Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-09-02
Presence of Mind.

have always been celebrated for my
presence of mind in emergencies.
Grandfather used TO say that he never
had girl who was not afraid of moast
or spider, and how mothers daughter
ever came to be SO brave he couldn't guess.
That was before married, and, of course,
| have not become timid with advancing
years.
am Mrs. Jasper Jackman; my hus
band is, of course Mr.. Jackman, and ouI
place Is known as Jackman's Nook Nook,
indeed Ii there was corner to the world,
| should fancy it was put away in that, TO:
it is the most out-of-the- way habItatiou
that ever existed. 1t is indeed. You can't
see it until you are within fifty feet of II
for the trees and the nasty rocks.
80 romantlc!" people say. | call il
miserably lonesome.
Now you know Pm not the least Bit
nervous, but, having lived with father and
mother and the rest all my life, did not
enjoy being shut up all alone like a-a-a
well, hyena in menagerie, while Mr.
J&ckman attended to business in town; and
often thought if housebreakers were tC
make an attack upon the house, what should
do poor little woman, with no one tc
call upon for | count Bridget as great
cipher in every occasion of life that does
not involve soap-suds.
told Jasper that, absolutely, if | had
known what place Jackman Nook was,
was not sure but that should have thought
twice before refusing old DR.. Mulgtawny,
whose palatIal residence is in Fifth Avenue,
New York City, as of course every body
knows.
However, after you have once said Eyes
to the gentleman who pops the question to
you, you may say ''no" ever after to all
| other questions for all he cares, for he'll
have his own way always.
| Mother-in-law Jackman having made
Jasper promise that must live always al
the Nook was considered unansWerable
and, after all what could we do? No one
would hire or buy the place, and we had il
on our hands, Of course, we lived there.
| always knew that doing so would be the
cause of my showing the presence of mind
for which | am celebrated in my OWL
| family-if nowhere else. And so it came
to pass.
One stormy night in November, in the
year 1863-it was the 4th, | think, foI
baby was just one year old on the 1st, anC
there was some of the cake | had made fol-
his ''bressed little blrity dlrfday" still left
in the pantry; and cake of that size Ger.
talnly never would last longer than that il
our house. 1t was the most unpleasant day
ever remember to nave lived through.
The ground was soaked. The bare branch
es looked like SO many skeletons, and tht
sky was the color Bridget's tin pans were
when | first got down stairs this time last
year.
In the city it would have been some fur
| to sit by the window and watch the folks
go past, looking like SO many drowned rats
but at the Nook G should think it was {
nook, there was nothing to be seen-abso
lutely nothing.
had not book which had not read
and the note paper was out, for Jasper haC
forgotten to bring me some from the city
and | had finished all my sewing.
| spent my time as best | could; bu
how 1 did wish that the regiment which
was encamped about half mile away, wa
near enough for me to watch them drill
if they did drill in such weather. II
thought them too near before on account o
Bridget, whom l had caught a score o
times talking to men in blue jackets at TIN
gate, and wished them off to the seat o
war, or anywhere else, over and over again
but that afternoon, what relief the,
would have been!
| was the more lonely that Jasper hat
said that morning, ''My dear, if it rains a
it does now tonight, shan't come home
but will stop at your fathers" And hov
could blame him in such weather. Ie
it was dreadfully lonesome. If you ar
sociable with your servants they alway
presume upon it, and | do so love TO talk.
Of course watched the clouds with in
terest; if it should prove fair at last, Jasper
would come home, and if it rained h
wouldn't.
Every now and then there would be
pretense Of clearing of, and began to hop
for q pleasant sunset; but it was always
false pretense, and at teatime it poured a
though there were going to be a secon
flood.
| Biddy asked me, as it was so near th
Hudson whether it wasn't likely to be
risin', and whether in that case ''w
wouldn't be drowned?" And said eyes
1t was too bad, know, but it was reall
some amusement on such a day to frighte
the stupid girl.
had my tea alone, and | do hate
have tea alone if any woman in the worl
hates it-and then put baby to sleep
her cradle In the sitting and took m
knitting, and was as comfortable as l coul
be under the circumstances, when bt
thought me of the mornings paper. | calle
Biddy to bring it to me, and she came t
me at once.
otis well-thought of missus," she sale
as che laid it in my lap. sits yerselt wi
be interested wild the raidin.' There
accounts of the house -breakln' in it,
| ,.0f xDha4 2D | calculated. and thong