Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-06-08

"And those that are fools, let them use their
talents. ."-Ttceifh Night
CHAPTER l.
Calls / tell you, Calls! Betsy
Peeler or Betsy Virgins, whichever
you mout like most to be called. Calls!
Thar's such thing as CALLS in this
world. Do you hear meH
Il hear you; you know what my
name is, and of course know how to
speak to me, quietly answered Mrs.
Peeler and went on with her sewing.
This brief dialogue occurred, very
many times, in various places in the
neighborhood Of Dukesborough, once a
lively little village in the State of
Georgia Outside of these dark say
ings, which Mr. Neelus Peeler was
wont to utter to his wife in moments
of passion when she would be gently
demonstrating about his inactivity, the
world had no indications, for years up
on years, of the eminence 20 which he
was destined to rise.
Nobody had believed that Neelus
Peeler, or any ybody like him, would get
Elizabeth always called Betsy Wig
gins But he did The Wigginses
were industrious and made a good liv-
ing The Peelers were-everything
but these. But Betsy had fair COM
plexion and head of hair that limited
at redness. Then she was tall. Neelus
was a fraction below middle height,
with black eyes and black hair. The
latter, when he was young and beau,
was curly, but otter bis marriage, neg
lected, it seemed to be in knots. Bet
sy, from a child had said that if eyer
she married at all it should be to per-
son of black hair and curly. The Wig
ginses, especially Sam, Betsy's bache-
lor brother, ten years her senior, were
very modest persons, with few words.
Neelus Peeler, as all his ancestors had
been, was great talker. We seem,
all of us, to want what we have not
ourselves, and what none of ours have.
1t hurt the old people, but it nearly
broke Sans heart, when Betsy, con-
trary to all expectation, showed a will
lngness to take Neelus Peeler But
they said that, not being match-mak-
ers, they shouldn't wish to be match
breakers; and so Neelus got his prize
and prize she was, if he could have
known it.
Neeus Peeler's life, like that of all
the other Peelers, had been spent here
tofore, rather in meditation than in ac-
tion. Marriage even, and to woman
who hardly knew what the word idle
ness meant, did not seem to be likely
to change the procivit, of his mind
and it was not until after several
months spent with her parents, and af-
ter some serious appeals from his wife,
that he began to look around little.
Not for his sake, but for the sake OF the
Wigginses, whom everybody respected
and liked, he began his career with a
position as overseer upon a plantation,
and continued in this business FOR sew
eral years, with little change, except in
the mere matter of location.
But this business did not seem to
suit him. lie often said that he was
person that people didn't understand
and the older he grew, the deeper he
became to all appearance. His reputa-
tion as an overseer did not grow in the
way his wife had fondly hoped. AS
| for her, she did all she could TO bel p it.
Besides the work she did for her bus-
band, herself, and their son Elijah, she
rendered many services on the planta-
tions Of their several employers, in
looking after the aged and sick, and
very young children, and the poultry
and the calves, and such like. Mr..
Peeler, on the other hand, would often
be found, if in winter, on the leeward
Of good fat, blazing pine stump,
while the hands were at work; if in
summer, in fence-corner, under per-
simmon or sassafras. In these situa-
tions, his meditations whatever they
were, were not directed TO the mere
cultivation of the ground. Indeed.
they were sometimes so profound that
although it would grossly offend him
to tell him so--he would seem to be
fast asleep.
AS before hiDted, habits like these
induced frequent changes of location.
| In spite Of the services OF bis devoted
wife, an employer seldom kept him
longer than year At Christmas they
would pack up their little property, and
move off in an ox-cart and try again
somew here else. Wien. with sutfused
ewes, she would beg him To attend
more closely to his business, If for no
OF her sake, at least for 'Lijah's, oh, how
furious he would get
Calls, ! tell you Tbar's such
things az calls in this world. Don't
you hear me =
Gradually they shifted further and
further from the neighborhood, until
finally they found themselves on a
rented place on the edge Of the wire
grass country, about fifty miles below
peterborough The folks at home.
hearing Of this change, although they
had forseen it long. were troubled.
Sam seldom left home; for, being tho
mainstay cf his parents, he bad to see
after all the business Of their little farm
They made plenty, and were never
in debt; but they could not afford to
spend much, except for their own needs
Yet Sam, at Christmas, carried to his
sister wagon-load Of good things
hams, chickens, -four, potatoes, lard,
etc. 1t did him good to do it; for he
dotted on his sister Betsy, though Gas
occasionally he would admit in conf
dence) he despised Neelus
Good gracious mel The good Lord
have mercy on all of us I! You DOM
tell me so, Betsy ? said Sam to his sis
ter tho next day after bis arrival. He
was getting ready to return; Mr.. Peel
er, taking leave, had ridden of
Fact. They've licensed him al
ready and, for the first time in hel
lifa aha hlushpd hefore her brother