'
counters as fur down as we could see,
and slick lookin' fellers behind every
one, and lots of boys runnin' around
that were called Cash. / says TO
Betsy,
"What large family of boys Mr..
Cash's folks have got, and they must
some of 'em be twins; they seem to be
about of size.n
was jest thipkin' in pityin' way
Of their mother, poor Mrs. Cash. and
how many pantaloons she would have
TO mend in consequence of sliden' down
hill wien Betsy says to me:
Josiah Aliens wife hadn't you bet
ter be purchasing your merchandise?''
Says she, Il will set here and rest till
you get through, and as deah Tuppah
remarked study human nature" She
didn't have no book as / could see TO
study out of, but didn't make no re-
! marks Betsy is a curious creature,
anyway. 1 went up to the first coun-
ter-there was real slick lookin' feller
there, and asked him in a cool tone
''If Mr. Stewart took eggs, and what
they was fetchin' now?"
He said Mr.. Stewart don't take
eggs"
''Well," says /, what does he give
now for butter IN the pail.''
lie said, Mr.. Stewart don't take but
ter
WELL" says /, in dignified way, lit
haint no matter, / only asked to see
what they was a-fetchin' here. Ihaint t
got any with me, for i came on "a
tower" / then took a little roll-out of
my pocket and undone 'em. 1t was a
pair of socks and pair of striped
mittens. And says to him in a calm,
cool way:
"How much is Mr.. Stewart a-payin'
for socks and mittins now? 1 know
they are kinder out of season now, but
there hain't no danger but what Winter
will come, il you only wait long
enough"
He said 'we don't take 'em."
felt disappointed, for / did want Al
exander to have 'em, they was knit so
good. 1 was jest thinking this over
when he spoke up again. and says he,
1--WE don't take barter of no kind" I
didn't know really what he meant, but
l 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 con-
tinued on: "Mebbe Mr. Stewart would
take these socks and mittens for his own
use." Says /, "do you know whether
Alexander is well off for socks and
mittens or not2"
The clerk said he guessed Mr.. Stew
art wasn't sufferin' for 'em.
SWELL" says I'm a dignified way,
"you can do as you are mind to about
tassr' 'em, but they are colored i'm a
good indigo blue dye, they hs;n't prs-
ley color, and they are knit, on honor
just as knit Josiah's."
"Who is Josiah?" says the clerk.
Says I, a sort of blindly, HE is the
husband of Josiah Aliens wife.
Wouldn't say right out that I was
Josiah Aliens wife, because wanted
them socks and mittens to stand on
their own merits, or not at all
wasn't goin' TO have 'em go, jest be-
cause one of the first yimmim OF the
day knit 'em. Neither was 1 goin' tc
hang on and tease him to take 'em.
never said another word about his
buyin' 'em, only mentioned, in care
less way, THAT the heels was rum But
he didn't seem to want 'em, and jest
folded 'em up, and in cool way put
'em into my pocket. l then asked tc
look at his calicos, for L was pretty
near decided in my own mind to get an
apron, for wasn't goin' to have him
think that all my property lay in thai
pair of socks and mittens. He told me
where to go to see the calicos, and
there was another clerk behind that
counter. didn't like his looks bit
he was real uppish lookin.' But
wasn't goin' to let him mistrust that
was put to my stumps bit. walked
up as collected lookin' as IL owned
the whole caboodle Of 'em, and New
York village and Jonesville and says L:
II want to look at your calicos."
Says he, I'VE don't sell by retail n!
this room."