Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-09-15
/ Won't yo1, sit down inter

her side.
"Wall now, I am mighty glad [
have found you! My old man he takes
the Pacific, bein' brought up a Con-
gregational. and [ read it for my
Sunday readin'-leastways your part
of it partikeiar, and very often per-
miskus, too. So I felt kind O. quaint
ed with you like; and thinks [ to my
self, the very fust time [ go to San
Fancisker I'll take run over to Hook
land, and see If can make her out, y
81 am very glad to see you-very
glad you like our column so we'll; we
want all our friends to like it,
"Wall, when you fust begun that
column, all about the missionaries SIGH,
it kind O. took me, and [ determined [
would do all I could to raise a little
money. I've knocked round the world
consider BILE myself, though not doin'it
for the heathen-which amt sayin' [
hint never found none; but that amt
neither here nor there. But [ konw
by my own feelin's what it is to be in
strange country, and everything
queer and homesick ike-let alone the
language, which much be powerful dis
couragin, especially if a boys hard to
learn, which I don't s'pose the miss
ionaries is, but some on 'em may be.
We live on ranch here ways"
with a jerk of the head-''and my old
man he's tolerably close; and no wond-
err, bein viewer twict been burned out
and moved three times, and hain't no
children to look arter US bimeby, and
old age r comm if we live, and our
sheep dyin' off the last year or two"-
And she made a sudden halt, looking
at US intently.
Here was evidently warm heart
one that had learned sympathy for
others by its own experience; one that
one was too loyal, likewise, to cast
reflection on any one else in doing its
own duty.
II dare say" we replied, seeing
that reply was expected, and not
knowing very we'll what else to say.
"Wall," she resumed, in a tone of
good natured federation, 81 knowed he
had enough to see arter, and so | deter
mined to raise what money l could my
self, and give him no trouble about it.
And of course | makes my own butter.
So arter that, when [ churned, puts
away a little each time in missionary
Jar, which [ called Mexico, and we
neither on us ever missed it; and arter
awhile Mexico was full Of butter, and
we no wus off, And bimeby [ sold it
and put away the money. Says | to
myself" and smile came into her
that my parquisites. Every
body has parquisites in these days;
and why shouldn't [?
(Which it was all the same about
eggs-of course we lays our own eggs.
And says I to myself; Now, shall 1
parquisite two eggs out of every doz-
en-, or two layin' hens ? which con-
Guided to pre-empt two young layin'
hens, me namin' 'em Japan and Tur-
key. And bein' lonely like out there
on the ranch, and no one to talk to,
| convarsed with them as if they we're
folks. And [ declare fort, rally
think they understood me; for arter
I had told them two or three times
they were parquisite hens, and must
lay accordin', and shouldn't have no
excuse about grain and gravel, cause
[ would give 'em plenty of both, them
two hens went to layin' to that degree
that [ couldn't have done better my
self; and they cut-cut- ca-da-cut-ed me
out to them nests that much, and that
regular, that it really seemed as if they
had the missionary on the brain.
And they laid me forty dozen of eggs,
did Japan and Turkey, last year, and
[ got two bits dozed form all round
which was pretty good parquisiting
for two hens-and the money put
away with the fust--do you see2"
And she came to the usual sudden
stop, and waited for us to speak
Certainly What wonderful hens
you must havel"
Eyes that sUas pretty good And
then there was my calf, viii CHI my hus-
band bein' so keen for money, Of
course we does't eat our own calves,
but sells 'em. And one of our COWS
she dropped calf that was a poor
puny little creatur" and the butcher he
wouldn't give nothin' for it, and my
husband he said it would cost more'n
it would come, to, raise it; and he was
for knockin it on the head, and sellin'
the pelt, which [ begged him ag IN it,
and said [ would raise it on skim milk,
which wasn't good for nothin to no.
body. if he would let me have it; and
he said | might if [ wanted to. and
was great fool for my pains. So [
took it; and the rains came on, and /
went missionaryin' out to the shed
every mornin' and every eve min, , and
bet milk to carry to it,-which it
| Almost sucked the end of my finger
off larnn' to feed, and wet my feet,
and slipped down into puddles, and
got rained on tremenjus, and had the
rheumatic dreadful, me feelin, afraid
all the time [ should't make nothin' of
her determined to try. And after
some months of such work she took a
start,
And the way that calf growed when
she set about it beat all you ever see
And | named her 'Parquisite.' and
shortened her into PARKER and she