Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-04-08

without running chance 10 be stung.-
Oh !! the agony of that time. But l ke
10 work, and when got dinner most rea
dy went to call Josiah again. Old Mis-
Bobbett said she would go with me, TO
she thought she see wild turnip in the
woods there, and her boy, Shakespeare
had an awful cold, and she would dig ont
to give him. So we started up the hill
again. He sat in jest the same position
all huddled up. with his leg under him a
uncomfort able lookin' creeter as eve
see. But'when we both stood in front Of
him. he pretended to look careless an hap
py, and smiled that sick smile.
Says I, ''come Josiah Allen, dinner il
ready
sob. halnt hungry" says he. eth
table will probably be full. had jest a
leave watt
.sTable full !" said I. "You know jes
AS well as I do, that we are eatin' on TIN
ground. Do you come and eat your dinner
this minute.''
Yes, do come, y says Miss Bobbet.
''Oh," says he, with that CHASTITY smile
a pretending to joke, IL have got plenty to
eat here. 1 can eat muske ters."
The air was black with EN-, couldn i
deny it.
''The muskeeters will eat you, more like
ly." says I. Look at your face and
hands,
~ es, they have eat considerable of a
dinner out of me. but l don't begrech 'em.
1 haint small enough, / hope, to begrech
'em one NEAL"
Miss Bobbett went off in search of her
wild turnip, and Josiah whispered to me
with savage look, and tone sharp as
sharp axe
''Can t you bring forty or fifty more
wimmin up here? You couldn't come
here minute, without lot of other vim
min tied to your heels!'
began to see Daylight, md when Miss
Bobbet got her wild turnip. made some
excuse to send her on ahead, then Josiah
told me.
1t seems he had sat down on that bottle
of raspberry jelly. That blue stripe on
the side WASH t hardly finished, as J said,
and l hadn't hardly fastened my thread
so when he got to pullin' at 'em
to try to wipe off the jelly the thread
started, and bein sewed on machine
that seam jest ripped right open from top
to bottom. That was why he had walked
oft sideways toward the woods. For j, siah
Aliens wife hain't one to desert a COM
panion in distress. pinned 'em up as
we'll as could, and didn't say a word to
hurt his reelin's, only just said to him.
as was fixin' 'em. l fastened my gray
eys firmly and almost sternlv onto him. and
says I. Josiah Allen, is this pleasure?'''
says !, 'You was determined to CONS y
''Throw that in my face again. will you?
What if waz? There goes pin into my
leg. should think had suffered enough,
without your stabbin' of me with pins.''
"Wall. then. stand still, and not be ca
perrin round so?''
sWall, don't be so agravatin', then.''
fixed 'em as we'll as could but they look
ed pretty bad. and then they were all cover
ed with jelly too. What to do didn It know,
but finally I told him I would put my
shawl onto him. So I doubled it up corn
or ways, as big as could. so it almost
touched the ground behind, and he walk
ed back to tire table with me. told him
it was best to tell the company all about it,
but he just put his foot down that he
wouldn't, and trld him if he wouldn't
he must make his own excuses to the COM
pany, about wearin the shawl. So he told
'em that he always loved to wear summer
shawls he thought it made man look so
dressy."
But he looked as if he would sink, all
the time he was sayin it. They all looked
dretful curious at him. and he looked as
meachin' as if he had stole sheep. aud he
never took minutes comfort, nor nuth-
ar. He was sick all the way back to the
shore, and so was I. And jest as we got
into our wagons and started for home, the
rain began to pour down. The wind
turned our old umbrell in-side-out in no
fore, and now gave up my bunnet. And
says to Josiah:
This bunnet and dress are spite. Jo-
siah Allen. and I shall have to buy some
new ones.'' a
"Wall! wall! who said you wouldn't t."
he snapped out.
But it wore on him. Ohshow the rain
poured down. Josiah, havin' nothin' but
his handkerchief on his head felt it more
than did. had took apron to put on
a gettin' dinner and tried to make him
let me pin it onto his head. But says he,
firmly:
II haint proud and naughty. Samantha,
but do feel above ridin out with pink
apron on for hat"
"Wall, then," said I, ''get as wet as sop
if you had ruther."
didn't say no more, but there we just
sot and suffered. The rain poured down,
the wind hOwled at us, the old mare went
slow, the rheumatic laid holt of both of u.s.
and the thought of the new bonnet and
dress was aweaEin' on Josiah, knew.
There wasn't a house for the first seven
miles, and after we got there, I thought |
we wouldn't 90 IN, for we had got to get
home to milk any way, and we was both
as wet as we could be. After had beset |
him about the apron, we didn't say hardly
a word for as much as thirteen miles or so;
but did speak once, as he leaned forward
with the rain a drippin 'otfen his bandanna
onto his white pantaloons.
says to him in stern tone:
els this pleasure, Josiah Allen!"
He gave the old mare awful cut, and
says he, I'D like to know what YOU want
TO be so aggravatin' for?"