Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-15
MAS LOVE AFFAIR

sYaas. = lived up to the old place a
good while bef.re your ma was married.
Mighty good far,Eer your grandpa was
There wasn't his beas IN all the county
The old place didn't looA tnen as II does
now. II there was STONE OH the fence
znywheres he'd make you 60 and pat II
up. He KEEP three horses and two yoke O
oxen and heap o sheep, your grandpa
did. On, yes | lived to the old place
long time Seemed almost like hum to
me, ne he : " and the thin, soft old voice
rambled on, ending with the suppressed
little giggle which always accompanied Its
words like the interlude OF recitative.
Indeed, the gentle, mellow tones would
have surprised you, could you have seen
the tall, gaunt old man, with weather
beaten features and rough working clothes
who spoke He was an cid retainer of our
house. had come to nay grandfather's as a
bow looking for work, had found 1t there,
and being steady and faithful had ed
until grandfather's death and the breaking
up OF the family. As long as l could re-
member ne had been employed by mother,
or by father while he was alive, to do odd
Jobs about the place, and we had come to
regard him almost as one OF the family.
Now he sat eating his dinner which had
been prepared for him in the dining room,
carrying his meat and potato from his plate
to his mouth on the end OF his knife with
an ease and grace which could only come
from long practice, and with the privilege
OF an old servant relating to me, who had
been detailed TO attend to his wants, with
gentle ouerulousness and many details, sto
ries of the olden time to which l dearly
loved to listen.
There amt any sech farmers herea-
bouts nowadays, nothin' like. They jest
get little piece O. ground now and raise
onions ont, and call it farming. S'pose
they get more money by it, though, and
money what everybody after, he he!
"'Do l remember how yer ma looked
when she was young?' Law, yes. She
was handsome as picter. She was taller
than you be, and her hair was as black
my! as black as yer cats fur. Gurus, too,
fer her eyes was blue-only when she was
excited, and then they looked almost as
black as her hair. Yer ma was the young
est, and yer grandma and grandma and the
boys thought heap sight O. her, specially
Jackie was next but one, about five
year older'n her, reckon. When she was
little gal ne used to draw her to school
and back every day in the winter, when
there was snow on the ground, on his sled,
one he made himself on purpose, and was
mighty proud on. Built it high, with a
seat on II, and ropes at the sides fer her TO
hold on to, so she wouldn't tumble off.
Ary OF the other boys would have been
glad enough to drag her, fer she was the
purtiest gal in the school, and there was
somethin' uncommon sweet and coquettish-
I III D,,@T 81
never'd let 'em, and Lucy always said she'd
rather have Jack, he! he! Beg yer pardon
fer speakin' SO freely O. yer mother, but We
see l was a boy, too, then. Wouldn't
think it, would ye? hey? Yes? Well,
bless yer heart, l was, and yer ma always
let me call her so till she got married.
"'Did she hev many beaux? 2 Well, yes;
pretty numerous. There was Bill Curtis.
HIS father owned the sawmill, and folks
said he'd made heaps O money. His
mother. too, was dreadful near. Some folks
said Curtis d make more'n he ought to
sawin. Hei be
g But Bill didn't hev no luck with Lucy.
Then there was two or three o the school
teachers after her. One on EN- was cross
eyed. though, and another parted his hair
in the middle and used to make po'try for
the village newspaper, and then he'd come
and see yer ma and ask her if she'd seen
the last paper, and, if she hadn't, he send
her one, perhaps she'd like to read the
news. His little brother used to bring it
down, and when we all got set down around
the big open fire in the kitchen they al
ways set there evenins unless there was
company, Luey'd bring out the paper and
read the po'try to us, standin' up and goin'
through all the motions just like play
actress. One night she and him set up
pretty late in the parlor and after that he
didn't come no more. Next we knew he
was engaged to Sally Mills.
"Well, yer ma had plenty other strings
to her bow, some on EN- frst.rate catches,
too. We all thought she had notion for
Phil Marvin, but that's where she disap-
pointed u.s. Women never do seem to
take the one folks think they're goin' to.
s''Tell We about him = Sakes child,
there amt much to tell. Leastways, yer
ma might not be willing fer to hev me tell
it if ther was.
as Happened so long ago. Ya-as, that's
so, but somehow seems though twasn't
but yesterday. Ye see old Squire Marvin
lived next door to your grandfather, only
the old calf pastur. as they used to call it,
between EN-, and Phil he was bout the
same age as Jack, and his sister Bess was
leetle oldern Lucy. Ye see livin' so near
together and bein' so near of an age they
was materially consid' able intimate. My J
when Phil was home they was forever goin
somewheres, strawberryin' or black berryin
or picnickin somehow or mother. Phil
was uncommon smart with his books, and
the old Squire made up his mind to let him
kev all the eddication he wanted, so he
lhe2t off to college and was only home
Eners and Christmases. But he walked
Il up when he did come, | tell ye.
ut no end to his fun an foolin'. Put
alongside o Lucy and they was team,
he J
Bess was different. She was purity
Gtle thi-g, luther quiet like and as good
= saint. She always seemed to keep the
Others straight. They was pretty wild
sometimes, seemed most 8 if they'd raise
the roof with their frolickin' if t hadn't
been for her. She could quiet em down
in minute. Poor Jack Yer poor Uncle
Jack, We know. He sot bis heart on Bess
Ye see when Phil went off to college Jack
got kind O. discontinued, bein' 'bliged to
work on the farm, and when body once
Gets tired doin' his dooty, the DEVILS sure
to come along and give him something else
to do.
"Old Sam Giles had KEEP the public
house in the village fer as long 8 l could
remember, but he took the pneumonia and
died, and a smart Young chap from Center.
vile, two miles off. bought the shanty.
There was somethin mighty smooth
and fiatterin' in his ways, and the boys all
took to him After while some O. the
Young fellers in our neighboorhood took
to goin' down to the Public evenin' 8
to play games, and Jack went with the
rest. OF course they had to take leetle
somethin'. and by'n'by some on 'em took a
leetIe more'n they could stan, and folks
commenced to gay Jack was one on EN-.
And then yer grandfather and grandmother
grew old and gray and sad-like with the
worryin', and Lucy'd try to amuse Jack
and keep him to hum, and when she
con1dn't she'd 90 rp stairs TO her bedroom