Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-09-10
Selett Stony.
BLACK-EYED PEAS

SA0NoA ssS0A oesANo ~~~S - -
apron viciously, and, with her nose
tilted decidedly upward, and her eye
brows drawn decidedly downward, she
looked perfect vixen, as she scowled
and sulked at the great clothes-basket
before her, brimful of "blsck-eyed
peas" unshelled, the long, dry pods
twisted and tangled together, looking
very hard, and obstinate, and discoura-
gins, indeed.
oi"I won't she'll 'em--I won't shell
onel" vowed Glover, putting out her
little foot and giving the basket kick
that sent it clear under the kitchen
liable.
"Uoysr Fleetwood, you will You'll
she'll the last onel"
Clover's aunt was thin and limp, and
Ianguid Of motion, but very determined
withal. and now she shut her mouth
Ike steeltrap, and pointed an uncom-
promising finger at the peas, after which
she t1s;led her limp skirt out to the
back yard, where big black kettle of
sosp was bubbling.
And sulky little Glover, left alone,
confronted by the terrible peas, bit q
big hole in the corner Of her apron, and
Kicked the basket over on its side, and
stamped her foot and bit her lip, and
finally got o TIN pan and chair and began
the hopeless-looking task with impatient,
savage little fingers.
Poor Glover vas onry seventeen, not
wise, not prepared for the hard phases
Of life, nor even the small, unpleasant
tasks by the strength and patience and
hath that must come sooner or later,
especially with tender, considerate guild
Ance. But at present, with the good yet
undeveloped, and all the little sharp
points Of temper and contrariness rubbed
mp the wrong way, with little, half
unconscious and unsatisfied longings for
help to grow upward into abrighter and
better atmosphere than she knew, and
With On sdmixture of real faults, Glover
often appeared decided vixen.
There was one who, she felt instinctively
sould help her if he would-the gentle
man who boarded at her aunt's, and
who possessed the broad liberality and
sympathy of truly wise and noble
nature. But he spent the greater part
Of his time in his own room writing
tzeatises on entomology.
"He cares heap more for bugs than
he does. for me" said Glover, discomfort
sdly. eff he ever looks at me at all,
itsh in way as if he was thinking, i
wonder what kind OF an insect this is Z
Is it new specimen hope he won't
take notion some time to send me to
the State entomologist in bottle"
Just now, these dreadful, black-eyed
peas were almost too much for Glover.
The shells Of some were tough and re-
fused TO open, and some were stiff and
brittle, and snapped open unexpectedly,
and the peas few all around the room.
Her fingers we're sore and her shoulder'
Ached.
It was late in the afternoon; her aunt
was busy emptying her soft-soap into
stone jars, and carrying it to the smoke
house. 1t was SO hard to resume the
GTespme shelling that at last dark
temptation sssailed Glover. The basket
was yet half-full Of the dreadful things,
and there, just few feet away, was q
big, empty fireplace, with fireboard
before it. Now it could very easil,
swallow up all these peas, withou
injuring it's digestion in the least; ani
these shelled peas put away in the attic
In the big bag with the rest, could tel
no.tAles. II the unshelled peas were q