Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-02-10

as see my JOSIAH como a-luggin' Bill in.
He had had fit, and fell acrost the grind
stun, when Josiah wus a-grindin', ana 10
slah had to drop everything, and come a
luggin' of him in.
He broke some of the runnin' gear of the
grindstun, that time; Josiah had it fixed
SO ne could put pail of water on top OF
1t, and it would water itself, when he wus
a-grindin'; but Bill fell right acrost it, and
Halted it all down; it cost Josiah upwards
OF seven shillin's to make it good.
! Wal, that night, old banks come He
didn't come till most bedtime, and didn u
see him much that night.
Mrs. banks had the historicks the first
part of the night; but Josiah and I knew
that he wus with her, so we give up the
care of her to him, though we heard ii
a-goin' on; heard the historicks jest al
plain rs day.
And Bill got up in his sleep as usual,
| along the latter part of the night, and
went TO prowlin' round in the kitchen; but
Josiah headed him off upstairs, and locked
the chamber door on him, and let his IA
ther .ussle with him. And then Bill had
a fallin' fit; we both think, Josiah and me
do, that he had one, and fell onto his ia
! Their, and knocked him down. We don It
know it for certain, but we think 50, for
| we heard the awfulest katouse you ever
did hear it seemed as if the houss was
a-fallin'; and then we heard groanin', and
sighin', and low, very low, swearin'.
OF course, we couldn't sleep, while such
a racket was a-goin' on, and the historicks,
J and everything, and he a-tryin' to quell
'em down. But we lay and rested, which
was good deal for us, and beat out
as we wus, with such nights as We had
| been a-havin'.
Wal, in the mornin', if you believe it,
banks up and told me and Josiah, that he
wus a-goin' off agin on the afternoon train.
| His wife and children had gone out into
the orchard, to pick some strawberries.
and he up and told US. He said it wus a
case of life and death, and he must 60, he
couldn't be KEEP back a minute. He did
look bad I'll say that for him, his suf-
FERNS was great; but then he oughtn't to
tried to shirk 'em off onto strangers. But
held firm; I knew crysis wus approach
in and drawin' nigh; but held firm. All
of sudden, Josiah Allen burst out, and,
oh what scene of excitement rained
down for the next several moments.
| AS Dank's said agin, that he wus goin
off on the afternoon train, Josiah riz right
up, and hollered out to banks, louder than
most ever heard him boiler, loud enough
to be heard from one-half to three-quarter
| of mile, though banks wus within foot
of him, says ne, in that loud, skareful
wild tone:
''If you leave this house, for half = min
ute, without taking the hull of your fami-
ly with you, I'll prosecute you, and throw
you into Jail; and take the law to you, and
imprison you!''
It skairt banks dretfully, it came Sc
unexpected onto him. He fairly jumped
And it startled me for minute, though
my principles are so betty and solid, that
they hold down my feslin's, and keep it
steddy, better than a iron wedge, maxim
my presence of mind, as 3 general thing,
like ox's for strength. Says Josiah, in
that awful loud, almost deafenin' tone of
his'n-and with mean, wild and delerous
lookin', as if he knew not what he was a
sayin':
IL ain It wet nurse: and I'll lot you
know I ain t nor Samantha amt horse
pittle. Here I have" sage he, in a still
more agonizing tone, "here I have, for
week after week, KEEP steddy company
with fallin' fits and historicks. I have
broke my back to pieces, a luggin' in boys.
have been rode to death by children, and
eat out o. house and home. And there
has got to be stop put to it, or somebody
is goin' to get hurt"
He wus perfectly delerious. And I says
to him, soothin1y:
"Be calm, JOSIAH"
81 won't be calm, Samantha" he hol-
lers back.
But banks wus gettin' over being
skairt, and begun to look surly and cross ,
crosse'n bear. And he spoke out, in a
pert, hateful tone, old banks did, and
says he:
''Tain't nothin' 60 me. I didn't have
the fallin' fits, nor the historieks." He
looked dretful mad, and spoke up as pert
and impudent to my pardner as if 1t wus
Josiah s business to tussle with them fits
and things, instead Of his'n.
I had thought wouldn't put in my note
at all; but amt one to stand by and see
my pardner imposed upon; and then, too,
I felt that in the name of principle, I
ought to speak. felt feelin' that meb
by here wus chance for me to do good.
And when he spoke out agin, real impu-
dent and hateful, THAT it wuzn't nothin'
to him. spoke out, and says I, IN tone
that wus enough to skare anybody most
to DEATH if they wuzn't used to deep prin-
ciple tones, says [:
1T Is sat1ath51e' to qeu."
And then went on. powerful and elo-
quent. can tell yon. talked deep and
solemn to that man, about what he took
onto himself, when be sot out in matrimo-
ny, sot out as matrimourner-about the
awful responsibility Of marriage, and
bringing children into the world. The
terrible responsibility of usherin' eternal
souls into the world, for everlastin' JOY or
misery. the terrible responsibility to these
souls, and to God, the righteous judge;
and the awful responsibility to the world,
of lettln' loose on it such mighty powers
for good or evil, a set of likely creeters,
blessin's and benefactors forever, or
shacks and sources of uncounted misery,
made so greatly by early care and culture.
Influence that will go on and on, for all
time, CROWN and widenin' out all the
,;y,oo ti1l M mind but tho Fforp opo