Sharp County record., 1881-08-18

studyin' bout things. And sez tony
self, all them abs amt for nothin'. So
| lust studies up and tries to find out
what God made all them abs for. And
arter considerable peekin' bout in de
woods, and steepin' and steepn', and
mixin' and mixin', hit on jest the right
dose. Twas mostly ti-inger; so l
ali as say f-fnger saved this ere arm"
"Did you bathe your arm with itP,
"Yes. used it inside and outside.
Mostly in. It's the best alb in the
world for sech humors. Errasipalas is
dreffle pest'rin if tain't kept under"
Ny time was about up; so, adroltly
as possible, turned the old lady OF
on to another track, and soon took my
leave.
As l walked back to my boarding
place through lovely green field
stepped frequently upon little plant
identical with that which had wrought
the wonderful cure.
1t is a low running vine, common IN
many parts of New England. 1t has
pretty, bright green leaf with five dis
tinct parts. 1t is used incidentally
sometimes. Five fingers had, proba-
blv, degenerated into Aunt Hannahs
"fifinger"
Some of Aunt Hannah's callers came
from real pity for the fOrlorn old Great
ure-otherS from mere curiosity; for
her house was regular curiosity shop.
But the way she obtained her furniture
may be more interesting than the artl-
cles themselves. l happen to know the
particulars connected with her curtain
fixtures.
Almost any other pauper would have
tied up her green curtains-two were
blue-with the first string which came
to hand. Not so with Aunt Hannah.
Wasn't she one of the Lords poor?
And didn't one of the Lords poor de-
serve something better than cotton
string? Certainly. And she was going
to have something better. She acted
upon the principle that the Lord helps
those who help themselves. She never
would have been oontented to sit quiet
ly by and let the Lord do the whole.
She believed in working herself as
well as praying. She hadn't faith or
patience enough to pray and wait
Then she knew her man perfectly IN
this case so she was encouraged to
carry out the device of her own heart.
Tom Allen, the store-keeper, was one
of the best Christian men it was ever
my good fortune to know. He was
generous to . fault, too. And Aunt
Hannah knew his weak point only too
well.
She wanted some curtain fixtures
and curtain fixtures she intended to
have. So she hung her bag on her
arm-she seldom went without it-and
hoped over to the store and up to the
counter.
"Good afternoon, Thomas. I've
come over for perticerler purpose to-
dag. Couldn't come no ways, if it
hadn't been perticerler, very. You are
alas ready to do the Lords work
cheerful like so, thinks to myself
this mornin', I'll call on Thomas to-day.
You see-why, what nice lookin' apples
them ben
She hoped over to the barrel and
took one up.
"New lot p"
"Yes, got them yesterday. Won't
you take some to bake?"
"'Peers to me | will Baked apples
are proper nice"
She put four of the largest in her bag,
then began 10 come round to the main
point again; yet all the while her small
black eyes were foraging about the
! store.
you've alas been mazin' good to
me, Thomas; so thinks to myself, I'll
just ask Thomas bout somethin' want
main bad. You see, l amt quite so
spry as l once was, and It is dretfle
job to reach up"
She stopped suddenly and took two
or three good shifts around, with nose
in air.
"Well, Thomas, Pm clear beat nowm
A few more shifts. You don't say
you've got fresh herrin'?" Sniff-snifl.
"Mazin' good with bread and butter;
don't you think SO, Thomas?"
Away she hopped-took q closer sniff
gave the fsha pinch or two, and was
about to turn reluctantly away when
Mr.. Allen STEPPED up and kindly offered
to put two of the coveted fish in her
bag. She didn't object.
Two or three customers then came
and went before she could reach the
curtain fixtures. But she reached them
at last. That is, when her bag was full
enough.
Bending over the counter she said,
"You don't happen to have no old cur
tain fixins do you, Thomas-any you're
goin' to throw away? They'd come
drelfle handy. Jest pull a string and
have curtains run up is mazin' handy
for sech old folks as 1 be-"
Well, I'll see. Perhaps so. How
many do you wantP"
six"
That's too bad. Here are just four,
and"
Them all you got?n
"No,-'a trihe reluctantly. "Tve
just got in q new style. Three and
four in set. 1t will be bad to break
them, suppose.
80 you needn't break a set for me-
I'll take a set right long and the rest
in old ones. Come cheaper so ; won't
thevpN