The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-03-24
Hannah Ann Farley. You going to
live in that house,"
GO 7 nxDent to ~

agreeable, stuck-up little girl living
over there. / thought when first saw
you, you were going to be just like her."
This took as Hannah's apology for
her reception. 1t was satisfactory, and
we might then and there have become
friends, but at that moment Mary Sulli-
van came to our front door and called
me home. She said the brass-headed
tacks were all gone, and I must go to
the store for more. When [ returned
Hannah Ann was nowhere to be seen.
The next morning l was fortunate
enough to find five-cent piece in a
crack of bureau drawer, and promptly
started for store wherein to spend it.
The streets were so muddy L thought L
would go across and leap the neigh
boris fences. L was in neighbor Far
ley's yard when / was sharply hailed
from little window high up in the end
of the house.
"Boy, come up here p
'" How am I going to get up?"
eco around to the kitchen, and ask
my mother to show you the way"
I hunted up the kitchen, and found
Hannah's mother. Prior to this time
when L wished to represent q female
figure upon my slate I had triangle
surmounted by an eclipse, and this in
turn finished by small circle; here
after, with Mrs. Farley in mind, L drew
cylindrical figure with small circle
on the upper end, and slight depres-
sion representing the waist-line. After
once seeing Mrs. Farley 1 could never
wonder that Hannah was forever bor-
rowing pin to fasten something on
with. There could never be more de-
lightful garret than Mrs. Farley's, for
never could there be woman who could
excel her in the celebrity with which she
would use up furniture. Such col
lection ofmirrors with shattered glasses,
bottomless chairs, dismant1ed bureaus
and tables standing upon three legs is
seldom met
"What do you want to play" asked
Hannah.
Pirate"
What's pirate?"
I explained, and Hannah forthwith
became the most bloodthirsty of pirates.
It was in my heart to spare the women
and children, but she refused to listen
to such O proposition, and felled her
victims left and right without regard to
age or sex. Once she pierced me
through the heart, and 1 fell bleeding,
dying, hitting my head against the
chimney, and yelling out in unfeigned
agony.
Afterward, we were riding peacefully
along over the green fields, and beneath
the calm blue sky, on two-legged and
very dusty sofa, when party of bri-
gands swooped down upon us, and bore
us off to a loathsome dungeon behind a
dismantled bureau. We fiattened our
selves and crawled out, beheaded the
bligands, appropriated their spoils, and
returned triumphant to our own homes.
We were very dusty and covered with
cobwebs when l remembered my five
cent piece and said [ must go.
"Give me half OF what you're going
to buy, and I'll go with you," said
Hannah.
couldn't very we'll refuse this gener-
ors offer; so she put on her hood and
shawl at my suggestion tied up her shoe
strings, and we started. She expressed
preference for black hcorice, and
expended my money upon that luxury:
and shared it literally. We came home
hand in hand, and though Hannah went
over-shoe in mud and water three times,
she bore it with inimitable good-natrlre.
From that morning Our friendship
matured rapidly. Sometimes Hannah
was at our house; sometimes L played in
the Farley garret; and sometimes when
she had sore throat, and wore a prepa-
ration of lard and camphor-gum around
it, we had permission to play in Mrs.
Farley's parlor. Whenever Hannah
stole cookies and ginger-snaps for her,
self, she always laid in for me; when
Mary Sullivan made tea-saucer pies fol
me, / carried them red-hot from the
oven to neighbor Farley's, and Hannah
and l watched them cool with hearts
that beat as one. Then while one-hali
the juice drfzzled over my jacket the
corresponding half dripped on Hannah's
apron. Hannah was passionately fond
of "jooce!"
When school opened, Hannah and
went hand in hand, and stood by one
another in days of adversely as we'll as
days of prosperity. Hannah being G
miserable scholar, her days were mostly
of adversely.
The months slipped away, and the
years grew apace. My father petitioned
the town authorities to fill up that mud
puddle in front of our house. The
town authorities gave every encourage
ment that the "whole board" would be
on the spot at an early day, but We
looked for them in vain. Ny father
made a second and third importantly
with like results. Then he pressed his
grievance upon their attention as gen
tlemen and men of honor. AS gentle
men and men of honor they gave theil
word that the matter should be neglect
ed no longer. We lived upon thai
promise six months. Then my father
grown irate, threatened to sue. The
board, becoming defiant, Just wished hc
would sue; they should like to see hin
sue. At this retort my fathers feeling.
rose to the summit of moral indigna
tion he wouldn't sue; he scorned t.
lower himself to quarrel with sucl
men but he would pay no more taxe'
i'll that town and energetic prepara
| tions for our removal began.
Hannah and were sitting upon the
edge of Mr.. Farley's coal-bin when
| communicated to her my fathers de
cision. AS soon as she saw / was il
earnest she dropped over upon TIN
anthracite, and gave vent to a flow O
tears. She declared that she couldn'
and wouldn't have me go. She shoulC
die with loneliness, and she wished sh
| 1uoo 1aod A faW tears Of nina d,iz11a,