Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-02-06

q little, pears like they amt let to get
no hold on to IL.
Phebe used to come and tell me her
troubles in them days, and felt mighty
sorry fer the girl, so did. But, lawsl
she war seein' satisfaction, too, fer
there never was man higher crazy
over girl than he was over her, and
she thinkin' the world an all OF him.
John wanted TO git married right off.
And that stood him in hand, fer he had
two hundred dollars saved, and ole man
North 'ud give him house-room on the
place, and let him farm on sheers, and
jump at the chance.
But Abe's woman was gettin' worse
all the time, and Phebe, she hated to
leave 'em on that account, and she
hadn't no way of gettin' nothin' TO be
married in, nohow. John, he offered
her fifty dollars down to buy her things
with. But, laws! she hung off, and l
didn't blame her. II her own father
and brothers wouldn't do nothin' fer
her, after workin' her as hard as they
done, she felt kind o. too proud to 90
onto the man she hadn't married yit fer
clothes to marry in. So John, when
he's in Kokomo, he gifts her as pretty
cashmer dress-pattern as you ever seed.
and takes it TO dressmaker, and tells
the dressmaker it's fer his wife; then
back he comes and gifts one of my girls
to measure Phebe on the sly, and sends
the measure in a letter. John could
both read and write, and they say he
| fggered. Pretty soon here comes the
dress all made, and directed to Mrs.
John Cragin.
Phebe, she comes flying over to our
place to show her dress and try it on;
and, if you'll believe me, there wasn't
a wrinkle in it, and you never seed any
thing so becomin'. She looked like
lady, so she did. The cashner was so
soft and fine, and made her look so
slim and white-skinned. Only it was
black.
\ 40, Phebep' says my Mary, "he
orient got a black weddin' dress; it's
onlucky." .
"It's the pertiest thing 1 ever see,"
says Phebe, smoothin' itwith her hand.
And she war that tender bout John, l
do b'lieve it hurt her fer Mary to say
the dress he bought was onlucky.
Well, it was only two days after that
that man come ridin' down from
North's like he'd kill the horse, fer a
doctor to come and see John Cragin.
1t was thrashin' time, and he'd got
throwed in among the machinery some
way, and bout killed. l won't say
whether it war the machinery or the
horses; some says one way, some says
another. low it was done so quick
and skeered them all so they didn't
know what happened. Fer he was out
before anybody could help him, and
walked along few steps white and
laughin', and then he fell down and be-
gin to bleed at the mouth.
One of our boys come runnin' from
the store and told me, and 1 picks up
my sun bonnet and makes fer Abe
CARTS, fer knowed eff Phebe heard it
onprepared, it 'ud nigh ABOUT kill her.
But, laws! i'll news does travel fast.
l low one of Abe's young uns had been
as quick as our'n. She was standin' in
the middle of the floor bulgin' her eyes
out at nothin', whittier than the dead.
don't think the girl had no sense left.
She had the dish-rag in her hands, and
she commenced wipin' her face with it,
and that nasty little Sary Jane stood off
and p'inted at her, and begun to yell
and laugh.
"Shut up, you huzzyr' says 1, givin'
the young un a push; "you hustle
round here and look after your mother.
Your Aunt Phebe has got somebody
else to look after now, besides sassy
young uns."
l didn't know how Mrs. Carl 'ud
take it, but 1 never thought about that
till afterwards. Eff John was a-goin'
to die, the quicker Phebe got to him
the better. changed her clothes and
put her black dress onto her, pore
SOUL And. behold yei as soon as she
stepped foot out of house. there was
North's buggy comm fer her full tilt,
fer John had sent fer her, and / lowed
they'd need help, so got in and went,
too.
Phebe, she seemed sort o. crazy all
the way, and didn't do nothin' but
wiring her hands like she'd twist 'em
off, and sort o. moan, 40, Lord! oh,
Lordr' like she'd die.
There wasn't no p'tendin' between
them two. Some girls 'ud kind O. helt
back from showin' they thought so
much of man they wasn't married to
fer fear folks 'ud talk. But 1 don't
think she thought of nobody in the
world but John.
North's wasn't but a mild out o.
town, and it 'peared like we got there
in minute. And the doctor and men,
folks was round MIN workin' with him.
and they wouldn't let Phebe go in. She
kept on her feet and walked around jes'
atwistin' her hands and sayin' 80,
Lordr' and me and Mis- North, we
cried like babies, and tried to pacify
her, but it was like talkin' to a stone,
so it was.
At last the doctor he come out, and
tole us we might take her in, but John
mustn't be excited. And asst the doc.
tor, kind O low, ef it was very bad, and
he says there wasn't no hope; the man
was hurt in ardly and wouldn't live but
few hours.
lputs my arm round poor Phebe and
goes into the room with her, to kind o.
hold her back from maxim a noise.
But, laws! she slips along as still as
death, and, to my dyin' day, I'll never
fergit the look them two give each other.
He kind O. spread his hands and she
slipped down and put her arms round
him. Then they kissed each other, and
two of the thrashers that stood by the
window wiped their eyes on their shirt
sleeves, and kind o. crept out o. the
room like they's shamed o. themselves;
and, before the sun went down, John
and Phebe they was man and wife! He
was bound to marry her, and nothin'
would've give her more satisfaction,
unless twas dyin' with him. He didn't
suffer much, his body was kind o. numb,
and we wouldn't thought he was so
dangerous by the way he acted, fer he
'peared as clear and lively. 1t was a
mercy to Phebe, for every groan he
give 'ud go through her like knife.
One o. the thrashers gifts onto a
horse and goes fer a preacher and