Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-05-02
One of Bret HarEe's Good SIOrles-..
Nanny DOVVney's Pies.

The pies and cakes made by the old
woman were, I think. remarkable rather
for their including the same loyal and
generous spirit than for their intrinsic
excellence, and it may be said appealed
more strongly to the noble aspirations of
humanity than its vulgar appetite. How
belt, everybody ate Nanny Downey's
pies, and thought of his childhood. 'Take
'em, dear boys, the old lady would say;
'it does me good to see you eat 'em; re-
minds me kinder of my poor Sammy, that
if he'd lived, would have been ez strong
and big ez you be, but was taken down
with lung fever at Sweetwater. kin
see him yet; that's forty years ago, dear!
comm out o. the lot to the bakehouse,
and smilin' such beautiful smile, like
yours, dear boy, as handed him mince
or lemming turnover.
''Dear, dear, how 1 do run onl and
those days are past! but seem to live in
you again ~ The wife of the hotel-keeper,
actuated by low jealousy, had suggest
ed that she seemed to live off them,' but
as that person tried to demonstrate the
truth of her statement by reference to the
cost of the raw material used by the old
lady, it was considered by the camp as too
practical and economical for considera-
tion. 'Besides,' added Cy Perkins, 'ef old
Nanny wants to turn an honest penny
in her old age, let her do it. How would
you like your old mother to make pies on
grub wages, eh?' A suggestion that so
affected his hearer (who has no mother)
that he bought three on the spot. The
quality of these pies had never been dis
cussed but once. 1t is related that a young
lawyer from San Francisco, dining at the
Palmetto restaurant, pushed away one of
Nanny Downey's pies with every ex-
preston of disgust and dissatisfaction
At this juncture, Whisky Dick, consider
ably affected by his favorite stimulant,
approached the strangers table, ,and draw
ing up chair sat uninvited before him.
''Mebbe, young man. he began grave
ly, eye don't like Nanny Downey's
pies ?''
The stranger replied eurtly, and in
some establishment, that he did not, as a
rule, eat pies.''
tFYoung man. continued Dick, with
drunken gravity, "mebbe you're accus-
toned to charlotte rush and blue mango ;
mebbe ye can't eat unless your grub is
got up by one of them French cooks
Yet we-us boys var in this camp-calls
that pie-a good-a competent pie!''
The stranger again disclaimed any
thing but general dislike of that form
of pastry.
''Young man." continued Dick, utterly
unheeding the explanation; ''young man,
mebbe you onet had an ole-very ole
mother, who, tottering down the vale %
years. made pies. Mebbe, and its like
your blank epicurean soul, ye turned up
your nose on the old woman, and went
back on the pies, and on her! She that
daddled ye while ye was baby-a little
baby! Mebbe ye went back on her, and
played off on her, and gave her away
dead away! And now, mebbe, young
mani wouldn't hurt you for the world,
but mebbe, afore you leave this var table,
ye'll eat that pie!'
The stranger rose to his feet, but the
muzzle of a dragon revolver in the un-
steady hand of Whisky Dick caused him
to sit down again. He ate the pie, and
lost his case likewise, before Rough
and-Ready jury.