Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-03-02
A watch for q Mule.

over IN despair. l was trudging along il
the snow over my boot tops, thinking how
much easier it was to drown than to freezt
to death, when the sound of a fiddle
reached me between the snowflakes, ant
| discovered that had reached a SIX x-mile
cabiu
Come in, old hoss," sang out voict
as fell AGAINST the door.
When | opened it | was in a room about
sixteen feet square--the only one in the
house. The big fireplace gave light, and the
furniture was homemade. A gaunt, long
haired pioneer sat on a shake down bed,
playing the fiddle; gaunt, slim woman
was dancing in the centre of the floor, and
several children were scattered around as
spectators.
''keep 1t up, ole woman-'d evening
stranger; be through In u mint; find a
cheer-go In fur all yer wuth, Mary y
called the fiddler, as l shut the door be.
hind me.
As walked to the fire one of the child
rec wheeled up block of wood, and the
father remarked:
Powerful storm outside, stranger-keep
them feet gwine, old lady-you children
wipe off your mouths and sing with me:
Il was forty miles from Pike.
| And the road was full Of snow.
And the wind was gittin' res ty
Fur to hump itself and blow.
Easter now-change off-kick higher
up with them hoofs-round with ye-hoe' 'er
down-ladies change-that's all-stranger,
howdy Z"
was made at home.
"Wali, now, but this seems to be the
hand of Providence" as | drew up to the
table. "Here We are, showed in, ard here
We are chock full of pervishuns ard happi-
ness, and to- morrer is Christmas. Stralger,
III show ye more high steps, more boots
and yells, more music and feastin' and dam
Gin, and gittin' up stairs to-morrer than ye
ever saw In all yer born days! Ole wo-
man, if this amt the Lords dolns, then
I'm petrifed reptile, and never got re-
ligioA."
..Ben, yer right" added the wife. as
she poured out another cup of burnt corn
coffee. "We is hos-pit-able family. When
we can't whoop 'er up fur a stranger on
Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Year, s
nobody else need try"
After supper one of the boys took the
fiddle and the rest of the family llmbered
up for Christmas When this process was
ended it was time to 90 to bed, and the old
man said:
Now, then, ye kin see that We hain't
bilin' rich. Here's two beds, and nine Of
us. Me and the ole woman take one, you
take t'other, and If the children can't keep
warm afore the fire I'll liven their blood
with a gad- Git right into bed, stranger,
and if the children git to fghtin' in the
night heave yer boots at EN-"
If the children got into rev didn't hear
them. 1t didn't seem as if / had slept an
hour. when the pioneer shook Inc by the
shoulder and called out:
Say, stranger, daylight has arrove, and
Christmas am here. Git up and prepar TO
jine in the festivities"
The snow was four feet deep and still
coming; but the prospect delighted my
host, who cracked his heels together and
exclaimed:
..If this hain't Divine Providence billed
down, then l don't like coon and corn.
You children. stop that quarreling. Thomas
Jefferson, did you foIgit to say yer prayersi
If We did, I'll wollop We like blazes -
We had corn, meat, corn dodgers, apple
sauce and coffee for breakfast. Seats were
made for the pioneer and myself, and tie
mother and children stood up. There was
a long and embarrassing pause after we were
all ready, and finally the man said:
STRANGER, was givin' ye chance to
throw yerself on a blessin', but ye didn't
tumble. Old woman, reel off suthin purty. 3"
She closed her eyes and uttered the fol-
| ba haI rapaatad II thousaD1
times: snow lay me down to sleep, and
bless this meat and bread and sass. We
are thankful for what we've got, and not
Jealous of our betters. Keep us in good
health, make coons plenty, and cause US to
escape the itch and measels. Amen"
| When the table had been cleared away
the pioneer and his wife held a consulta-
ton in a corner, and when it ended the
man approached and asked: ''Stranger,
are We willin' to help US make this whoop-
in old day?'
| Hles."
"Good! As a family We are 80 per cent
on a rough and tumble. I'm about twice
yer size and heft, and it wouldn't be a fail
show, but the old woman is pretty even
match, and she's just achin' to lay ye on
yer back"
"Rut never wrestled with a W oman in
my life"
.Wcll, it's good time to begin. She's
wiry and quick, and she'll lay ye if she kin.
Stand right up, stranger, and do yer leve
best, to oblige me-"
Obliged. The situation was new ano
novel, and in twenty seconds | was thrown
over one of the shake-downs with a crasf
that iarred the house. Tine woman cracked
her heels together and crowed Justify, the
children laughed, and the pioneer helped
, me up with the explanation
Stranger, she's practiced this for ter
years, and she'll down any man in thi!
county 'cept me- l knowed how it woult
be, but am much obleeged for your grea
kindness. The hull family will now swarm
for their paternal dad"
retreaied to a corner, and the old wo
man and her six children made rush TO
the father. They were seven to one. Ihel
attacked him on all sides with great vIgor
ana were picked up and flung ten fee
! without being a bit discouraged. The.
, finally got hipl foul and brought him down
, and as he lay on his back be observed:
. children, ye may well feel proud owe
this. 1t shows that ye ere healthy an
full of pluck, and that the itch has no busi
ness in family like this.
We had hickory nuts, popcorn, cider an
e apples for luncn, and at dinner we ha
!: bear meat, pumpkin pie, roast woodchuck
n apple butter and gingerbread. After tn
= NJ cal half tame bear, about year OLD
IS was brought in, the floor cleared, and
2 grand hugging match took place. The oil
If woman led of. Standing face to face wit
= the cub, he hugged and she squeezed.
e was nip and tuck. She sighed and cougbe
3 and he growled and strained; but at la.
q he whined in token that his ribs coul
3 stand no more. Then the two big boy
le tackled him, but Bruin had laid them bot
|, out.
le after the bear we had a jumping mattel
E in which the old woman beat the crowt
rs Then followed a target shoot, in whic
is every one beat me. Then the bear and Il
D. dog had q bout, and the dog was used VI