The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-09-19

u,
that's curious, for they live only mat
you've heard enough of them to know
that they are awful close, but I'm free to
say that of all stingy, scraping, rich orea-
lures they are the very beat. was sent
for to come and nurse Toms wife when
she had her baby couple of years ago.
Tom came over beforehand to strike
bargain with me, tried to tell me- the
work would be light with Samantha, her
niece, there, and asked me right out to
take off couple of dollars in my price,
But I knew the Brones, and they knew
me, and went for my regular wages or
not at all. You see, there is great deal
to do on large farm like theirs, and
they expected me to be busy every
minute.
ct often wondered when i was there
what was the use of money If yen
couldn't enjoy it. They certainly didn't
seem to get any good, so to speaI. out Of
| theirs. Their very table was mean.
mean for them who could afford better
| sour rye bread, rusty pork and the small
potatoes they couldn't sell. Though
they had big lot of. poultry none of il
ever came on their table, neither did
eggs or such, for everything that could
fetch q copper went to market and If
| they lived like that you can think what
| sort of vittles Jack got Yes, Jack, for
found Danl Briggs Jack there.
'You see the first night when l see
that tall, shamblin' erectur shuffiin, in
with his head droppin' forrards mis-
| trusted that I'd seen him somewhares be-
fore, and I watched him while he eat his
bread crusts and cold potatoes, and after
he'd gone out asked Samantha, Who's
he?''
Jack she says.
"Jack Briggs?'
'tAnd then I had it sure enough.
tom got him out of the poor house
half fool. hate him.
"Well, I wouldn't blame anyone for
being half fool living on such food as
they gave him. Eat edges of pork with
out bit of meat on them, cold potatoes,
and bread left to get hard and dry so he
couldn't eat so much of it. Bless you,
child, I'm not lying; I'm tellin' down
right truth; I've seen Christian folks
more than once play that trick on their
hired folks.
ct spoke to him next morning as he
was washing outside on the porch. I
knew you folks once says I.
"'Eh,' said he, looking at me with
those dull, black eyes of his'n.
eyes, and I knew you when you was a
little fellow; you've growed considerable
since. How did you get along at the
poorhouse?"
''sI had fits sometimes, and they fog
| ged me sometimes
"'You don't say so,' says I, How
long have you been here?'
| "'Quite SPELL
"'You look kind of peaked and yell
1er, says I, Don't you feel well?'
"He stared at me and real tears came
to his eyes I've lots of pain here said
he, putting his hand to his side, 'and my
head hurts sometimes
'sFour days after I went there, Jane,
that's Toms wife, got word that her
father and mother we're coming down to
see the new baby and spend the day.
She was nightly fustered when she
hearn it, for she hadn't bit of pie OF
| cake in the house and she wanted me to
make some. She said though it must be
apple pie and cake that wouldn't take
more than an egg or two, and but little
butter, say tablespoonful. concluded
to make it as best suited me, seeing !
had fair field, Samantha having gone
to the village; and though James bed
room opened into the kitchen, her bed
stood so she could not see the part of the
room where I was at work. ALI the
same, she made her tongue do duty for
her eyes and kept telling me what to do
all the time till I clean lost patience, but
| you may be sure then I mixed things my
own way. No stale drippings out of the
old yellow bowl in the buttery went into
my pie crust, but I put into it good,
sweet lard out of the firkin.in the cellar,
and I didn't sweeten them pies with mo-
lasses sugar either, but good granulated
went into them.
"When I begin with the cake she
called out, guess, after all, it best be
molasses; that only takes one egg, and
shortening instead of butter.
Well, said, smiling to myself as I
stirred up good cake which had plenty
of eggs and butter for once. Her speak
ing of molasses cake, tho put me in my
mind to bake nice, soft one, for molas-
ses cake when fresh, aint to be sneezed
at, yes, and I mean to tell you that I
made pie in an oldish saucer, and made
it thick and good and sweetened it with
molasses, and after it was baked tucked
it away in the woodshed. After dinner
I looked to see if Jack had piece of the
| pie we had cut, and that Jane had
| grumbled over because it was so good.
But Samantha didn't give him any which
was just what expected. So I left Sa-
mantha busy with the dishes, and tuck
| ing that saucer-pie under my apron,
went down in the yard alongside the barn
to look at some blankets I'd hung there
| that morning. I looked sharp to see
Jack when he came along to go to
the meadow, then called him soft like.
What p says he stopping short.
"s Here says I, take this and set
down in the gate corner and eat it; I'll
| wait for the dish.
''It wasn't three minutes before he
| brought the saucer back, every crumb
clean gone.
"'I'll never forget it., says he, cry
ing.
''It was the next day the old folks came.
baked good, sweet bread in the morn
ing and cut it fresh for dinner, too, al
| though Jane was hurt about it, and what
with ham and decently mashed potatoes,
chopped cabbage and the sugared pie,
we'd good dinner, which everybody
enjoyed, especially Tom, who couldnt
| stop Dragging about it. But I had plan
| in my mind, so after we'd finished, I saws
to Samantha: You're tired; so you 90
set in James room and hold the baby and
talk to granny, and I'll wash up the
things