Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-12-06
Just Like n Man."

"Just Like Man."
"They do beat ALL" sighed Mrs. Peek, as
she wiped her face earnestly with a spotted
cotton handkerchief, and set her spectacles
aloft on top of her cap border. al sum
mered an wintered one on 'em nigh on to
fifty years, and the was things he done l
don't see into up to this day. Besides |
had sons, and darters' husbands as well,
and they'er all of piece; tarred with the
same stick, as Lias used to say"
"Well," spoke up Miss Patty Brinkly, a
vivacious maiden lady, stopping to thread
her needle, with both elbows on the quilt
frame, and her thread and needle stabbiug
at each other nearly half yard away from
her straining eyes, " ha'nt never had no
such experience, thanks be to praise. Pa
used to say if had ha' married anybody I'd
have killed 'em or run away from 'em, and
dono but what should"
They had something to be thankful for,
then, as well as thee, Patty" dryly remarked
Aunt Marcia Blinn, the only lady of the
Friends persuasion Of whom Oakley
boasted.
"Well, they're queer anyhow" resumed
the Widow Peek. "There's no 'countin for
'em they'll up and do things you wouldn't
no more expect of 'em than anything and
as for bein' protectors for women-folks and
all that, which folks tell about in books, my
land Lias Peek would hs' died more'n
forty times ef hadn't ha' had dry things
for to put onto him when he came in soakin
wet out of the crick, or after pourin' rain.
As twas he died O. rheumatic t he took
along O. floatin' saw-logs down to the mill in
a spring freshet and never coming home to
l..A T., Iotr -, tbnta do,
clothes. give him pokeberry rum, an a
hemlock sweat, and two hull bottles of
Gumption's Ginger Bitters, besides a rub.
bin of him powerful with campfire before
l sent for the doctor, but 1t atruck to his
stomic and he went off like a snuff. But
that ant here nor there; as l was sayin',
for nigh onto fifty years I'd put his flannel
shirts into the front left hand corner of the
bottom drawer in the m'hog'ny bureau in
the bedroom, and every Sunday mornin'
regular, when he was cleanin' up for meetin',
he'd holler out 'Lurancy where's them
flannel shirts O. mine 2 Now that's so ~
concluded the disconsolate widow, wiping
her eyes and adding in stage aside,- But
I'd give considerable to hear him holler that
again !"
"And they hain't got no memory" put in
Miss Patty, who had at last coaxed needle
and thread to an amicable understanding,
and was quilting away with zeal and discre-
tion as every good quiter knows how. 81
never see the time when they wouldn't for
get things. I've tailored round quite a
number of years, and I've he'd an eye on
'em, as you say. There was Silas Buck. |
used TO tailor for his folks considerable
the was him and three boys and the hired
man. Well I'd got out O. linen thread, say
and you can't no more make overhauls with
sewin' cotton than you can with spider
webs, and Mis- Buck she'd say, 'Silas, says
she, Miss Pattys all out o linen thread
When ye go down to the store after them
rake tails l wish't you'd fetch up hank o
brown. Now don't you forgit it And
Silas he'd laugh-he was just as clever as a
basket O. chips-and he'd say 1'll fetch
it, mother; but he wouldn't nd set md
set a waitn' fort, and fin'lly put on my
bunnit and walk mile down to the Cor
ners for to fetch it myself and then he'd
say, Cousin Patty-you see we called
cousins because his fathers second wife was
sister to my Aunt Sophrony's husband
Cousin Patty, hain't you got them over
hauls done yet p and I'd sorter bluster w
nd say, Cousin Silas, | ant no more able
TO make bricks without straw n the Isr'e
lites was for Pharo', and you didn't fetch
me no thread yesterday = and then he'c
haw, haw, right out he was real clever, bu
land so shiftless. That's Just case il
pint, so to speak, ye know; Just one time
but you can tell by little what grea
deal means, and, as Mis- Peek says, they're
all alike"
"Thee doesn't think women-folks are al
perfect, does thee, Patty queried Aun
Marcia in her calm voice.
"Well, donno as they be | donno as
sed they be- but you can gener'lly tell wher,
the most of emil fetch up, and you're kinde
fit and prepared for what they will do, anC
specially for what they won't do Some
times they'll disapp'int all yer calculations
but then you can fall back on Scritper, anC
sect they was made to be the weaker sect
though, If faint really lawful to say so,
own always did have poor opinion O
Adam as ever was to be tellin' how
twas Eve made him eat the apple, when HI
done it the first time askin'; but twas jes
like man they keep doin' of it to thi:
day; it's forever and always the woman
tempted me-"
"Thee remembers doesn't thee th,
Scripture says, The woman, being deceived
} was in transgression.' 1t hath always SCENE,
to me kindly in Timothy so to speak of he
as to lay the blame on the enemy"
} "That amt neither here nor ther," an
swered the logical and undaunted Patty, I"
/ amt tryin' to make light of Ewes disobeyin
but do say Adam was real mean to get be
] hind her; he was able to say he wouldn't,
! guess, jest as well as she was, but he didn'
| no more'n she did. was a readin' some
: where's tother day, about an old French fe
! Ter, a judge or somethin, Judge of a pile
. court, expect by the tell, and whensomeve
they fetched man before him that ha'
been took up for misdeed, no matter wha
| twas, he always asked, Who is she 2 lei
t tin on as though a woman was to the bot
7 tom of every wrong-doin'. Clear Adam
= And that's what fault 'em for"
: "Well, they be queer" Mrs. Peek agail
8 took up the fruitful theme. "Ssry, wha
= was that you was telling about Tboma
? an them letters tother night p
1 "Oh, ma |" said Sarah Beers deprecat
= ingly, but with laugh that lit her pal
face and sad eyes for Sarah was typica
New England woman; careful and trouble
!, about everything; a coward physically,
, hero mentally afraid of her very shadow
t but doing the bravest things, with her hear
J, sinking and her joints trembling all tn
0 time, because duty or affection called her I
i such service. She married Tom Beers,
: bright, strong young fellow, full OF fun an
o reckless daring, and devoted TO Sarah, bu
. entirely ignorant of her daily anxietes an