The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-02

agin, when AlZina Ann broke out fresh,
and seys:
"What wouldn't | give if could own
some knives like them? What c proud
and happy wemen it would make me-"
That routed us all up agn, and never
did see-unless it was on funeral oc-
casiop-a face look as Matthew's face
looked Nobody could have blamed
him if he had got up, :hen, and not made
another efiert. But SyIphina, bein' so
awful determined TO do jist right, and
start right in the married life, she winkcd
to Nathen agin, real sharp and en-
couraGIl' wink, and shct up her eyes.
and Josiah and done as she done, and
shct UP our'n.
And Nathen (feelin' rs if he must sink)
got all ready to begin agin. lie had jest
got his mouth opened, when says Alzina
Ann. in that rapturous way OF her'n:
"Do tell me, Sylphina, how much did
you give for these knives, and where did
you get 'em?
Then it was Sylphnas turn to feel us
if she must sink, for being so proud
spcrited; it wus like pulln' out sound
tooth to tell Alzina Ann they wus bor-
rowcd. But bein' so set in tryin' to dc
right, she would have up and told her.
But |, feclin' sorry for her, branchcd
right of, and asked Nathen "if he lived
out to vote Republican, or Democrat, or
Grecnback." So We had no blessin'
asked, after all, that day.
Sylvina sthed, and went to pourn'
out the ten. And Nathen frightened up,
and said, "if things turned out with him,
as he hoped they would that fall, he CAL
culatcd to vote for old Peter Cooper"
could see from his mean, that Josiah
was gcttin' kinder sick Of Alzna Ann,
and (though hain't got jealous hair in
the hull of my back hair foretopj didn't
care mite if he wuz. But, truly, verse
! wuS to come.
a fter supper, Josiah and me wus a-sct-
tim in the spare-room, close to the win
der, a-lookin' through Sylphinas album;
when we heered Alzina Ann and Syl-
phina, out under the winder, a-lookin' at
Sylphina's pcary bed, and Alzina Ann
was talkin', and says she:
GLOW pleasant it is here, to your house,
Sylphina, perfectly beautiful! Seem
We are both such friends to her, feel
free to tell you what awful state l find
Josiah Aliens wife's house in. Not
mite Of carpet in her settin'-room floor,
and nothin' gives q room such awful
look rs that. She said it wus up to
mend, but, between you and me, don't
believe a word of it. believe it WIS up
ior some other purpose. And the cur
taIns wus down in my room, and I had
to sleep all the first night in that condi.
tion. might jest as well have sat up,
it looked 80. and when she got 'cm up
the next mornin', they wusn't nothin'
but plain white muslin. l should think
she could afford somethin' little more
decent than that for her spare-room.
And she hadn't mite Of fruit cake in
the house, only two kinds of common
lookin' cake. She said Josiah forgot to
give her my letter, and she didn't get
wcrd wus comm till the day got there,
but between You and me, | never be-
licved that for q minute. I believe they
got up that story between 'em, to excuse
it off, things lookin' so. If wusn't such
friend of hern, and didn't think such a
sight of her, l wouldn't mention it for the
world. But think everything of her,
and everybody knows do, so l iecl free
to talk about her. How humbly she has
growed Don't you think so? And her
mind seems to be kind o. runnin' down.
For how, under the sun, she can think so
much Of that simple old husband of hern,
is mystery TO me, unless she is growin'
! iOVii'h. 1AC Nha t'Oott iHslStIit!-
cent lookin' creeter; but now, he is the
humbliest and meakencst lookin' creeter
ever seen in human shape. And he
looks rs old as grandfather Richcrson,
every mite rs old, and he is most ninety
And he is vain rs q peahen."
/ jest glanced round ut Josiah, and
then, intentively, l looked away again.
His countenance wus perfectly awful
Truly, the higher we are up the worse it
hurts us to fall down. Bein' lifted up on
such height of vanity and vain glory,
and fallin' down from it so sudden, it
most broke his neck (speakin' in poet.
ical and fignrative way.l I, nnysalf.
::S::. ::=;: :;.:::i= 9: neg g.: a:eaSS, G:;;H;:
feel nigh SO worked up and curious, it
mere sort O. madded me, it kind O. ope-
rated in that way on me. And 80 when
she begun agin to run Josiah and me
down to the very lowest notch, called us
all to naught, made out we wusn't hardly
fit to live, and wus most fools. And
then says agin
II wouldn't say q word against 'em for
the world, if l wusn't such a friend to
'em-"
Then / rose right up, and stood in the
open winder, and it came up in front OF
me, some like pulpit, and 'spose my
mean looked considerable like o preach.
er's, when they get carried away with
the subject, and almost by the side OF
themselves.
Alzina Ann quietcd the minute she sot
her eyes on me, as much or more than
any minister ever made congregation
quail, and says she, in tremblin' tones
You know do thinl. everything in
the world of you. You know shouldn',
have said q word against you, if wasn't
siioh warm friend of yourn."
Friend 70 says I, in awful axents
"Frend, Alzina Ann Richerson, you
don't know no more about that word
, than if you never see q dictionary. You
! don't know the true meanin' of that word
E no more than African babe knows
about slidin' down hill"
Says J, "The Bible gives pretty good
idee Of what it means; it speaks of q
man layin' down his life for his friend
Dearer to him than his own life. Dc
, you 'spose such friendship rs that
, would be a mistrustin' round, a-tryin' t.
rake up every little fault they could lay
! holt of, and talk 'em over with every
i body? Do you 'spose it would crecI
+ round under windcrs, and back bite, ant
= slander Josiah ?''
entirely forgot, for the moment, tha
I she had been a-talkin' about me, TO
truly, abuse heaped upon my pardne
|, seems ten times as hard to bear up under
as il it wus heaped upon me.
Josiah whispered to me, "that is right
/ Samantha! Give it to her!" and uphelt
I. by duty, and that dear man, went on