The Republican journal., 1881-10-13

knew tne PROVINCES was beyond us, but
the Provinces are furrin' parts, as you
might say, and they haint of much ac-
count; they're packard in edecation and
behind the times generally. But we haint
always been what we air now. Things
IS considerable more stirrin' here than
they was when | was a boy; and when
my father settled here, seventy-tive years
ago there WANT nobody here, but lum-
bermen and Injins. But being on the
river so, twas favorable for loggin', and
the sile is pooty middlin', and when folks
begun to come others followed Some
times there'd be two houses built in q
year, and when place grows as fast as
that, what we've come to amt surprisin'.' =
Our host evidently regarded Jonesville
as centre of commerce and 'edecation," :"
and expected us to be amazed as its small
beginnings.
'Deacon Jones, he says there's great
danger in our worldly prosperity. He's
ateared folks will give their hearts to it.
He's always a tellin' that the pleasures of
the world is all yender grass"
'lender grass ?" we repeated in bewil-
derment.
''DOn't you know, when you're a-mow-
in poor grass. the grass beyond always
looks dretful sight better, but when you
git there it's all of a poorness The dea-
can, he says the pleasures Of the world is
all jest 50 deceiving, and mebbe they be-
| hain't so pous as I'd ought to be. Mis-
Jones, she's so terrible pious that | don't
seem to get no chance"
The mention of Mis- Jones always drove
her husband to the cider mug. When he
emerged, he went on il more cheerful
tone
"As was a-sayn', folks here in them
old times used to take comfort, and to
hey about as much goin' on, as if they
lived in the thickest of the world. instead
of Oh the edge ont.
'I've heerd my father tell OF funny do
ms amongst em-and OF some that want
so funny. When a feller come amongst
'em that hadn't the right stuff in him, or
was too high minded and hankered arter
a tooth brush and scented soap, them
lumbermen didn't handle him as if he was
eggs. There was Orlando Perry
heerd my father tell how they served him.
He was slick little chap from down river,
and his father was Judge: he'd been
considerable wild and they sent him up
here to Git him out of mischief. He wore
store close, and lied his hair, and was as
pretty spoken as a school master. Them
things mebbe they could a stood; but
when he stuck an eye-glass onto his nose
and courted Patty Hutchins, them two
things was too much to bear. Patty
Hutchins, she was the prettiest and the
smartest girl in Number Eight-there
want no towns up here then, you know !;
they Was all deestricts, and went By their
numbers and the fellers, they didn't like
the idee Of heyin her kerried off by a
stranger and little kid glove Of chap
inter the bargain. He was a terrible
hard drinker and given to gamblin', but
his sickness and his store close went a
long ways with the gals, rs they're apt to
with women folks.
''The tellers, they played considerable
many tricks on him, without seemin to
take him down q mite, till one day when
he set on the deacon's seat up in one OF
the lOggin' camps playin keerds. Them
lOggin' camps has a smokchole as big as
all out DOORS and an ash tree growed so
nigh this one that they tied a rope onter
the eend Of the branches and let it down
thro' the smoke hole. 1t was young and
sOople, the branch was, and then While
Orlando had his mind sot on the keerds
so't he didn't notice nothin' they cOntriv
ed to tasten the rope round him under
his arms and then let go, and kerslap he
went, yanked clear'n out thrO the smoke
hole and danglin' in the all. And they
KEEP him dangln' there till he'd agree to
sign the pledge and quit courtin' Patty
Hutchins. He KEEP his word, and he didn't
stay long arter that. But there mebbe
'twould a been better if he had. If Pat
ty Hutchins had a married him perhaps
it wouldn't a been no worse"
Me- Jones had the important air Of one
who has marvellous story to tell, but
waits to be urged.
''Tell US all about Patty Hutchins, "
we said encouragingly.
Ssh m-Mebbe | hadn't BETTER he
replied with an uneasy glance at Gram,
who was stirring in her sleep. Gram,
she might wake, and she's apt to git
worked up about them old stories. But
mebbe can think to speak low, and if
you wont mention it to Mis- Jones'"
Being assured that nothing would induce
US to reveal it to Mis- Jones, our host
moved his chair nearer to us and began
"As was a. sayin' Patty Hutchins
was the poottiest gal in the deestrict
she WANT bigger'n a pint Of cider, but
she was red and white complicated. and
her teturs was as harnsOme as a dolls,
and she had black eyes that would
look you clea'n thro' to your backbone,
and I've often heered em tell how
she used to dance. She was Jest as light
as hummin' bird and you couldn't tire
her out.
"Of course she had her pick among the
fellers, and folks was kind of 'sprised
when she picked out Saul EIdridge. Fol-
Saul had the name Of being terrible odd
He was great big six-footer and he
could lick his weight in wild cats; mebbe
you've noticed that the female heart
seems to set by size and hett in a man
And his bigness done Saul another good
turn too folks didn't dare to chatf him
much about his odd freaks to his face
but they done all the more of it, behind
his back. Saul want sociable, in a gin
eral way; he was fond of his own compa-
ny, and he'd set.and play on his fiddle by
the hour, and they did say that he used
to play SOS to draw tears from folks eyes.
ale set sight by that fiddle, and
some on 'em said he used to talk to it as
if It was a livin' creetur. But when folks
begins to talk about anybody, they like
to tell as good a story as they can, and
mebbe that want SO. But Saul was odd
and no mistake. He thought more OF
dumb animals and little young ones than
he did Of folks. They said that he only
jest had to call the birds and they'd come
a flynn round him and even light on his
head and shoulders; and he tanned some
bear cubs so they followed him round
like dogs. He couldn't bear to kill moth
ing he never went huntin' and some says
that he never ate no meat; but | amt
sure about that.
"But for all his queerness he was as
brave and manly a feller as there was
round. But nobody ever thought of his
takin' shine to gal, he was SO kind OF
uncOpi q h1n 10 ootal 1a Off