Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-11-27

| The Judge went OUT Wlthout iuTtleI
words; his wife did not know whether
he would heed her request or not, but
rather thought he would. She was
right in this supposition. Within nm
hour dray dumped two hogshcads and
"A tight barrel in the back yard. Mrs.
Manottc mt once attircd herself i'm n
short. stout dress. IA long. black poke
bonnet, shut up the front of the house
and retired TO the scene of her proposed
abors She drew pair of hcr hus
bands old leather gloves on to her
hands, adjusted some blocks of wood,
and tiundlcd hogshend into position.
Then she arranged some bricks i'll the
bottom of it. and covered them with
straw, that the lye from the lcached
ashes might be clear as it trickled
through. She rccollcctcd when little
girl of her mother putting her into the
old family mash-tub, which served for
n score of years, and telling her how TO
adjust the bricks and straw in proper
fashion.
Next She got groa, hod and COM
mcnccd TO ill the hog-hood with ashes.
She worked with such vigor that "A tire
mendou dust was raised in the back
yard. Pcop!e going past in the street
outside sncczcd and coughcd, and won
dcred what was going on at Judge Ma
notes place.
But Mrs. NJ. was absorbed in the work
of the hour 10 utter obliviousncss of the
Etct that irom the second story of the
mansion Just across the area from her
own, curious and puzzled eyes were fast
ened on her and her movements. In her
| wash room two kettles set in arches
were heating the water 10 drcnCh the dry
ashes. She had TO climb into n chair 10
our each pailiul on To the lcech. Ger
tainly 10 unfamiliar eyes, her work
might seem strange and mysterious.
The Scquin girls. at the chamber
window opposite, with tatting and GRO
Chet, could at length contain their sur
prise and wonder no longer.
" DO let us call mothcr,m one Of them
exclaimed, land see if she can unriddlc
the mystery, and tell us the meaning of
Interpretations over in Judge Manotte's
back yard"
Il think the Judge has got n woman
to make some sort of compost for his
pear trees" said the Other.
| While the two girls gazcd, "A stiff pole
was plunged into the fuming hogshcad,
and the mass vigorously punched and
shaken by the stout worker.
"Shc is Hercules" they said
"What muscle those women have Mrs.
. Manotte j. "A worker herself and she
wouldn't hire n woman 10 sit still
But now the woman disappeared for a
/ while. and when she next came in view
she had under her arm An nugcr and axe,
in one hand "A smooth billet OF wood. and
in the other a huge red hot poker. The
two girls gave n little scream AT this
sight. but the worker heard it not. her
head cnvclopcd in the black, poke bon
net. She proceeded To bore through the
billet Of wood by means Of the flaming
poker. while the smoke rs IL burned It's
way made a dubious bluo cloud about
her head.
/ | declare. things are getting dcspcr-
ate down there cried the youngest girl.
II believe some Internal witch-work il
I going on; will have mother called"
I Mrs. Sequn was summoned She was
q city-brcd woman. first and last, and
/ the proceedings in Judge Manotte's back
\ yard were as mysterious Ia her rs TO her
I young daughter.
What the woman ia doing don't
/ know" she said, but she works with
| will. should like to get her To do our
I spring cleaning
said the elder daughter. we will get
/ father to inquire of Judge Manottc about
/ the woman-if, indeed. she Is canny."
Next there was hole made by means
oi the augcr in the lower part of tho
Z hogshcad. and the bored billet Of wood
I driven soundly in by aid of the axe.
I vigorously welded by the woman's
lusty arm. and whitfield pug placed in
the wooden spigot
What great, stout creature" OK.
claimed Mrs. Sequin. "Shc handles
/ tools like MANI
Then more boiling water was dashed
! into the ash-filled hogshead till it stood
| scething and full To the very brim.
I And now all was silent and deserted in
Z Judge Manotte's backyard. In the af-
I ternoon, Mrs. Manottc. richly dressed.
was seen holding up her skirts, tip-toe-
| ing round the great hogshCad. rs If in
I spcCtiug the work to see if il had been
| properly and thoroughly done
/ At very carly hour the next morn
/ ing the SCquin girls heard noises in the
/ back yard. and sprang from bed to
/ see If the witch was at her work again.
/ Sure enough she was; they beheld
| huge kettle swung on stout pole be-
/ tween crotched stakes driven into the
earth, and pile of blazing fagots be-
meath II
There is her cauldron; told you
/ So" said the younger girl. And look
/ at the pals of black liquid she is pour.
] lux iHAp itftill Nilf lpui lump anu DOnPH
/ she is pouring from that greasy cask.
An Internal broth that must be she is
concoctinQ."
And there is another barrel with tho
dark liquid dripping through tho
! spigot." said the older one.
$50 there is," exclaimed the younger;
"when did she fix that? What a Wig
orous crcaturel She would clean our
whole house in 'wcnty-iour hours. Irt
US call father. lie knows most every
thing. TIL bet he can tell us what all
this means"
So MIR. Scquin was brought to look
down on the spectacle in Judge Ma
notes backyard.
1T beats the witches in lIecate all
hollow said the two girls in chorus, as |
their paternal parent entered the room. |
After quietly surveying the operations |
below moment, he burst out laughing. |
"Why, the woman Is making soft /
II