The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-08-05

followed, with heavy, threatening step-
"Have you noticed how lovely the
moonlight is, Aunt Sally" asked Dolly.
Moonlight! What do you s'pose' /
care bout moonlight when the butter
amt soldp IN l know jest how twill
be. IT won't be sold It all; twill STAY
in the suller all winter, m we shan't oit
fifteen cents pound for it. L should
thought you and George d known enough
to tended to it fore this time. Never
see such tarnal easy set as this family
all be-"
"Why, Aunt Sally" answered Dolly,
sit hasn't been week since the Smiths
sold. Buyers generally come along about
this time. Father most always sells to
some of them, you know. don't think
we need worry about it, "
''No, you won't worry, I'll warrant
No danger of anybody's worryin' in this
house, but me. / don't s'pose, if the
house was burnin' down, one of ye'd
stir, unless We was pulled out by main
strength. Talk about your father! Who
ever knew him to do anything? Std O.
stayin' to home m mindin' his own
business, he must 90 galavantin' off to
Kansas, to see his sister, cause she
happened to be sick. Whatif she hai,a't
no husband? Folks have to die, s'pose.
What'd she ever do for him, I'd like to
know. F she was with million O.
money, 1 don't s'pose she'd give i'm
cent"
"Well, l guess tomorrow morning
George IL know what to do, and led
better go to bed now, Aunt Sally. I'M
very tired.'
George! What'll he know about it,
and what II he care, # he does tnow?'
Would you like this candle Aunt?"
"What do you keep talking to me
bout candles for? FL wanteda candle,
couldn't l git it. Go to bed, pyou want
to. l don't expect you'H csre whether
the buffers ever sold or not"
Dolly knew that it was mouse to reply,
so she took her candle and went to her
little chamber over the sitting room.
She tried hard to sleep, knowing that
breakfast must be ready early and that
no hands but hers wouldprepare it.
About two o'clock Amt Sally burs
into the room, her cap-strings flying and
her teeth rafting. Evidently she had
not been in bed at all.
Dolly" she called, in loud reproving
tones, ''it's raining hard"
"What is it, Aunt SallyP Are you
sck?'
''It's raining hard, l tell you. Don't
you hear itp'
well, what if it is? 1 can't help it.
What harm will it do?''
"What harm will it do? Do you s'pose
folks will come to buy butter in a driving
rain?"
''But it may not rain tomorrow, Aunt
Sally. Why, it's only two O clock The
shower must have come up very sudden
ly." .......
'What if it don't rain tomorrow.
The roads'll be all mud knee-deep.
Nobody'd come through such mean
mud's we have to look at butter. They'd
be fools # they did. It's jest as l said.
The butter won't be sold It all. You'd
know yourself 'twouldn't be, # you want
deaf's an adder and blind as bat"
"Aunt Sally, think this is little too
much. I'm very tired and want you
to go right out of my room and leave ME
to Sleep"
81 shall go out O this room jest s
quick s I'm mind to, m no quicker, IN
the more you talk about it the more l
shan't 60. Anybody'd think, to hear
you talk, that you did all the work in
this house. Who's skinned the milk
all summer, I'd like to know? l s'pose
you think the butter'd come all the same,
skimmin' or no skimmin'; m now we
shan't sell pound, m we shan't have
money enough to keep from starvin' to
death N buy clothes to cover our naked
ness. But there's one thing about it: l
won't pinch m be economical bit
longer. I'll spend every dollar I'm
mind to. What # one O. them city
buyers should come in the pouring rain?
We shouldn't know whether to trust i'm
or not. | wouldn't let i'm touch the
butter unless he paid the money down.
IT'S jest the meanest thing that ever
happened sense the world begun that
we didn't go to S-a week ago N
see bout sellin' it, N not wait till this
time; m # we don't git thirty cents,
jest's the rest O the neighbors have, l
shan't never want to show my face out
side this house again, m the shan't one
O. the family, # l can help it."
But Aunt Sally at length ran down,
and Dolly knew that, unless she had
strong cup of tea or a little sleep, she
wouldn't be in running order again for
several hours, and she prepared to enjoy
herself accordingly. By six O'Clock she
was busy preparing breakfast, running
out ''between times to freshen her heart
with look at the pink and purple morn
ing glories that grew up over the south
piazza. She was as bright and pleasant
to her little brother as though her nights
rest had been untroubled and filled with
sweetest dreams. The prospect for a
cosy, quiet breakfast was Frightening
when half dozen geese, smitten with
total depravity, walked hurriedly toward
the house and held one of their most
spirited conversations directly under
Aunt Sally's chamber window. They
couldn't have been more excited if they
had been discussing the family butter
and its prospects.
Dolly had just served the coffee and
taken sip or two out of her own cup,
when the sitting-room door opened, and
out walked Aunt Sally, looking quiet but
ominous. She drew chair to the fire
and sat black and silent for five minutes.
''Did the geese wake you up, Aunt
SallyP' asked Willie, 'Dollie's little