Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-11-11
2 /" SHE.

"SHE.,
t
WHY the insignificant pronoun above
written was invariably used to desig-
nate woman of such fine personetle
was one of the unsolved mysteries to
the good people of B.
But though mystery, 1t was never
theless fact; for while Mr.. Hazlett
had been won't to speak of his first wife
tfaniiliarly as "Bess," he always re-
ferred to his second choice as "she."
When farmer Hazlett brought home
,his second wife there was much shak-
ing of wise heads, and gloomy sighs for
the memory of the gentle wife so
speedily forgotten, many wise fore
bodings and prophecies about the ulti-
mate fate of the poor children, now
under the proverbial iron of step
~mother.
These children, be it remembered,
we're examples of infantile ignorance
and childish worthlessness, held up by
pious parents after much The same
iashion of the mythical Ounce in n
backwoods 4, schools: to be pitied,
laughed at, and held aloot from; to be
talked OF in whispers rs disgrace to
the neighborhood, that such ignorance
and rudeness could exist in its charmed
precincts. "t
Their ignorance was deplorable. And
though the children were miracles of
rJdeness, it was alone from neglect that
they were so.
They had been allowed to run loose,
and grew up wild as savages, as mat
ter OF course. For the farmer was in
ssterested in no earthly pursuit of pleas
of his South Downs, his Suffolk pigs
and Alderney COWS, and his trained
horses and dogs. Too indolent, when
he came into the house TO rest, to utter
q word of expostulation to his noisy
children, they went unchided for their
.rudeness, and were untaught in the
simplest things.
And his poor over-worked wife,
WHOSE fingers were so busy, and body
$50 tired, she had not the spirit to teach
them, the strength to correct, but
worked her way through the turmoil
laboriously; for the neighbors had been
wont to observe that she had no knack
ofarranging her work, though she did
itwell. And so it happened, her rest
never came. till the pulseless hands
could no longer work.
To be sure, the children went to the
district school when they pleased, and
stayed at home when they willed. But
thelittle they learned there was forgot
ten during the long vacations.
BESIDES, they did not Ike tho school,
and the scholars shrank away from
them. This avoidance was due, in
part, to their savage way of playing;
but more from an aversion, which
sprang up from this occurrence. Mike
came to school one morning during his
first term, unaecompanied by jim The
teacher who had not learned the pec,l-
Iliarities of the family, thinking, per-
Maps, the boy was sick, asked kindly:
Where is your brother, Michaelp'
b9"He,P" : is93rsfi'fanD
where is your brotherP" more dis
tinctly. M ~ --r- -.
"What dye sayp"
" tWhere is your brotherp"
H. !" Is 1t my pap you wantP'
And after, with childish arrogance
md hauteur, the other scholars held
themselves aloof as much as possible
There must be something uncanny
~ about q, boy who did not know what the
word "brother',' meant
And the poor little waits grew tc
shatethe school. and shrink from the
steachers. But of the many evidences
OF their ignorance, none was more wide
ly known through the horriied neigh.
E'bOrhood than the incident am about
10 relate. S. hf e on H
= OF all things, to be forever treasured
r. in their stunted minds, was the memory
of a party given by their parents one
winter. The Terpsichorean art never
won braver plaudits nor awakened more
sincere admiration than that felt by
these poor little savages.
But that the memory of these festiv
ties should crop out SO Unexpectedly
on the solemn occasion of funeral
was horrifying in its absurdity. A bab,
/. brother OF the elves died. The churci
was undergoing repairs, and it wai
thought best to have the services at tn,
house. Noticing several arrivals, on,
ofthe boys asked gravely of the pastor
"How soon are you expecting til,
,dancersp'
j They supposed every crowd mus
dance.
These uncouth savages numbere,
tnfco' oih, mihc anu IuSi tne lalle
,1christened Benjamin. but taking hi
-, from the shape of his nose.
,alG. There was a young lady, Dolly, VIII
alYi had attended the academy, and was
~ welcome guest at the village parties
~ She had taken charge of the household
after her mothers death. Dolly trie
sr to keep the boys in check, but the
si .scorned her poor show of authority
~ and she gave up in disgust, he
os interest in them diminishing i
!, proportion to her increasing fancy for
Il mustached young clerk, who, be
iA1 known. WAS proportionately smitte
rinwith her charms. 44 hHa .asrsn
,sf5g Also two little ones, Nettie and Chal
~ lie; too young to be either noticeabl
ignorant or more than ordinarily mil
~ chieyous, Still they were a handsom
- family. Dolly was very pretty. wit
ns red lips, and rosy cheeks, and compile,
x ion clear as ivory. Her eyes wei
black as sloes, and her hair We'd wit
4, the ravens wing. The two little on,
~ were lovely little blondes, when the
faces and bibs were clean. For I'll
~ Others 1t was puzzle to guess whi
=, they might look like, with proper car
Their faces and hands were never fre
!. from traces of mother earth; their ha
~ grew In all ways-one' S black, another
~ 1axen. the other mass. red as Goals
~ fire, bristling as so many brush-heaps-
tangled and unkempt They were ia
10 and strong. and when pressed into ser
u ice could work pretty well, thoue
i. = they were almost sure to manage TO q
more mischief than their work amour
ED TO- ivln hes f-4ea
The idea OF Farmer Hazlett marryir
again had not occurred 10 any OF h
old uaiOhhora unfil fha daad xvea don