Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-07-23
PRESENCE or MIND.

IHAvE always been celebrated for my
presence of mind in emergencies.
Grandfather used to say that he never
had girl who was not afraid of mouse
or spider, and how mothers daughter
ever came to be so brave he couldn't
guess. That was before l married, and,
of course, | have not become timid with
advancing years.
am Mrs. Jasper Jackman; my hus-
band is, of course Mr.. Jackman, and
our place is known as Jackman's Nook
Nook, indeedl If there was q corner
to the world, should fancy it was put
away in that, for it is the most out-of-
the-way habitation that ever existed. 1t
is indeed. You can't see it until you are
within fifty feet of it for the trees and
the nasty rocks.
$50 romanticl" people say. 1 call
it miserably lonesome.
Now you know I'm not the least bit
nervous, but, having lived with father
and mother and the rest all my life, l
did not enjoy being shut up all alone
like a-a-a-well, hyena in menag
erie, while Mr.. Jackman attended to
business in town; and often thought if
housebreakers were to make an attack
upon the house, what should do,
poor little woman, with no one to call
uponP for l count Bridget as great
cipher in every occasion of life that does
not involve soap-suds.
told Jasper that, absolutely, if had
known what a place Jackman Nook
was, was not sure but that 1 should
have thought twice before refusing old
DR.. Muligtawny, whose palatial resi-
nence Is in Fifth Avenue, New York
City, as of course every body knows.
However, after you have once said
'yes" 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 al
ways.
Mother-in-law Jackman having made
Jasper promise that must live always
at the Nook was considered unanswer-
able and, after all what could we doP
No one would hire or buy the place, and
we had it 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 1 am
celebrated in my own family--if no.
where else. And so it came to pass.
One stormy night in November, in
the year 1S63-it was the 4th, l think,
for baby was just one year old on the
1st, and there was some of the cake /
had made for his "bressed title birfty
birfday' still left in the pantry; and a
cake of that size certainly never would
last longer than that in our house. 1t
was the most unpleasant day ever re-
member to have lived through. The
ground was soaked. The bare branch
es looked like so many skeletons, and
the 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
fun to sit by the window and watch the
folks go past, looking like so many
drowned rats, but at the Nook (I should
think it was a nook), there was moth
ing to be seen-absolutely nothing.
had not a book which l had not
read, and the note paper was out, for JAS
per had forgotten to bring me some
from the city, and had finished all my
sewing.
spent my time as best could; but
how did wish that the regiment which
was encamped about half a mile away,
was near enough for me to watch them
drill-if they did drill in such weather.
I'd thought them too near before on ac-
count of Bridget, whom had caught
score of times talking to men in blue
jackets at the gate, and wished them off
to the seat of war, or anywhere else,
over and over again; but that after
noon, what relief they would have
been!
| was the more lonely that Jasper had
said that morning, " My dear, if it rains
as it does now tonight, shan't come
home, but will stop at your fathers" !"
And how could blame him in such
weather? Yet it was dreadfully lone
some. If you are sociable with your
servants they always presume upon it,
and do so love to talk.
OF course l watched the clouds with
interest; if it should prove fair at last,
Jasper, would come home, and if it
rained he wouldn't.
Every now and then there would be
pretense of clearing off, and began
to hope for a pleasant sunset; but it
was always false pretense, and at tea
time it poured as though there were
going to be a second flood.
Biddy asked me, as it was so near the
Hudson whether it wasn't likely to be a
risin', and whether in that case "we
wouldn't be drownedP" And l said
"Yes." 1t was too bad, know, but it
was really some amusement on such a
day TO frighten the stupid girl
had my tea alone, and do hate to
have tea alone if any woman in the
world hates it-and then put baby to
sleep in her cradle in the sitting-room,
and took my knitting, and was as com
Portable as could be under the circum-
stances, when l bethought me of the
mornings paper. called Biddy to
bring 1t TO me, and she came to me at
once.
"It's well-thought of, missus," she
said, as she laid it in my lap. "It's
yerself will be interested wild the raidn'.
There's accounts of the house-breakin'
in it,"
"Of whatP" calculated, and,
though | assure you I'm not the least
nervous, my heart was in my mouth for
a moment.
"Of the house-breakin', mum, and
how the thaVes in the wurreld got into
Misther DinsmOre's house, that's sittiat-
ed the same as this, neighboring nobody,
and tuck all they could lay their hands
on, TO say nothin' of half-murderin' the
Ould gentleman. The saints be above us
this night"
There II was, sure enough, headed
"A bold and outrageous attack upon
the residence of Mr.. Dinsmoreln L
read it through, and then said TO my
self
"Jerusha Jackman, remember your
presence Of mind. Don't let il fail you
Ia cases Of emergency. Should a house
breaker take advantage OF your solitude,
ist him find you prepared" II was ~