Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-04-01
A DISH OF GREEN PEAS.
IA True Story of the Seventeenth Century, Lo
Gated at Newbury, Massachusetts
BY MARY E. MoFFAT

NANNY, tum out my bwuthel
Denny is a fightin'; tum quick p
Mrs. Chase was busy at the churn,
and it was a critical moment for the but
ter, as it was just coming is
the cream had separated from the milk,
and had resolved itself into golden
hued particles, which, by a faithful
manipulation of the dasher, would soon
collect into that most delicious of all
dairy products-butter. But the rosy
checked urchin's distressed appeal for
help must not be disregarded. Her
third daughter, Priscilla, a comedy
maiden OF eighteen, was standing by the
kitchen table-her round, white arms
barred almost TO the shoulders, as she
beat away energetically at the yellow
yolks of the eggs before adding the nee
essary ingredients -four, sugar, and
butter-of which her gold cake" was
to be composed.
"Pris, do run and see what that boy
is up to now l do declare he bothers
the life a-most out of me with his
pranks. and if he's taken to fighting,
I'm re.he'l be the death of me !''
Pricilla's red lips parted in smile as
she set down her dish.
"You are as young looking as am :;
that don't look much like dying,
mother and L dare say, if Johnny's
been fighting, he's bad sufficient provo
cation. For he's as sunpy-tempered,
good natured boy as you'd find in a
days travels
Her mothers eyes followed the trim,
1.-the, eirlish figure with look of pride,
as Priscilla started on her errand.
"She's her father all over" she said
half aloud; "always ready with an cx-
cuse for the biggest delinquent under
the sun. She's got his swapping black
eyes, and curly hair, too"
"Where's Pris, mother 2"
Gone to see what Johns mp to,
was Mrs. Chase's answer. 1t takes
one to fly around after him."
"Can you come and give me start at
the wheel, mother ? It's got into con-
trary fit, and the yarn breaks every
minute or two"
"Wait awhile, Sally, the buffers
nigh ready to take out. After get it
into the bowl I'll come.
''Let me finish it, mother, for I'm in
hurry to get my stint of yarn done.
I'm going with the berrying party to
the mountain this afternoon.
''No. daughter; this is my butter for
packing for winter, and they say if two
have to do with it, it spoils its chance
for keeping sweet and nice. Now, if we
were going to use it right away,
'twouldn't make mite of difference.
AS she spoke the busy hands kept
pace with her words, and soon the COM
pact yellow mass was in the big wooden
butter-bowl, and was being carefully
salted before it was carried into the
spring to get thoroughly cool
before it was worked free from the least
possible suspicion of buttermilk.
While Mrs. Chase was doing this,
Sally caught mp the dish Priscilla had
left, and commenced beating It's con-
tents so vigorously that by the time
her sister had returned it was one mass
of foaming froth.
"Well, Pris, what was the matter?"
Priscilla's laughing eyes contradlcted
her pettish words.
"Oh, it was about that never-to-be-
heard-the- last-of dish of peas There's
boy visiting his cousins at the Hill
farm, and Johnny beat him at game of
ball. He was greatly put out, and it ap.
pears his folks used to live in Newbury,
and so he had heard something about
fathers being fined, and must needs
throw it up at John in an insulting
way. /, for one, am mighty glad he
got his pay for il, though / suppose
mother won't feel so.
"No, Priscilla, I'm very sorry" said
l..
spring in time to hear the last of the ex-
PLANTATION, "and it will make your
father feel put ont, too, when he comes
home from his voyage and hears that
his son has pummeled stranger lad"
Well, mother, 1 agree with Pris, -
said Sally. "If stranger lads don't
behave, they should be taught how.
But, as | live, here is father now p
Captain Aquila Chase was a finely
built, stalwart man, looking the profes-
sion he followed so perfectly that it
needed only glance to tell one that he
had always been a sailor. All other
things were for the moment forgotten as
wife and children gave him loving well
come so Johns affairs, for the time,
were left III a state of qHiescence. But
the matter came up again. In those
good old days, father who did not gov
ern his children, and, if need he, pun
ism them, would not have been consid-
cred fit to be the head of family. So
John received a serious admonition, and
promised not to again "disturb the
peace" unless taken by surprise, as in
this case. "For you know, father,
said the manly little fellow, sits
mighty hard for boy to hear another
one throw dirt on any ones father, snd
not double mp your fists and at him
But don't want to have You think I'm
going to be a bad one, and I'll try my
best to keep in, even if they do tall
about peas. / don't see, though, VIVA
boys want to tell lies about you for"
cit isn't 'lie,' my son. 1t il
true"
John loojxad aohaat