Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-03-31

One evening crowd Of young people
congregated at Bill Burton's ranch, and
when the first quadrllle was over he took q
stand in front of the fire and parting his
coat tails In comfortable manner remark.
ed:
''That was Iurty neat dancing; you all
know the step and handle yer hoofs purity
peert but some Of you young folks cant
hold er candle TO sum old 'uns I've seed,
an that kinder reminds me of old Widow
Harkirs knowed back In Georgy, when ]
was boy.
''Oh, tell us about her, Uncle Bill" ex.
claimed a chorus of voices.
"Wail, she wus ther all firedest activest
old heifer ! ever knowed. She lived up In
the Peach Branch settlement nigh to Bill
Browns an was kin-aunt or suthin'-to
ther AIillers from Alabamy. When
knowed her, she was crawlin' on TO eighty
years old, but she was tougher'n 'er pecan
sapling, an the way that ere old crltter
knocked dust that June dav was 'er caution
to 'er mustang colt"
"Was she scared, Uncle Bill?" in quired
the crowd.
"Wall, now, | guess she was kinder
skeert. You see one day had tes' cum
outer the field from plowin' an turned old
Job in ther lot. Darn that old mule, he
had jes' busted new pair of traces to tiin-
ders tryin' to kick 'er parcel of humble
bees ot'ern his hind legs. He was alters
getlin' In yaller jackets Lest or suthin'
AL NJ nln "A - tNtt hn 4
my leg outer lint je,' when camp meetin'
was cumin' on bout 'cr week arter that. AS
| was goin' on to say, wus huntin' round
'er stable gettin' up 'er new set of gear
when | heerd the derndest yellin' an err
bellowin' up ther lane, AN it peered to me
it wus Cumin' closer all the the time, an !
clim' on the fence an gin to look. Their
fust thing | seed wus 'er big cloud 'er dust
an ther next thing my eyes lii on wus Bill
Browns ole brindle Dull les er rippin' an
Ter rearln' an 'er lIffln' up his tail an 'er
chasin' old Widow HaIkins fur everything
she wus worth. Tharwus ther bull with
his head down an tail up, an, thar wus ole
Widow Harkins with her balmoral histed
jez' 'er clatterin' down ther lane like 'er
couple of race horses. / warn't much
pious in those days, an get tin kinder ex
cited tuk OFF my hat an yelled, Sling
out yer best hoof, go it, old gal, till you make
ther gap IN the calf-pen an thar you're
safe When / hollersd TO her it braced
her up. She puckered her mouth like ther
butt end of 'er persimnon, histed her
balmoral 'er little higher, AN tell yer il
fairly made me sweat to wee ther way that
ole citizen did climb over dirt. She sorter
looked back over one shoulder an saw thai
bull about ten feet behind her an still 'er
cummin' 'er rippin' an rearin'. But feel.
In she wus safe, she jest pulled the bal
moral over her head, AN the ole hull stood
still. astonished, an went off kinder'a O
kitten. would jest like to see some OF
you quadrille dancers try to take the rag
OIL Widow Harkins."
'You Bill shouted his wife in dismay
He stopped dead short, anC there was {
pause-a long, dreary pause, until one OF
the young men looked out of the window
and said he thought II would rain before
morning. The young ladies' said they
thought it would, too, and Old Bill Burton
went down 10 the cow-pen to see if the
calves had been turned out ard never came
back in the parlor again that night.