Sharp County record., 1878-02-15


was there to like?" And my friend
entered upon a vituperation of food,
housing, and clothing there, Of town
and country, mountain and valley, GUS
toms and people, from his point Of view
as an old backwoodsman, which was as
ludicrous as it was violent.
"No, su!" he added, at last. " You
don't catch me I wouldn't live in
Scotland not for Scotland. I told her /
couldn't stand it. She said I must. I
told her wouldn't stand it. She said
I should. Very well. I wrote to my
nephew in Liverpool, and found out
when the next vessel was to cross the
Atlantic. When the time came, I got
her to go to Liverpool on a visit, you
see, to my nephew. Of course, she left
her things but I had all mine As soon
as I got 10 Liverpool I sent my trunk
on board and bought ticket. One hour
before the ship sailed said to her:
Look here, old lady, I'm going back
home. If you'll come with me, well if
not, goodbye You see she had to
come. Scotland ~ with unspeakable
disgust. "NO, sir. Not for me. Not
if [ know it,"
And so they settled down. The one
weakness Of The Squire was for drink.
No wonder, after a half century of in
diligence. Excellent Mrs. Surge ex-
changed her town property for small
farm a few miles out, so as to keep her
husband from temptation. She kept a
supply Of spirits; but she also kept the
keys. Every day, at a certain set time,
she gave him exactly 50 much, and never
a drop more.
"N0l gudeman," +" she would say, in
answer to his pleading. "Noi" And
the grit as of the Scotch granite was in
that unchanging no. 1t was the same
hand, as firm as it was loving, which had,
somehow, suppressed the tobacco-sO
far, at least, that there we're no longer
the traces Ofit on chin or bosom. The
only relic of the habitual profanity was
an occasional "GOod gracious, Gran
ny!" from his lips, when astonished.
Few things were more delightful to us
than to accept an invitation for a day
at their farm, which was order and neat
ness itself. There was q sickness in the
COW, a propriety in the conduct of the
Muscovy ducks, q decOrum in the very
pigs, telling of the hand Of their mis-
tress. But the glory of the place was in
the transformation she had wrought in
the old Squire. He was as scrupulOUs-
ly neat and clean now as herself. When
I add that he was q Darby in perfect
keeping with his Joan, what more can
be said?
And not merely was Mrs. Surge as
simple and wholesome as oatmeal. She
rose instantly to any emergency. It was
during the days ii the Confederacy, and
she was said to have closed a discussion
with the wife of a high official, politics
being the topic, By boxing the ears of
that respectable =, =, 7ayy z sopndly, Be- e..
tbr@e hef mar11ael, She had entertained,
at my request, very eloquent minister,
On a visit to US, and who prOtessed to be
Of our denomination and from Scotland.
He was ascertained, however, to be an
and disappeared. And now he
again, under the wing, this time,
Of q certain Bishop, whose Church he
had Joined. With that Individual he
called on the old lady at her farm, eX-
pecting to be entertained, as usual. But
She saw the wolf through all his
woody fleece, and literally ran him and
the astOnished prelate off her place,
with a tongue which she would have re-
with a broOm-stiCk had it been
An intimate friend of hers,
a lawyer of distinction, had entered into
an arrangement by which, in return, it
was said, for the transfer to him Of her
property, he was to pay her an annuity
for life. But, as the years rolled away,
it was evident that the annuity would
consume the property over and over
again the old couple were growing
younger every day-and the lawyer
cancelled, with her consent, the contract
in despair It is impossible to say bO2O
old her husband was when she led him
at last into the communion of the
Church, to live and die therein, re-
spected of all, as fine specimen Of a
Christian patriarch as | ever knew.
Some people pay enormous prices for
a rare old painting; it may be for an
antique in coin or pottery. | confess to
a passion, instead, for this old couple.
She is alive to-day, and is, 1 am told, as
bright and fresh, as original, indie
energetic, and young as ever.
If her eyes should fall upon these lines,
I want her to know that I will gladly
come any distance to marry her again
to any body worthy of her. The fiber
of such a woman is wonderful. It is
as aromatic and lasting as cedar.-Rev.
Wn1 N. BHker, IN The Igdepeu0ent.
The Minister and the Monte Men.