The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-11-11


yqv of from ueighbor wimmin, 7 reckon; an
,.idnit We want to see yer mar?
"Oh, yes; I should dearly love to see her, of
course. But liked it so much our pleasant
ranch that did not get very lonesome" answered
Bertha.
Gland O massy ~ said the old lady. 81 don't
see how young gcreeterl like YOU purty-lookin' an
genteel brung up, could like it up thar, in sech a
QUITO '-the-way place l lived in the town o.
Pen'leton, an Pm ole womn, an was pow
full lonesome. rve got two young gals to hu
too. To be sure, Pen'leton amt to saya bigpla
but it's got a store an post Office, an two Or
three whisky shops, an ] declar' to goodness
never was so lonesome afOre as | was las Winter
'How old are your daughters >" asked Bertha
zone on 'em, that's Sabriny, she's goin' on -
teen, an Dithy is thirteen, an they hez lots O.
beauX They're mighty smart gals, if they IS
mine, though dunno as you'd call 'em hams I'm.
Sabrnys got red hair, but it's mighty kinky, am
she's got fair skin an brown eyes; but her nose
spiles her looks heap. 1t sticks up too much.
Dithys ha'r is kind O yaller, but it kinks, too,
an the beaux, some of 'em, goes on about her
purity blue eyes an curly hair. She's the purtiest
o. the two but ! reckon Sabriny'H git married
afore long"
Married ~ said Bertha. ~ thought you said
she was only fifteen"'
''Well, so l did" said the old lady. can if she
amt married by the time she's sixteen, I'll ship
her. don't want no gal around that amt smart
enough to cit married by that time"
Bertha caught her breath in astonishment.
"Why, you needn't look dumbfounded," >" said
the old woman. "Thar's lots O. beaux up thar
an it shan't be said that a Nimms gal amt smart
enough to ketch one afore she's sixteen"
Bertha could think of nothing equal to the oc-
casion but she felt that she must say something
so she replied
II do not think it a disgrace not TO marry young
am sure my mother did not want me to marry
when | did and was twenty"
Land sakes go said Mrs. Nimms If my gals
shouldn't marry afore they was twenty / should
be ashamed on 'em, sure. But mebby some folks
is brung up to think dfferent mighty nice folks
does think different sometimes, =, she added sooth-
ngly.
81 went to school till ] was eighteen" said
Bertha, "and I think it is much better To defer
getting married until one has experience and
Judgment enough to know what Kind Of a
she wants, and whether she is getting such an
one or not. I do not think such young girls can
Judge OF ofciaractcr, or even know their own minds
50 early"
IA, now - said Mrs. Nimm-, chats what
was "a telin' We, that my gals was smart. They
amt the kind 20 bc tuck in, kin tell ye. They
know who's who, am IF they didn't couldn't ]
post 'em? What's the use % ~peudin' two or
three years fndn' out feller that you kin find
out jess as well in "a week? Au' a. for ramin',
what Use would it Doe to them. livin' ont in the
mountings? They don't need it, an aint likely
to-"
"They may not always live i'm the mountains"
said Bertha. "And besides, learning Is nice
thing everywhere; it makes life plea-anter in
every place"
Il dunno about that" said Mrs. Nimms. "Tve
seed folks a. hal heaps o. book-ramin', an they
was the mserble-t people that ever God let live.
They ravcd agi i'm the Bible, AN -ot themselves up
10 know more about the creation o. the world than
the Lord hisseh Some folks thinks ranin' is the
only thing body needs in this world but l allow
thar's some other things nigh ON To as goods that.
Good sense is one on 'em, am I'd rather my gals
would be peart like than to hev all the rarnin'
thar is and be no count, like some"
Bertha felt subducd She had nothing to ad-
4ance which she thought would Ice i'm the least
convincing, so she leaned back in her chair and
looked out Of the window.
The old lady began to consider and feared she
had offended Bertha in her TRADE so she tried, in
her way, to apologize.
'Not as l knows any harm o. you; no, indeed I!
nor mean any disrespect to the right kind o.
parnin'. I reckon il don't take away folks sense
when they hez any to start on; but I've seed 50
many stUck-up fools, paid more attention to
their grammar than they did to their manners
and would make fun o. a womin who was ole
enough to be their mother, an knowed mighty
nigh enough to bip, jess 'cause she didn't talk
/ grammar like they did; Tve seed 'em, an don't
/ take no stock in sech. But then I've seed nice,
| purty-behaved ladies like YOU who was as tender
hearted as lamb, an didn't think themselves too
good to talk to ignorant ole womin like me. So
don't you be mad at my talk, honey / didn't
/ n,nnr rnn InNfnl snEn. ~.