The Republican journal., 1880-10-21
Sally Wages, of Danbury, ct.

tury ago that Miss Sally Waggs so aston
ished the people of Danbury Ct, that
they made the remark then, and were
given to frequent repetitions of it after
ward that Sally Wages would have made
a great stir in the world had she been a
man. Whether it was in l779 or few
years earlier is not SO certain as that it
was Just as the pumpkin pie of Thanks
giving dinner had been eaten, and the
hickory nuts and hard cider were brought
from the pantry. 1t was while all the
company was at this dinner that Miss
Sally Wages said a thing to the people
that made the grandfather look very
stern, and the son go for his gun, and the
others, a dozen of them old and young,
forget the heaviness that followed their
eating.
What Sally Wages then said, and what
she did for an hour OF two thereafter, is
a story that has been told in the old
Scrihnel mansion on the Litchtield turn
pike over the nuts and cider at every
Thanksgiving night since, and the fresh
ness and delight Of it are always the same.
Now the wonder of it all seems to have
been that such damsel as this young
Sally Wages should have turned such a
corner in her manner of life of a sudden.
For her character, or rather her DISPOSE
tl0n, like her name, appears to have been,
up to the time she was 20 years Old. very
flat. Moreover, her father, old Timothy
Wages, was of no more account in the
community than to be regarded as Just
the man to dig the graves for the dead,
and toll the bell for their funerals, and to
t,,,1ah ,tf no I-.1 Il i,.ly II III at
picous moments When he did not do
these things, he seemed to make a bust
ness OF partakng of rum or hard cider,
and it is said Of him that there never was
a time when he did not have this falling.
because it appears in the Old records that
about the time when the capture of Lou
ishurg was celebrated he went so much
further than his companions as to make
merry on the Lords day. This was more
serious by far than to be little merry
on any other day and they sent him to
the common jail for three weeks therefor.
So by reason Of her fathers business
and position, and perhaps because of his
name, Miss Sally Wages had nothing to
commend her to anybody. And yet Of
all the girls in that day, there was none
who could milk Il COW with her, nor
sooner find one that had strayed into the
woods. This doubtless led Squire Scnb-
ner to take her into his family tol help
to his wife, and Mrs. Scribnor used to say
that she was past dispute stupid in her
speech and brisk about her work beyond
comparison with any damsel thereaboutS.
There happened to be at the Thanks
giving dinner at which Sally made the
revelation Of herself, young gentleman
who was regarded as a man of parts, and
especially worthy Of consideration, be
cause his father sent brigantine to the
West Indies from New Haven once in a
while laden with goods and brought her
back filled with sugar and rum.
This young fellow was thought to have
addressed more than one missiNc TO
/ Squire Scrbner's daughter JeruSha. At
all events, he was friendly with the fam
lily. and had tried his wit at a Jest with
Sally, and came off sadly worsted, be
cause she said nothing to him, but only
looked at him with vacant stare in her
brown eyes
He did not like being laughed at, for lie
had vowed, as 4 jest, a. he was coming
home from the Thanksgiving sermon,
that he would make Sally Wages say
something that would astonish them that
day.
"Ninepence hapenny to a siXpence you
fail, y" said the Squire.
I'm win that, and wear the silver as a
token said young Lathrop.
| SO he said to Sally, as she brought q
pitcher of cider in and put it by the
'Squire's place:
'Sally, what would you do if you was
King George Of England.
She looked at him only. and the others
smiled.
sally" he continued, perhaps a little
irritated, ''would you 'troth yourself to
me if | asked you ?"
"Not till YOU won me-" she answered,
without seeming to be conscious of any
sharpness in the reply.
"And how could win YOU :" he perse-
ycred.
"'By fighting ten red coats OF once
"GiVe me the chance and I'll do it."
Sally quilted the room for the nuts or
some such dessert and young Lathrop
demanded his silver piece OF the Squire.
| But the old gentleman refused it, and
they had an argument about the merits
OF the wager, that was so interesting and
made such laughter that they minded not
the lapse OF time.
1t was getting SO dusk that the forms,
but not the faces were visible, and the
Squire was for lighting the candles,
when the kitchen door was thrown open.
"Don't YOU hear them ?" said Sally
Wages. But as long as he lived, Squire
Scribner insisted that it was not Sally
Wages who spoke, albeit he could not deny
that her body stood in the doorway, and
that her eyes, even in the dusk that the
freight frightened, sparkled, and her
ilpS lulycred.
AS for young Lathrop he was beyond
all power Of making out the meaning of
It, so surprised was he; and surprised as
be was, he was quick enough to see that
there was something about the young
womans look and manner now that
forced admiration from him.
''Will you be stupid y she said "will
You sit there with your pig and pie driv-
ing you into doze, and let them come
and prison you and do worse for the wo-
men? You may sit still if 50 be it's your
will, but III fight them till they kill me"
She went to the corner of the room, and
leaping upon a chest that stood there,
reached up and took down musket that
hung upon the wall, Amazed as young
Lathrop was at this action, it did not fail
to escape his notice that the arm that she
put up when she reached for that musket
was worth more than a moments notice,
not only because of the whteness, but
also because of the graceful swell of it,
"What mean you, girl?" said Grand
father Scribner, whose mind went back
to the year when the settlers in these
parts were ready for surprises, and even
went to meeting with their tlintlocks for
walking sticks.
"Tell me where are your ears ?" Sally
answered, not yet dismountng from the
table, but pouring powder from the horn
into her hand and a tremendous charge
of shot, she loaded the weapon and then
primed it. Then she put the butt upon
the table, and braclng herself Herewith
leaned over and opened the window
'Lsten, now," she said. "Hear you