Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-01-29

pennies Durn III une pockets OF the boys
who went to the big school on the hill
for Aunt Debby, Uncle Toms wife,
made monstrous good minneapolis
plenty of goodies in the mince-meat,
understand, and the pies made an inch
or more thick.
Uncle Tom charged grown people
twenty-five cents pie, but the school
boys could buy one whenever six of them
dubbed together, four cents each, max
ing twenty -four cents in all.
One morning after Christmas holidays,
when Rufus Edwards went over to the
depotto see his father off on the train,
he found a half-dollar on the platform
that some unknown person must have
dropped there in the night.
"We'll have mince-pie feast!" said
Rufus. "This fifty cents will buy two
pies, and two cents over; and for the
two cents we'll get Uncle Tom to sift
the powdered sugar over them double
extra thick. Two pies will cut up into
twelve pieces; there are only eleven OF
us here, but come along, boys-we'n
pick up another fellow before we get to
Uncle TOMS"
They, however, reached the store
without seeing another school-boy; but
there, standing looking wishfully at the
sign in the window, was Teddy Barns,
who carried baggage from the depot and
ran errands to earn money to help his
poor mother. Every one liked Teddy
and when Rufus saw him looking so hard
at the sign he said, "Come in, Teddy
we're just locking for fellow of about
your sze,n
Uncle Tom brought out two of the
finest of his pies, fourished his long pie
knife over them moment, and, presto
he had cut them into twelve such equal
pieces that a carpenter couldn't have
done it better from measurement. Il
made Uncle Toms rosy face smile al
over when those dozen boys began tc
eat.
"Uncle Tom, can't you tell us 6
mince-pie story?" asked Seth Craig.
"Hurrahl please do, Uncle Tom,
they all urged, except Teddy, whose
mouth was too full.
Swell, said Uncle Tom, after he haC
thought little time longer, "you have
all heard of that old woman:
There was an old woman who lived unde
the hill, y
And il she has not moved away she lives ther,
t still.'
"But some years ago she did NOV,
away. She was in the match business
You know, and she was also very wist
about making .dried-apple pies, for ther
mince pies had not been invented. On,
day an organ-grinder came along will
smart monkey, which performed 81
many funny tricks that the old woman
whose name was Hephzibah, laughed
more in ten minutes than before in ter
years. The moment that Hephzibal
could cease laughing, she offered t.
trade her house under the hill and tn,
match business to the organ-grinder fo
his monkey and his organ. The organ
man was glad enough to trade.
$50, Hephzibah started out with TIT
organ on her back, and the monkey OF
her shoulder, to 90 to the Allspice Isl
ands, where Nick, the monkey, cam'
from.
"Of course, she played the organ anC
exhibited the monkey in the differen
places as she went along. An old WON
an in u great mj5b cap, horn spectaclei
on her nose, and laughing 50 hard tina
she could scarce turn the organ handle
while the monkey did his drolleSt tricks
was one of the merriest sights that haC
ever been seen. Why, even the dog
running along the streets stopped to SCI
what it all meant; and as for the chill
drcn they laughed themselves so hap
ply and well that for month afterwart
not one of them had to take dose o
medicine. When Hephzibah reached
the Allspice Islands her organ was al
worn out. She also found that the eli
mate was so warm that there was bu
little need of fires, and therefore nocls
of her opening a match shop. So sh
started spice and fruit store, where 'sh
sold sugar, cinnamon, nutmegs, cloves
currants, raisins, citron, lemons
oranges, bananas, dried apples, and sh
also made dried-apple pies.
"The Allspice Islands people didn'
seem to care much about dried-appl
pies, and as Hephzibah had to sell tn
other articles at a small profit, sh
had a pretty hard time to make liy
ing.
"One Thursday morning when Hepf
0Mbah had finished rolling out her dried
apple pie crusts, and had just put tn
under-crusts in the pie-plates, into he
sore rushed the Second Chief Clerk {
the Naval Department to beg that sh
,vould ro tn the house of the Exceeding
w Grand Admiral of the Allspice Is
ands, and try to do something to II
lieve his third nephew, who had cate
two quarts of dried apples. ooh, d
cnrnn nnicklv. TINT bow is so very, Yer