The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-08-14
up quite sharp when he called for pap

up quite sharp when he called for pap
py.'
"Old Mrs. Fox asked me if I didn 7
feel to take him, but didn't mean to fly
in the face Of providence by taking that
child when I had tough work to keep
my own. So Jack went to the poor house.
I'm sure we have to pay taxes to keep it
going, and it's fair somebody should be
sent there once in awhile.
"Do you know the Brones? No? Well,
that's curious, for they live only matter
of four miles away. Likely as not you've
heard enough of them to know that they
arc awful close, but I'm free to say that
Of all stingy, scraping, rich creatures
they are the very beat. I 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 a
couple Of dollars in my price. But
knew the Brones, and they knew me, and
| went for my regular wages or not at all.
You see, there is great deal t. do on a
large farm like theirs, and they expected
me to be busy every minute.
what was the use of money if you couldn' t
enjoy it. They certainly didn't seem to
get any good, so to speak, out of theirs.
Their very table was mean, mean for
them who could afford better-sour rye
bread, rusty pork and tho small potatoes
they couldn't sell. Though they had a
big lot of poultry none Of it ever came on
their table, neither did eggs or such, for
everything that could fetch a copper
went to market and it they lived like
that you can think what sort of vittles
Jack got! Yes, Jack, for found Dan'l
Briggs Jack there.
"You see the first night when I see
that tall, shamblin' crcctur shutflin' in
with his head droppln' forrards I mis-
trusted that Id seen him somewheres be-
fore, and watched him while nd eat
his bread erusts and cold potatoes, and
after he'd gone out l asked Samantha,
who's hc?''
"'Jacx,' she says
"Jack what?'
"'Jack Briggs:
"And then had il sure enough.
Tom got him cut Of the poor house
some time ago. she said, sharply: 'hc's
half fool. hate him
"Wcll, wouldn't blame any one fo,
being half fool living on such food as
they gave him. Fat edges Of FORK with
out a bit Of meat on them, cold potatoes,
and bread left to get hard and dry 50 he
couldn't cat SO much Of it. Bless you,
child, I'm not lying; PM tcllin' down
right truth; I've seen Christian folks
more than once play that trick Oh their
hired folks.
II spoke to him next morning as he
was washing outside on the porch.
knew your folks once, says l.
"'Eh, said he, looking at me with
those dull, black eyes Of his'n.
Yes, and l knew you when you
was IL little fellow; you've growed
considerable since. How did you get
along at tho poolhousc?"
81 had tits sometimes, and they t1oeg-
eli mc sometimes
''You don't say 50, says !, How long
have you been hcrc?'
"'Quitc Il SPELL
"'You look kind of peaked and vel
lcr,' says l, don't you feel wcll?'
she 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
"Four days after l went there, Jane,
that's Toms wife, got word that her
father and mother were coming down to
see t new baby and spend the day.
She was nightly tlustcrcd when she
heard it, for she hadn't bit of pie or
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. I 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. All 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 1 mixed things my
own way. No stale drippings out Of the
old yellow bowl in the buttery went into
my pie crust, hut l put into it good,
sweet lard out of the tirkin in the cellar,
and l didn't sweeten them pies with
molasscs sugar either, but good gran
ulated went into them.
"When l began with the cake she call
ed out 4 guess after all 1t best be mo-
lasses; that only takes one egg, and short
cning instead of butter
Swell, l said smiling to myself as I
stirred up good cake, which hadblenty
OF eggs and butter for once. Her speak,
ing OF molasscs cake tho put me in my
mind to bake nice, soft one, for molass-
es cake, when fresh, amt to he sneered
at. Yes, and mean to tell you that l
made q pic in an oldish saucer, and made
it thick and good and swectcned it with
molasscs, and after it was baked tucked
it away in the wootlshcd. After dinner
dinner looked to sec if Jack had piece
of the pie we had cut and that Jane had
grumblcd over because it was too good.
But Samantha didn't give him any, which
was just what I expected. So left Sa-
mantha busy with the dishes, and tuck
ing that saucer-pie under my apron I
went down in the yard alongside the barn
to look at some blankets Id hung there
t at morning. l6oketl sharp to see
Jack ~hen he came along to 60 to the
meadow then ! called him soft like.
What" he says he, stopping short.
"'Here,' says l, take this and 20 set
down in the gate corner and cat It, I'll
wait for the dish.
ut want three minutes before he
brought the saucer back, every crumb
clean gone.
"'1'll never forgot it, says he Il crying.
ut was the next day the old folks
came: l baked good, sweet bread in the
morning and cut it fresh for dinner too,
though Jane was hurt about it, and what
with ham and decently mas cd potatoes,
chopped cabbage and the sugared bic
we'd i GOOD dinner which cyerVhoslu On.