Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-06-05
JERRY's GRANDMOTHER.
A Story of Grand Island, Niagara River.
BY JENNY MARSH PARKER.

"There is this about it. Peggy" said father.
- don't see where the money Is comm from,
IL could catch some OF these smuggln' fellows
That are rUBnin brandy into Buffalo Barracks
light under the noses OF the officers there'd he
some sense In your talkin about goin' off 10
school. But IL isn't my luck. Peggy to he
lucky. il never was; and since she died.
don't see why Grand Island isn't lust as goo1
as any other place for you and me-"
Father swung his axe on his shoulder as If it
was heavier than usual that morning. and
walked slowly away TO his work i tried 10
say goodbye or something, but | felt lust as
1 would had j known the island was slip
ping down the river right TO the falls nothing
on earth to stop 1t. and talking wouldn't help
NO. wasn't filling up TO Cry. was think
ing would never cry again for anything.
Would give up everything mother taught me
TO hope and work for / would just fold nav
hands and sit down and be contented to
live On as was living. l would never expect
anything better; every day In the year might be
like every other day. would feed the pigs and
the chickens; get the breakfast. dinner and sup
per or pork, potatoes 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 WOrStedS for fancy work, nor even
shoes in the summer time, until our debts were
paid. just ltve-that was all, and was only
seventeen years old. stamped my bare foot at
the thought OF II, and IL was well / did for the
mems We're on the breakfact table and making
That was In July. Mother died In the spring,
But can't tell you about mother. III begin
all that the rest OF my story win go down
stream. Just as the arrows did / used 10 shoot
lar out into the Niagara 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 halt mile north OF the Falconwood
grounds. The club gave great deal of work
10 father; about all We had to live on They
Were clearing their grounds, you See and it was
WOnQer1ul now they changed swamp lands into
Eden. But 1t didn't help me to be contented
when the handsomely dressed young ladies'
would come right up to the door OF our shanty,
Ike the butterfiies-only the butterflies didn't
make NE so uncomfortable One day when 7
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 SlaDonnet nor
pretended to know they were there.
" should think she would be afraid 1t would
make her feet big TO go barefooted' one of the
girls said, not meaning that should hear her.
They all laughed. don't know what made me
think OF mother just then but thinking OF her
saved me from speaking my mind. Perhaps IL
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
prettleSt Boots on her little feet. A young gen
tleman carried her parasol. He cut a bouquet
OF my cinnamon roses without asking and she
trimmed her hat with them. IL was hard weed
Ing the onions tnat morning. could hear them
laughing and singing as they ram5led In the
woods. The wish that might not always be
shut out from everything 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 / showed the
hens out into the garden and fed them twice as
much as usual That was like mother; not a bit
IKE me. Then made the shanty as neat as
could. fixed things every morning just as Ii
mother might come In and look round and dirt
was sin In mothers eyes Father never cared
nor knew how things looked. 1t was all the
same TO him whether the stove was polished or
not He thought table cloths all nonsense an
II was so hard 10 keep him from using the cur
tam Tor hand-towel. But for all that ii had
soIed cloth, or let tie curtains hang
crooked or swept the dust tRto the grass
or-but there Is no use in talking about it. I
never could have done anything mother would
have called poor housekeeping. Keeping things
nice and tidy was little Ike keeping mother
with me.
vas a great overgrown girl, with anything
but small hands and feet That came perhaps.
CT my hard work and going barefooted My face
was brown with being out OF doors and on the
river IN all sorts OF weather, for my one pleasure
was rowing, and could manage boat as well
IS any body. had q skif OF my own. Mother
named 1t Dancing Polly, and she used to sit in
the stern and knit and sew-but / can't talk
about that Fathers boat was larger than mine.
He used 10 help the revenue officers sometimes
That was in the time or the War. and there was
great deal or smuggling going on between the
Canada shore and the states, and Navy and
Vol Islands, just below us was q resort OF
the smugglers- They were so near the
fails, You see. that 1t was no laughing matter
going there with skiff. Grand Island was
good hiding place before the forests We're
cut Gown so much, and father bought our little
place thinking he could earn something catch
Ing SmugglerS, giving Information to the rev.
enUe officers etc But father never succeeded
at IL The smugglers caught him once or twice
and frightened him most TO death. Once they
set him adrift on the river without oars Dit
rescued him upon his saying he would helm
them hide their booty, which he did. Again
they threw suspicion on him, reported him as
snuggler aud ne had hard work TO clear him
sen Ihey were Too shreTd Tor man Ike
father, and there we We're with that lonesome
place on our hands. Mother begged him before
she died 10 give up meddling with The outlaws
and 10 get OIL the island as soon as he could for
my sake. But father was hot born 10 do so
much alone, and was tired trying to think how
lcouid help him TO make the move. lam not
Blaming him, not BIT but PERHAPS You Know
what it Is 10 De longing to do something In the
weird, something gu know you could 40, only
for the very one you love best, who Just stands
In your way without meaning 10.
Wen, that nCorning went Gown to nv boat
aId pushed off without knowing or caring
TheTo went. | foated awhile with the stream
hardly hitting my oars. remember sitting
motlOnlesS out there on the river and looking
back 10 our cabin-yeu could hardly see It for
the tTees-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. All at once was aware
OF the sound or the falls | mad never heard ft
so plain. save in that hush after mother died.
"SS csAA SAA " iCOA ONCi SuOuIl3T
enc minute. But there was really no danger
after all for good Oarsman like me- although
such silly hoattng had best be ended at once
l was close to Navy Island, tie resort OF the
smuggleTs.
AFTER q little hard rowing had fastened nv
boat ana had Climbed up the bank into the
thick wood. IL was little harbor a very
bower OF trees and vines. The birds were sinG-
ing as IL Peggy Rcrrick was the happiest girl In
the world and they must tell IL 10 all creation
j sat down on shelving rock and threw faith
er's old straw hat over my bare feet Would /
always nave 10 60 Oare1Ooted? The birds san,
as Ii going DarefCCted was nothing 10 fret abol1f.
that was Their laShl0n-o.d as the hills Whaf
hot. SLEEPY day 1t must be over In Buffalo I
Thought. WHAT would the poor people In boots
give 10 he pareiOCted under the trees OF Navy
Island that morning? The kingdom was al
NY own. | could dream bit and then e%nlSre
Tie place. What II | should ind a well illInd
with bags OF gold dollars / shall never for.rn1
Low Ike picture GRAND Island looked asst iay
mere IN the sunshine, sweet, dreamy picture
oh. why wasn't IL the ioyeliest place In Inc
RoTI0? Why cid j long 10 escape from il IN
hVe In The great EoiSy world to be soinetain ?
more imam PtGgy HGrrick was that day? /
i0Ohed at The island and thought OF what mo
ther USED 10 say: lone mus: Get ont OF thIs IIy
ana iOok az ~ as somebody's else to see me
blessings II holcS Wei. 4 Grand Island was
Ike my lfe TX my nfe-bIt must have n Ian
hall asleep, or perhaps should have thollfrhr
out something worth telling before ( VA =
startled at heStrlLg voices mems voices on tha
other side or the tnicket tehtDd me and s1nnd
like breaking the hard baked earth Win mic.
axes.
~ tell you, Hank" said a wheezy voice ..,-
don't trett This ha into n ,rr - II