The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1880-10-01
RHEUMATICS.

the rheumatic orful. Poor soul lts q
wonder how he lived through it all.
You see, when Ben was young he was an
orful critter to skate. He'd skate for
ever and the day afterwards. He sed
he loved the fun, but his father sed it
was only to git red Of choppin' wood and
doin' the chores round the house. Ben's
folks we're lazy pack, and liked to be
Of half the time. But Ben was a trim
mer on skates, and was off most every
night when there was moon. One or
full cold night when the cronometer was
clean away down below nero he went off
on the river, and when it come 8 o'clock
his folks begun to look for him back.
He did not come. The clock struck
10 then ii, and no Ben.
Ben's father got little skittish, and
put on his long-tailed blue surtout, and
tied up his ears in hankerchef and
started off arter him. When he got to
the river he hallooed for Ben, and Ben's
voice come back rather faint in reply.
The old gent made for the place where
the voice sounded, and there was Ben
with all his lower parts in water, and
his head and shoulders sticking up
through the solid ice Ye see, the ice
had broke through and let him in, and
afore he could git out had closed up
around him and froze him in fast. You
need not say it is not fact, for we had
some orful cold weather down here in
Maine thirty years ago.
Wall, Ben's father cum along and took
him by the arms and-tried to hoist him
out, but, la-l he might have as well
tried to stir old ossiper mountain
from its resting-place. Ben wouldn't
start The old gent got mad and swore
apint Of the biggest kind Of oaths; and
then he, give it up and sot down.
Ben was as patient as Job, and waited
as kind as could be till his father hac
gotbreath.
"Take of your stout, father" sez he
"and try agin.'
His father riz right up and pulled ant
hauled away on his coat till the inspira
ton run stream down his forrud. Afte
an orful spell Of it he got the thing of
and then he omitted his ears and went 70
him in ernest.
Arter about half an hours hard pullir
Ben's feet touched solid earth, and hi
father took his surtout under one arr
and Ben under the other and started 70
home. 'tsM salasua
As soon as they got there Ben was pu
into hot bath and stuffed full Of he
drops and khan pepper. The next morr
ing he was as well as could be expected
except his right hip, which panied hi
terribly. v
They sent for the doctor and he al
alyzed him, and said it was a case Z
rheumatic, and would plague Ben |
long as he lived by spells.
Wall, Ben got better, and tin
wheeled away Just the same as usu
and Ben got to be 20 years of ag
Then he bought him watch, al
thought he'd go sparkin' the gals iu
the same as other fellows did.
His mother is a mighty keerful or
ter and Thought he WAS a little t
young, but his father said to let him
and git satisfied.
: So, airly one morning, Ben went oy
to Mr.. Johnson's to see Hitty Rea
their hired girl. Hitty was fust-ra'
good, smart body, and Ben's faith
thought it would be nice match
his son.
wall, Hitty was VERY sociable to l
beau, and give him the big armchair
SIT IN (Johnson's folks had gone ava.
the feddest apples to eat and told h
all about their speckled hens hatchi
ont seventeen chickens the day afore.
But he didn't want to be Quilted,
ne made up story about one of th
turkeys that sat on twenty-one eggs
Matched cut twenty-four turkeys.
He said he expected three of the q
had two yelks in them.
She said like enuh, and then he