The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-09-13

4
some time ago. she said, sharply: "he's
| half fool hate him.
s.WelI, 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.
| 81 spoke to him next morning as he
was washing outside on the porch.
| knew you folks once, says l.
s.sEh,' said he, looking at me with
| those dull, black eyes of his'n.
"Yes. and / knew you when You was a
little fellow; you've growed considerable
since. How did you get along at the
poorhouse2'
q I had fits sometimes, and they fog
| ged me sometimes.
g You don't say so,' says I, How
long have you been hereg
"sQuite spell.
s'You look kind of peaked and yell
ler,' says /, Don't you feel wellY
s'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.
''Four days after / went there, Jane,
that's Toms wife, got word that her
father and mother were coming down to
see the new baby and spend the day.
She was nightly hustered when she
hearn 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. concluded
to make it as best suited me, seeing /
| had fair field, Samantha having gone
to the village; and though James bed
i 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 clean lost patience, but
you may be sure then l mixed things my
own way. No stale drippings out of the
old yellow bowl in the buttery went into
my pie crust, but put into it good,
sweet lard out Of the firkin..in the cellar,
and 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
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 a nice, soft one, for molas
ses cake when fresh, amt to be sneezed
at, yes, and I mean to tell you that
made pie in an oldish saucer, and made
it thick and good and sweetened it witt
! molasses, and after it was baked tucked
it away in the woodshed. After dinner
! / looked to see if Jack had piece of tht
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 left Sa
mantha busy with the dishes, and tuck
ing that saucer-pie under my apron,
went down in the yard alongside the barr
to look at some blankets I'd hung ther,
that morning. / looked sharp to Sc,
, Jack when he came along to go tt
. the meadow, then called him soft like
What r says he stopping short.
.'' Here, says I, take this and se
, down in the gate corner and eat it; II
wait for the dish.
'sIt wasn't three minutes before hs
brought the saucer back, every crumf
clean gone.
"tTll never forget it, says he, cry
ing.
TT 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 couldn't
stop Dragging about it. But had a plaI
in my mind, so after we'd finished, says
to Samantha You're tired; SO you &c
set in James room and hold the baby anc
talk to granny, and I'll wash up th'
things
''She wasn't backward to accept, anG
Tom took the old man out to see tht
farm, and for once in his life l set Jaef
down to a decent meal. Nothing wa:
sneaked off that table by me, and it CAV.
, me satisfaction to see him eat. Samanths
screamed right out when she came in and
saw him finishing the pie. Amt yor
hog of himself?' she cried. But
reckon that I set her down sharp fol
once.
: What did you ask me just now
How they spent their evenings there
J Well, how do you suppose? Like yor
folks going into the parlor and lighting
it up bright, and talking and playing?
rather guess not. You don't think they
!. would ever sit in their parlor, do you
!, If you do. you don't know them They
, sot in the kitchen, burned one candle ani
, kind of grumbled when they felt like it
. l almost always sot in by Jane and the
, baby our light came in from the
kitchen, for she wouldn't burn an extrs
candle for herself. She was always hint
ing at something I might do evenings
but / let her hint. Sometimes Jacl
came in, fearful, like dog not in place
and sot down for spell by the door be
fore he went to bed in the loft over the
! out-kitchen, but Samantha was Away.
, finding fault and picking at him. One
, night he came up by the table and asked
for needle and thread to fix his jacket
but she never pretended to hear him
wss clean put out with such meanness
, Jack, says /, hand me that Jacket,
and I got my housewife and put on my
specs and sat down to darn it.
, It's q dirty, miserable thing, says
I, working away. 1t ought to go into
the rag-bag, and Tom ought to get you
j decent suit
''Tom's chair came down hard, and he
looked mad enough. Better dress q
beggar in broadcloth.' he growled.
"'Oh ! no need of that, says I, only
give q man working for food and clothes,
decent ones
"'I know my own business, and I hate
meddlers, said Tom. Here Jack,
clear out to bed.
"Of all the queer questions Jack
would ask, though one day he said to
me, What's God?'
"'You poor creature, says I, amt
no minister ever told you? Well, He's a
| sperrit.'
What's sperrit I? says he.
Now I'm one that's satisfied with facts
vishoutlpryin' into them. never mud
Gle myself wondering but 1 seen by
his questions he was kinder stupid like,
so says, A sperrit is something that
amt flesh and blood
"He shook his head backwards and for
wards.
Where's God? p
why, in heaven, you poor heathenI I
"He looked down as if he was almost a
crying.
IF He was only down here, I might
find Him, he says rs serious like as
1 4 Ix. G