The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-12-23

mhnOlte NJ Once dJllIeu nefSelf III
short, stout dress, long, black poke
bonnet, shut up the front of the house
and retired TO the scene of her proposed
labors. She drew pair of her husbands
leather gloves on to her hands, adjusted
some blocks Of wood, and trunded a
hogshead into position. Then she ar
ranged some bricks In the bottom of IL,
and covered 1t with straw, that the lye
from the leached ashes might be clear
as 1t trickled through. She recollected
when little girl of her mother putting
her into an old family mash tub, which
served for score of years, and telling
her how to adjust the bricks and straw
In proper fashion.
Next she got a great hod and COM
menced to fill the hogshead with ashes.
She worked with such vigor that q
tremendous dust was raised in the back
yard. People going past in the street
outside sneezed and coughed, and won
dered what was going on at Judge
Manotte's place.
But Mrs. M. was absorbed in the
work of the hour to the utter oblivious-
ness of the fact that from the second
story of the mansion just sacross the
area from her own, curious and puzzled
eyes were fastened on her and her
movements. In her wash-room two
kettles set in arches were heating the
water to drench the dry ashes. She had
to climb on chair to pour each pailful
on to the leach. Certainly to unfamiliar
eyes, her work might seem strange and
mysterious.
The Ssquin girls, at the chamber win
dows opposite, with tatting and crochet,
could at length contain their surprise
and wonder no longer.
Do let US call mother" one of them
exclaimed, and see If she can unriddle
the mystery, and tell us the meaning of
the operations over in Judge Manott's
back yard"
& 1 think the Judge has got a paddy
woman to make some sort of compost
for his pear trees" said the other.
While the two girls gazed, stiff pole
was plunged into the fuming hogshead, /,
and the mass vigorously punched and
shaken by the stout worker.
"She is Hercules" they said.
What muscle those Irish women have.
Mrs. Manotte is worker herself, and
she wouldn't hire woman to sit
STILL"
But now the woman disappeared for a
while, and when she next came in view
she had under her arm an auger and
axe, in one hand smooth billet of
wood, and in the other red hot poker.
The two girls gave little scream at this
sight, but the worker heard it not, her
head enveloped in the black poke bon
net. She proceeded to bore through the
billet of wood by means of the flaming
poker, while the smoke as it burned its
way made dubious blue cloud about
her head.
" declare, things are getting desper-
ate down there" cried the younger
girl. {" l believe some internal WITCH
work is going on; will have mother
called"
Mrs. Sequin was summoned. She was
a city. y.bred woman, first and last, and
the proceedings in Judge Manotte's back
yard were as mysterious to her as to her
young daughters.
"What the woman is doing / don't
know" she said, 4" but she works with
will. should like to get her to do
our spring cleaning"
"lt is very likely you can, mother"
said the eldest daughter. We will get
father to inquire of Judge Manotte
about the woman-if, indeed she is
canny."
Next there was hole made by means
of the auger in the lower part of the
hogshead aud the bored billet of wood
driven soundly in by aid of the axe,
vigorously welded by the woman's
lusty arm, and a whitfield plug placed
in the wooden spigot.
What great, stout creature" ex-
claimed Mrs. Sequin. "She handles
tools like man !"
Then more boiling water was dashed
into the ash filled hogshead till it stood
seething and full to the brim. And now
all was silent and deserted in Judge
Manotte's back yard. In the afternoon,
Mrs. Manotte, richly dressed, was seen
holding up her skirts, tip-toeing round
the great hogshead, as if inspecting the
work to see if it had been properly,
and thoroughly done.