Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-01-19
! BOY ON THE PLACE.

"What does all Debhy and Tower ?"
"Did you speak, Jane?"
"Yes; said what ails Debby and
Tower? Debby's been goin' on for some
time down there in the garden, and Tow
ger is barkin' in the distractest way
around the hay-stack down yonder in
the meadow. 1 can't make out either
Debby or Tower; can you, Susan?:"
Susan, the youngest of the three Bent
ley sisters-who owned to her fifty years
thus appealed to, came out of the
roomy pantry, with her cap borders fly
ing and her floury hands dripping fine
white flakes over James clean kitchen,
and upon the shining floor of the porch
which overlooked both hillside, garden
and meadow.
A merry, contagious laugh from Su-
sans lips, quickly echoed by Jane, caus-
ed Debby to halt moment in her fran
tic chase after some intruder, not yisi-
BILE to the two upon the porch.
at does-beat allp' gasped Debby, as
she paused; and then came in indistinct
sentence, which the others failed TO
catch, and the dumpy figure hastened on
again, at the same time throwing stones,
sticks, clam-shells and tufts of grass at
the object of her pursuit.
81 do think, Susan, we ought to go
down and help Debby; there's 10 tellin'
what it might be-"
"If only Debby would consent to hav-
ing a boy on the place! He'd be so
handy with her in the garden"
Susan, the little woman, with tender
voice, must certainly have had great
loveliaess in early youth, for traces of a
sunny beauty lay still upon the good,
fair face-in fact, CLEANS of fair and
beautiful youth were seen also upon the
face of Susan.
Deed yes, Suse; that is what [ tell
Debby every summer. But you know
what she says, it would make too much
extra sewing for my old fingers, and
more work for You in the baking and
cooking, and likes not only hinder her in
the garden after all, and when she says,
too, Where on earth is the boy to come
from?' Debby always winds up with
that, you know. There's some sense in
that last, Susan, and that's all the sense
| see."
There isn't mite in it, Jane. not a
grain. Why, there's plenty of boys, and
good ones, too, only Debby's so sure of
being taken in by one of them. Now,
don't know much about boys in general,
but l believe they're human, and like
most other creatures; if you're good and
tender with them, Jane, the bad will come
out. l calc'late it isn't the Bentleys to
abuse anything; and so l think most
any boy would do
Tender-hearted little Susan had reach
ed the garden gate at the conclu-
sion of this speech, and she was about to
open the gate when cry from Debby
caused her to sta.t back. and falling
against Jane knocked the worthy wO-
man quite off her feet.
Don't come in yet, Susan, for good
ness sakel These three hens have tuck
cred the life almost out of me. There
goes one over the fence! Stand back,
Jane. Thank goodnessl There goes an
other, Shool Bend down, Susan; your
heads in the way, and this is the mean
est hen of the three. Shoe! She sees
your head bobbin' up, Susan. Mind |
the last. Thank goodness I'm most |
one of the beds without ceremony, fam |
ming with her bonnet the round, red face
and moist brow.
Susan and Jane, both convulsed with |
laughter, entered the garden, closing the
gate carefully.
at does beat all, now," said Jane, with
pity for Debby, who was sitting there
forlorn and exhausted. 1.-The hens both
er you uncommon, Debby; if you would |
only consent to let me and Susan help
here bit"
Help? AS though you and Susan
didn't have your hands full"
81 say, Debby, do let us have boy on
the place"
"Susan, Susan, you child! You don't /
want Il boy in my garden, and better
reason, where's the boy to come from,
I'd like TO know? If Providence should
send one right down here under my
nose so to speak-why, I'd take him;
but Providence don't trouble about such
small matters, l reckon. 1t would seem
silly"
"Oh, Debby, don't say that, but you
don't mean it, that's one consolation"
said gentle motherly Susan. seeing the
broad smile upon Debby's face.
Now, then," said brisk, energetic
Debby, rising, "since the hens are out of
the garden, and can breathe again, /
want to know what ails Tower?
didn't have time to think before"
Sure enough! What did all Tawzer?
That law old dog was barking, bowling |