The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-06-29
WHY PEGGY MARRIED SlLAv
Her Own Account of 1t to a Sympc-
thizinS Friend.


thizins Friend.
| Springfield Republican,
| | used to be called an old maid,
think old Nancy Vincent was jealous, o
she never would have started out al
ovrrthe ncighborhood on purpose to tc!
folks that was cut for an old maid. Iu
thanks to my knowledge of human IL,
ture, | have at last got a good man, an,
Nance may storm and whistle till he1
mouth is all out of shape, for what
care. l married Silas Harris one yea1
ago, and am going to tell you all abou
it.
You see old Mrs. Harris got took dowr
sick, an they had no one to do the
housework, SIGH as bakin', waslin', iron
in, an sweepin'; so I, feelin' kinder
tender heartfelt always was a tende.
hearted creeter-I went up there ar
told Mr.. Harris, which was Mrs Harris
son, that would stay an help 'em, il
they couldn't git anybody that would
suit 'em better.
"Nancy Vincent has been here and
offered her services" said the old lady
Then she has been here, has she?":
| WAS afraid after had spoken that they
would notice how mad l was, but they
didn't; and / told 'em plainly that all
Nance Vincent was after was husband
told 'em about her cookin', what mis-
cradle bread she made, what a figure
she cut at the meetin' house, with a..
her hustle clean up to her shoulders
and told all about her tryin' to catch
Parson Smiths son, who is only about
twenty, and she 81, and I didn't know
out she might be seventy.
''Wen, if she is such creature we
don't want Der here" said Mrs Harris.
You'd better believe that l was glad
to hear her say so. Mr.. Harris has !,
good farm, a nice house an barn, and I
had no notion of lettin' old Nance come
in ahead of me, though l never did care
anything about the men sex, never;
still l didn't intend to have the wool
pulled over my eyes. l always knew
her to be pesky old gossip. l don
tell stories about my neighbors, and I
don't CAD all over town-unless there is
something to. CAD about.
''She is all I've told you and more too"
said |, and then Mr.. Harris, who is now
my husband, told me to come and stay
with his mother and he would pay me.
Il don't ask no pay" said I. She is
my neighbor, and neighbors should
help each other in case Of Sickness"
well, coneif you can and l will see
that you don't loose anything by it."
Of course I went right up there; what
else could do? Mrs. Harris made me
bake some riz' bread the fust thing,
then l baked some pies, and then, as
it was near supper time, [ cooked
some nice slap-jacks, for | knew Sil;,s
liked slap-jacks' Then l put clean
white spread on the table, placed
S SGe of my ~ 1z bread hssf on together
that | had brought from home, fixed
places, then 1 bowed the horn to call
Silas to supper.
Pretty soon he came in, but who do
think was with him? Why, nobody
but old Nancy Vincent. l was mad?
She went right up to Mrs. Harris,
and, taking a paper parcel from under
her old yaller shawl, said: II thought
you'd need some cookin' done, benz SO
unwell like an not being able to work,
an I took the liberty to bring you
some chicken an cheese" then she
laid her victuals on the table and looked
at Silas, while her old mummy face
wrinklcd up into what she meant to
be a smile, but it looked more like 4
dried bacon, 60 years old.
"Tllank you very much, but we've
got good cook" said Mrs. Harris.
"Is She the onc?' and Nance pointed
at my face, while her squirting green
eyes fairly snapped sparks.
II came with the intention of helping
our sick nci@llI,or until she was able to
help herself | answered.
"Iou did, did you? | don't see what
YOU are meddlin around i'll"
"She is not to. blame. I told her to
COME" suddenly broke in Silas.
"Illcn / s'posc it's, all right, if you
told her to come, but there's folks in
the world that knows more about sick
ness and nursin', l can tell you," and
Nance ho,lnccd toward the door.
"Stay and take supper with us, Won't
you?" asked Silas.
81 don't know but I will, sccin' as how
your mother is so unwcll."
''That's right, Nancy, sit down and be
neighborly once in your life" and
placed a chair for her at the table.
could see that Nance felt dreadful un
easy, though felt all right, except that
| was kinder mad. Silas praised NY
$auce, and said my slanjacks were tho
best he ever ate. And Mrs. Harris saiC
my bread couldn't be beat.
Nance never said q word, but she was
the spitctl1lcst lool<in' crittcr [ ever did
see. I determined that I wouldn't
touch her old chicken and cheese, and
SO she thought she'd pass it round her.
self.
"Try some of my chicken, Mrs. IIar-
ris, you'll like it, | know you will"
Mrs. Harris took small slice, but only
just tasted of it.
"lIave some cheese" and she passed
the plate, but the sick lady only took :
small piece, gave a glance at it and lait
It on the table, with the remark that she
dare not eat cheese.
"Iou'n take a piece, Silas?"
~ don't care if d." said he.
She again passed her plate, and SilaE
reached out his hand and took. up j:
a chunk, q little shower of white skip
pcrs ratified off into his tea.
You'd better believe he didn't ea
much of that cheese. He got up, sudde,
like, and said his head ached. l didn'1
see. him again very soon. Mrs. Harris
said she felt sick to her stomach, and
left the room. Nance didn't know what
to make of it all, but she hustled up anc
said I'd been a tellln' stories about her
so that could catch Silas myself.
"You lie, you know you do, Nance
Vincentw I didn't care if I did tall,
plain, bein' as how Silas and Mrs. Harris
was out Of the room.
".You lie yourself, you old cap-settin'
snipeW
Now to be called cap-settin' snipe,-
to be called so by old Nance Vincent, -
was more than conld stand; so 1 went
at her, "hammer and tongues"
"Nance Vincent" said land you'd
you can come here, with your old fly.
| blown cheese, full of shippers, with youl
old chicken, so tough that "a dog
couldn't eat it, with the expectation O.
catchin' Silas Harris for husband?"
'You may talk and talk" said she
sniyeling, but I can tell you one thing,
and she looked vindictively at me. II
didn't come here to lie about folks. anc
| didn't come here to set trap to catch