Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-07-29
My Story.

been to q fair afore. For when Hiram,
my husband, was livin' he Dever ap-
proved OF such things. and since
I've been Twin round with the chill.
dren they wanted to go, mostly, and
so stayed at home to see to things
3 1t this year Tom. my son. ssys. says
he
Mother, you're getting along in
years. and you've never been t. "a fair.
I'm going with both horses and the big
wagon. and you can go Just as we'll as
not. Will you?"
Well, l wavered while, but finally
concluded to go, ust to please Tom,
you know. We was calculating on
getting right early start, and 80 had
most of the things really over night
Cynthy. Toms wife, had shoe-box
most full Of cheese and bread. On the
top she put six rolls of her very best
butter; it was splendid, with sheaf OF
wheat stamped on the top and her mon
ogram cut on the side. Cynthy is a
master smart housekeeper, and always
gets premiums for whatever she carries
She was very particular to get that
butter in good place on tho top, where
she was sure it would 60 safe.
We Was all ready to start at half past
six in the morning. Tom put tue shoe
box in the back of the wagon for little
Tommie to sit on, then some chairs for
tho older children, Cynthy and l, and
last of all he put IN good sizsd nail
keg filed with turnips and potatoes, and
seated himself on the top. told him
thought he had better have some
other kind of seat. but he said twas
Just as good rs he wanted, and there
wasn't room for anything else.
YOu see We started SO early we didn't
think ANYTHING about how hot 1t Was
going to be, and never carried sign OF
an umbriller or parasol, or anything to
X. ep of the sun. md long fore We goi
there it Was blazin' down not enough to
blister. Toms Oldest girl. NJ .ris
tidgeted round and put her handker-
chief over her face she's as brown as u
Malay, but she's always ir q pickle fol
fear she'll .sp) and sal she wished, for
her part, she d either brought an um'
briller or stayed at homo.
l said wished for my part she had
[ WASH feeling over comfortable my
self. Oae of my shoes pinched, aou
the sweat was just streaming down my
face; beside, didn't have over c0nt
dence in the horses, and Tom KEEP
swayin' round on the nsil-keg whenever
We went over a stone. / haint been
used to fidin' much lately, and dom
think twas any more than natural thai
| should feel little fear.
Tom said / might just as we'll keeI
my feet in the wagon, and don't know
but l had, for noticed since / came
nome that Id ground hole in the sid,
of my shoe where 1 hit it against tn.
wheel. We all chirked up considerable
when we got in sight of the ground
aud after we got Inside Maria looked
round for Tommie, and if you'll believ.
it tho little RASCAL had taken the cove,
off the box and laid his fat little body
down comfortably Oh the napkins and
towels Cynthy had wrapped so carefully
arouud that butter! 1t Was 20 warm
hat it Was all melted. Such looking
boy was never seen. We scraped him
of and wiped him off. aud at last NJ aria
put her duster-cipe around him, for ht
didn't look lit to be seen.
Cynthy was awful cut up about it
and don't wonder, with Mrs. Perry
Mason carryin' in her poor, pale. lardy
stuff. and hintin' round that some folk.
didn't dare bring butter.
had real good time in the building
looking at the vegetables. fruit, rag
carpets, bed-quilts and such, but wheI
Maria came and asked me to come ouI
and see the race, I couldn't help think
ing for the life Of me of all the storie,
I ever heard about the spirits Of de-
parted friends lowering around us, and
how Hiram didn't approve OF fairs; bu,
then, thinks /, he never used to &c
when he was alive, so faint no ways
likely he'll take it up now; 30 elbow wed
along with Maria, till she said We wal
in very good place.
I think it was, for everybody seemed
to want it, and kept pushing and push
ing, and jamming our bonnets with
their parasols. till was nigh distracted
but l made mp my mind to stand my
ground, and I did; but I didn't see 9
thing Of the horses, only saw the OK.
element and lost my speotaoles.
Twas getting rather late when Tom
went for the team, and he said We
should have to be pretty spry about
getting home if we got there before
dark. He came back pretty soon after
he went away, looking sort OF mad
round the eyes, and said somebody had
moved his wagon up near the fence
and the prize herd of Devons had
chawed up the most OF one harness and
made good beginning on tho other
Well, We got together what straps and
strings We could, and patched up the
harness so Tom said he guessed we
could get home.
was afraid before. but was pretty
nigh desprit now The keg was empty,
aud sway cd and rolled about ten times
worse tt al it did before. Tom hat il
turned bottom up. aud kept saying
I'm all right; I'm all right; won't
you keep still. mother p
BIT l couldn't help feeling pretty
iolerxble CERTAIN something would hap
pen fore We got b me, and so told
Cynthy, but she Sol 'twah't any use to
10 borrowin' trouble. l said, says
t.
Yes. 1t is; 'forewarned is fore.
arme,i >"
Just then we came to pretty rongb
bit of road. T,m wouldn't drive slow
any way, aud it didn't take more than
three minutes OF his bouncing up ana
down on the bottom of that key fore
slam through it we I'll
Tom Is pretty heavy man. and he
stuck fast in the keg, and could neither
get his feet to the bottom of
the wagon or move himself with his
hands, and he didn't dare move round
much anyway, for fear he would tip
over and roll out; SO he inst kept still,
and when he got home M .ris got tue
hammer and knocked OF the hope,
and Cyntby helped him out. He's been
pretty lame ever since, and says he aleu-
es it will take fifteen dollars to 10
pair the harnesses and set 1onmie u
uew suit Of clothes; bnt Cynthy is 60
ing to have two dollsrs and O quartz
premium money, beside considerable
glory.