The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-07-08
JERRY'S GRANDMOTHER.
A story Of Grand Island, Niagara River.


There is this about it, Peggy said
father. " | don't see where the money
is comm from. If ! could catch some
OF these smugglin' fellows that are run
min brandy into Buffalo Barracks, right
under the noses of the officers, there d
be some sense in your talkin' about
goin' off 20 school But it isn't my luck,
Peggy. to be lucky. 1t never was; and
since she died, l don't see why Grand
Island isn't just as good as any other
place for vou and me"
Father swung his AK on his shoulder
as if it was heavier than usual that
morning. and walked slowly away to
his work. | tried TO say goodbye or
something. butt felt Just as l would had
known the island was slipping down
the river 10 the falls, nothing on earth
TO stop it. and talking wouldn't help.
No, / wasn't filling up to cry. was
thinking l would never cry again for
anything. / would give up everything
mother taught me to hope and work
for: / would Just fold my hands and sit
down and be contented to live on rs
was living. l would never expect any
thing better; every day in the year might
be like every other day. | would feed
the pigs and chickens; get the break
fast. dinner and supper of pork, pota-
toes and bread for only father and me;
wash and iron and patch; never have
anything pretty and nice; never know
any Young people. nor have books and
newspapers, and pretty wOrstel for fan
cy work: nor even shoes in the summer
time, until our debts were paid. Just
live-that was all, and was only sew
enteen wears old. | stamped my bare
foot at the thought of it, and it was well
/ did, for the hens were on the break
fast table and making a pretty mess Of
things.
That was in July. Mother died in the
spring. But / can't tell YOU about moth
er. If begin all that the rest ofmy story
will 90 down stream, Just rs the arrows
did | used to shoot far out into the Nj
agara River and then guess how long
they would be in reaching the falls.
We lived on the west side of Grand
Island. not more than half mile north
OF the Falconwood grounds. The club
gave 4 great deal of work to father;
about all we had to live on. They were
clearing their grounds, YOU see, and it
was wonderful how they changed swamp
lands into Eden. But ii didn't help me
to be contented when the hand
somely-dressed young ladies would come
right to the door of our shanty, like the
butterfieS-Onlv the butterflies didn't
make me so uncomfortable. One day,
when | was wedding the onion bed, a
party from the club house came up to
the well for water and | never looked
out from under my sun bonnet, nor pre-
tended to know they were there.
Il should think She would be afraid
it would make her feet big to 90 bare
footed. one of the girls said, not mean
ing that / should hear her. They all
laughed. l don't know what made me
think of mother just then, but thinking
of her saved me from speaking my mind.
Perhaps it was the sweet voice of that
pretty girl. looked after them as they
went away. She had blue ribbons at
her throat and on her hair and the
prettieSt boots on her little feet. A
young gentleman carried her parasol.
He cut a boquet of my cinnamon roses
without asking and she trimmed her
hat with them. 1t was hard wedding
the onions that morning. l could hear
them laughing and singing as they ram
bled in the woods. The wish that |
might not always be shut out from every
thing got the upper hand of me. Father
saw something was wrong after had
moped for three or four days, and on
the morning | am telling you of he
asked me what was the matter. | told
him what was wishing for and that
was his anSwer-he didn't know where
the money was coming from.
There was nothing like a good row
on the river when | was down-hearted.
Well, that morning l went down to
my boat and pushed off without know
ing or caring where | went. l floated
awhile with the stream, hardly lifting
nv oars. | remember sitting motion
less out there on the river and looking
back to our cabin-vou could hardly see
it for the treeS-and wondering why,
when the world was so big, must live
Just there and die there and never wear
blue ribbons nor have cinnamon roses
stuck in my hat. was close to Navy
Island. the resort of the smugglerS.
After little hard rowing I had fast
ened nv boat and had climbed up the
bank into the thick wood. 1t was a lit
tie harbor, a very bower of trees and
vines. l looked at the island and thought
of what mother used to say: 'One
must get out of this life and look at it
as somebody elSe's to see the blessings
it holds Well. if Grand Island was
like my life, if my life-but | must have |
been half asleep, or perhaps | should /.
have thought out something worth tell
inc, before l was startled at hearing /
voices. men's voices, on the other side .
of the thicket behind me. and a sound .
like breaking the hard-baked earth with .
pickaNes. A.,
Il tell YOU, HANK said a wheezy +,
voice, IF we don't get this haul into I
barracks before the weeks out we may
as well sink it in the river Then fol- /
lowed something about 1.-THE point"
and jerry and " dear old grand /
mother with much cursing and laugh
ter. There were three men at least, +
and soou heard enough to learn that
they had been on the island since the I
middle of the night before. Thorough
" frightened and hardly able to move
for minute, | knew | must escape
from the place rs soon as possible.
They were laughing at something about