The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-10-31
FORGIVEN TRESPASSES.

John Ashurst WAS "out of sort."
That WAS his mild way Of speaking Of
his own Ill humor.
As cross s. two sticks." muttered
old Dlnah-a servant Who spoke her
mind 10 her empty kitchen by right Of .
lifetime service. "DAr don't nothin'
suit An he's alleged er unreasonable.
Folks has less a. good right 10 move
mex door IS he's got to lib mex door to
'em. Young Mars Fred" she said, rs >.
young man stepped on the piaEza, "hAb
you larnt anything bout de new neigh
bOrs:"
ats widow, Dinah," answered the
young man, in the tone he might have
said, i" It's Joke"
De lawful sakes! exclaimed Di-
nah. An Mars John hates widders
like piEan. l. dat Sll?"
Four children" continued the young
man, as If the Joke Was increasing in
magnitude.
"De laudy mAssyl" calculated Di.
nah. AN he dislikes children
special"
Three boys" volunteered Fred Ash.
urst, in the unmistakable tone of . nat
urAl )ker who deals out his fun by
pieeeneal.
"Wu.s an wuss!" muttered D.nah.
Boys an his special diversion. An
boys, too, wid dAr ladder in hebben-
leastwAys it's TO be hoped he am dar."
And there was 8 baby"
Fred Ashurst gave the last item of
news As 8 joker caps the climax with the
best hit of all.
Diansh lifted up both hands. "Mars
John'l move away. He can't abide
babies. jess 70 tink OBJ de racket!
Oars come chickens 70 scratch up de
garden, an = Guinea fowl OATS de
noisiest bird ebber lived, an . peacock
dat screeches like a lunytick, an .
parrot dat chstters like anodder luny.
tick, an dog an = cat, and dAr's q Wild
der an three boys an baby yet fur 10
come. An to tink Ob de peace and
de qlietfulness We hab had fur twenty
years an more. Mars John'n move
away, shore"
"Dou know" answered Fred Ash.
hurs', ned;tstiyely. Uncle John isn't
migratory in his hAbitA Can't sell or
rent in these DAYS either. l think he
will have to face the music. 1t isn't the
course of nature" philosophical the
young man, for good quiet neighbors
like Deacon Smith and his wife 70 live
forever, and must confess, for my own
part, I am glad Of . change, even II 1t
involves WidowS boys, babies, Guineas,
peacOcks, parrots, dogs, cats, drums,
JeE's-hArps, tin horns, and q hundred
possibilities for creating Babel It's
pretty rough on Uncle John, / must
admit The old gentleman don't take
TO it kindly. l think there will be some
fun"
Nov. DinAh," said John Ashurst,
little late, ss he entered the tidy little
kitten, Idon't want anything to do
With these new neighbOrs. II they At
sempt To borrow, don't encourage il.
Drive out any of the animals thst tres
pas on our grounds, aud the children a.
we'll. win have my nephew paint q
sign: "So trtspAssing allowed on these
premises" They might Is well know
my sentiments 6Tst Is last. You under.
stand, Dinah."
"Yes, Mars. repliei DinAh, msekly
Then che dropped into q neditative
soliloquy a. her master left the kitchen.
Twill be mighty queer for DInah to
say no ef = neighbOr comes fur to Dor.
Tor little rice, or salt, or starch; an -
fur drivin' OF chillen, twill be mighty
hard % tramp em of. ! don't mind
sayin' scat" 10 Cat; but, q chilel
Lad was a chile his own self, an a.
nice q chile a. the good LOr' ebber made
It's my opinion the L0T' don't make
bachelors; dey makes demsslves, an dey
les spiles demseIves. Now, tf Mars
John bed q wife an little chilIep, dar
wouldn't be better man on de face OBJ
de Eirth. Sucn q pity bout Miss Rus
sell!'
"COme, DinAh," said Fred Ashurs.
that night, - he stood before Q large
board on which he had painted, in large
Letters, No trespassing allowed on these
premises Come, DInAh, tell about
Uncle Johns lAdy-lOVe. It's Q family
tradition he had one. Was she Q
beautyP
"Not such . beauty as her cousin
Miss E1if," answered DinAh. Mis-
Amy was tall an slender, an ebbery
inch . lady; but it was her sweet way,
more'n her ace, dat made folks worship
de grJun' she walked on. She war .
Quaker, you know. Mars John an she
come an went, Jess like two Weddiners;
an Mis- Edit an q southern man
Carroll war his nsme-dey come an went
jess like two odder weddiners; an den
dey got u changin', an Miss Edit went
wild Mars John, an Mars Carroll went
wild Miss Amy, an il war plain - de
noe on your face dat be war extreme
fond Oh her; an den Mars John backed
right down, FUR he war mighty spunky,
an Miss Amy's picter war took out OBJ
his room, an all de little fancy hxin's
she he'd made him was took away, an
he nebber went wid gals any more at all
-mOrs's de pity"
"whst bsc.ne of thi, Quaker girlf"
asked Fred Ashurst.
sob, she went away, somebody told
me, 70 EnglAn', an dey nebber got 70 he
weddiDers, any OBJ 'em, % fur As knows
on. Sech q pity for Mars joint He
nebber cared much for nothin' till your
mother died, an he brought you up
He war extreme good to you, MArs Fred
an dat shows de heart dGr IL In de man
But he's sOt a. q meetin' house In hi
way. ! jess do what he says, an full
gen'Tal he says right S'pose he's dons
forgot Mis- Amyf Ef he he'd, h
wouldn't act in dis onchFistiAn manner
Don't the Bible szy, 'Lub your neigh
borsf' An here he sets hisslf agin EN-
fore dey come, an says, Don't lend ZEN
. scrap, an drive Of the chillen,' an
den puts up dat big board warniI' en-
on, jess a. ef dAr war Q ingine in oul
yard would smash 'em 70 piecea An
de sweet little chillen wild DER fader In
hebben viii jess b'lieVe Jack de Giant
killer Ibis here. SGrves him right, too
fur hArborin' sech onchristiGn feelines! .
The next morning three little chiIdrez
two boys and girl-stOOd before th,
wooden board that lifted tn waEnin,
shove the edge that divided the AHhurs
lawn trDm lie neighbour With difhcuIt,
the bas spelled out the WordG
What does IL meanfn asked th'
little girl, cuTi0usly. "TFespasing
trespassl That's what the prayer ]
about DIME you know "a Forgive a
our tTespasses7'n
aDOn'I mean that At Ill, !" replied u