The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-02
Suferens Of Nathen Spooner.
By JOSIAH ALIENS WIFE.

nrmcr grip, Tor truly, they wu5 futtcr-
in like banners in the cold breeze, "if
you don't want me to blow away, Josiah
Allen, shet up that door"
ooh, shaw! Samantha, you wont blow
away. you urc too hefty. 1t would take
Hurrycane, and Simon, too, to tackle
you, and lift YOU"
Simon who?" says I, in cold axcnts.
cauzed partly by my frigid emotions and
partly by the chilly blast, and partly hy
his DARN to say any man could take me
up and carry me away.
oh! the Simons they have on the
desert. I've hearn Thomas J. read about
'ein. They'll blow camels away, and
everything"
Says l, drcamily, who'd have
thought twenty years ago, to have heard
that man a-cuurlin' me, and callin' me a
z2,ephirc,. and pink posy, and angel,
that he'd ever live to see the day he'd
call me camel"
II han't called you a camel! only
meant that you was hefty, and cnmels
wus hcity. A nd it would take Simon
or two to lift you round, either on you"
Wall" says !, in frigid tones, "what
that door,"
EYES, be. jst as quick us | change
my clothes. don't want to fodder i'm
these new briches."
rose with dignity, or as much dignity
MS could lay holt of-half bent, irwin
to keep ten or twelve quarts OF carpet
rags from spillin over the foor-and
went and shet the door myself, which I
might have known enough to done in the
first place, and saved time and breath.
For shettin' of doors is truly n accom-
rlishmcnt that Josiah Allen never will
i::,stcr. | have touched him up in lots
of things, sense we wus married, but in
that branch OF education he has been too
much for me; | have about gin up.
In the course of ten or fifteen minutes
Josiah came out of the bed room lookin'
as peaceful and pleasant as you may
please, with his hands liz his pantaloons
pockets, scarchin' their remote depths,
and says he, in n off: hand, careless way
"pll be hanged if there han't letter
for you. Samantha"
How many weeks have you carried il
round, Josiah Al!cn?" says |. 81,
would scare me it you should give me a
letter before you had carried i: round in
your pockets month or So"
"Oh! guess | only got this two or
three days ago. | meant 10 handed it to
you the first thing when | got home.
But hain't had on these old breeches
sense that day went to mill"
"Thrce weeks ago, oday," says ], in
almost frosty axents, as opened my
letter.
"Wall," says Josiah, cheerfully, 81
knew it wuzn't long, anyway"
II glanced my gray eye down my let
ter, and says |, in agtated tones:
she that was Alzina Ann Allen ia
comm here a-visitin'. She wrote ME
three weeks ahead, SOS to have me pre-
pared. And here she is liable to come
in on us any minute, now, and kctch us
all unprcpnred," says l. II wouldn't
have had it happened for n tcn-cent bill,
to had one Of the relation, or yuur side.
come and keich me in such condition.
Then, the curtains are all down in the
spare room; washed 'em yesterday,
and they hain't ironed. And the carpet
in the settin'.room up to mend and not
mite OF fruit cake in The house, and she
a-comin' here to-day. am mortified
most to death, Josiah Allen. And if
you'd give me that letter, should have
hired help, and got everything done.
smart like hurn, if you have got con-
"Wall, less have little snnthin' to
eat, Samantha, a;:;i III help round"
''iicip: Whut'ii you ito, josiah Al
:en:''
"Oh +! I'll do the barn chores, and help
all can. guess you'd better cook n
little OF that canned sammon, ! got to
JancsviIle."
Says /, coldly, II believe. Josiah AL
len. if you WIS on your way to the gallus,
you'd make 'em stop and get viitlcs for
you, meat vittles, if you could
didn't say nothin' more for, as the
greatest poets has sung, "the least said,
The soonest mended." But l rose, and
with outward calmncss, put on the tea
kettle and potatoes, and opened the can
of salmon, and jist as put that over the
stove, with some sweet cream and butter,
if you'll believe it, that very minute, she
that was Alzina Ann Allen drove right
up to the door, and come in.
You could have knocked me down
with hens feather las it were), my
feclin's WIS such but l concealed 'em
as we'll as I could, and advanced to the
door. and says [:
''How do you do, Miss Richerson pr
shc is married to Jenothcn Richerson,
old Daniel Richerson's oldest boy
She is tall, spindlin' lookin' wemen,
light completed, sandy haired, and with
big, light blue eyes. hadn't seen her
fur nineteen yeers, but she seemed dred-
full ticklel to see me, and she says:
You look younger, Samantha, than
you did the first time ever seen YOU"
"Oh, nov' says I, that can't be,
Alznn Ann. for that is in the ncighhor-
hood Of thirty yeers ago"
Says she, at is true as live and
breathe, you look younger and hand
so ner than ever seen you look"
IL didn't believe it. but thought it
wouldn't look we'll to dispute her any
more, so let it go; and mebby she
thought she had convinced me that did
look younger than / did, when | was
eighteen or twenty. But l only said,
"That didn't feel so young anyway. ]
had spells of fceln' mauzcr."
She took off her things, she wus dress.
cd up awful slick, and Josiah helped
bring in her trunk. And told her just
how mortified wus about Josiah's for
gcttin' her letter, and her ketchin' Inc
unprepared. But, good Lord she told
me that 'she never, in her hull life, see
house in the order mine WIS. never
md she had seen thousands and thous
ands of different houses"
Says /, 81 feel worked up, aud almost
mortified, about my settin'room carpe
bcin' up"
But she held up both hands (they WIS
white as snow. and all covered Will
rings.) And says she, "If there * nnt
thing that Ilove to sec, Samantha, more
than another, it is to see scttin-r0on
curpet up, il gives such sort of a free
pohia lppt- n n rnOm ~