The Republican journal., 1882-07-06
"Just Like a Man.
BY ROSE TERN COOKE


spectacles aloft on top of her cap border
IL summered an wintered one on 'em
nigh Oh to fifty years, and the things he
done't | don't see into up to this day
Beside, | had sons and darters' husbands
as well, and they're all of a piece; tarred
with the same stick, as Lias used to say"
"Well," spoke up Miss Patty Brinkly,
vivacious maiden lady, stopping to
thread her needle, with both elbows on
the quilt frame and her thread and needle
staObing at each other nearly half a yard
away from her straining eyes. 81 han't
never had no such experience, thanks be
to praise. Pa used to say if | had ha
married anybody I'd have killed 'em or
ran away from 'em, and | dunno but
what | should"
''They had something to be thankful
for. then, as we'll as thee, Patty" dry!y
remarked Aunt Marcia Blinn, the only
lady Of the "Frends" persuasion as she
called it, Of whom Oakley boasted.
"Well, they're queer anyhow" re-
countin for EN- they'll up and do things
you wouldn't no more expect Of 'em than
anything and as for being protectors
for women folks and all that which folks
tell about in books, my land . Lias Peek
would ha' 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 a pourin' rain. As
twas, he died O rheumatic t he took
along q ioatin' saw logs down to the
mill in spring ireshet and never coming
home to dinner, but working all day in
them damp clothes. | give him poke
berry rum, an a hemlOck sweat and two
huh bottles Of Gumption's Ginger Bit
tcrs. besides rubbn' Of him powerful
with campfire, before sent for the doc
tor but it struck to his stomic and he
went off like a snuff. But that ant here
nor there as was sayin', fol nigh on
10 fifty years ia pat bis flannel shirts in
to the front left hand corner OF the bot
tom drawer in the m'hogny bureau in
the bedroom, and every sunday mornin'
reg'lar when he was cleanin up for meet
IN he'd holler out Lurancy! where's
them flannel shirts o. mine 2 Now that's
50 = concluded the diSconsolate widow,
Niping her eyes, and adding in a 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 ancable under
standing, and was quilting away with
zeal and discretion, as every good quilter
knows how. II never see the time when
they wouldn't forget things. I've tailor
ed round quite a number o years, and
I've he'd an eye on 'em, as YOU say.
- l.
for his folks considerable the was him
and three boys and the hired man. Well
I'd get ont o linen thread, say, and you
can't 10 more make OVerhauls with sew
in cotton than you can with spider webs,
and Mis- Buck she'd say, 'Silas, says she,
Miss Patty's all out o linen thread. When
We 90 down to the store after them rake
tails wish't you'd fetch up d hank O
black and a hank O brown. Now don't
We torgit it and Silas he'd laugh, he was
Just us clever as a basket O. chips, and
he'd say-'lll fetch it mother ! but he
wouldn't nd | set an set waitin' for 4,
and tinlly put on my bonnit and walk a
mile down to the Corners for to fetch it
myself then he'd say, Cousin Patty
You see we called cousins because his
lttl!lcl ScCOllu WIG " tS SlSltl W lily
Aunt Sophrony's husband Cousin Pat
ty hain't you got them overhauls done
yet 7! and I'd sorter bluster up md say
Cousin Silas, ant no more able to
make bricks without straw N the 'Isr'
elites was for Pharo', and you didn't fetch
Inc no thread yesterday and then he'd
haw, haw, haw, right out ; he was real
clever, but land so shiftless. That's
just one time, but you can tell by little
what great deal means, and as Mis-
Peek says, they're all alike"
"Thee doesn't think women folks are
all perfect, does thee, Patty 2" queried
Aunt Maria, in her calm voice
"Well | dono as they be; | dono as |
said they be, but you can gently tell
where most of 'eml fetch up, and you're
kinder fit and prepared for what they
VIII do, and specially for what they won't
DO. Sometimes they'll dissapp'int all
your calculations. but then you can fall
back on Scripter, and sect they was made
to be the weaker sect, though, if t'aint
really lawful to say so, | own | always
did have poor opinion of Adam as ever
was to be tellin' how twas Eve made
him eat the apple, when he done it the
first time askin', but twas jest like a man
They keep a dom of it to this day; it's
forever an always the woman tempted
| me-"
s'Thee remember doesn't thee the
| Scripture says, the woman being deceiv-
| ed was in the transgression.' 1t hath
always seemed to me kindly in Timothy
so to speak of her as to lay the blame on
the Enemy"
''That amt neither here nor there, "
answered the logical and undaunted Pat
! ty 81 amt tryin to make light of Ewes
disobeyin', but do say Adam was real
mean to get behind her; he was able to
say he wouldn't, | guess, Jest as we'll as
she was, but he didn't no more'n she did.
| was readin somewhere's, t'other day
about an old French feller, a Judge or
somethin', judge of p'lice court expect
by the tell, and Whensomever they fetch
ed man before him that had been took
up for misdeed, no matter what it twas,
he always asked 'WhO is she 2 lettin on
as though a woman was to the bottom Of
every wrongdoin'. Clear Adam. And
| that's what | fault 'em for"
''Well," they be queer. Mrs. Peek again
took up the fruitful theme. "Sary, what
was that you was telling about Thomas
an them letters tother night ?"
'Oh ma y said Sarah Beers deprecating
| ly, but with laugh that lit her pale face
| and sad eyes; for Sarah was typical
New England woman careful and troubled
about everything; coward physically a
hero mentally; afraid Of her very shadows
but doing the bravest things, with her
heart sinking and her joints trembling all
the time, because duty or affection called
her to such service. She married Tom
Beers, bright strong young fellow, full
I Of fun and reckless daring and devoted to
Sarah, but entirely ignorant of her daily
anXietes and terrors; for she was as reti-
cent as she was timid, if she thought she
could save any one-much more any one
| she loved-by such reticence.