Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-08-16
turned over and went to sleep again
at at least, he Thought did.

| wan, no Wi9gied ana turned and
twisted, an he didn't move ter get mn
fer about an hour, an, when the sun rose
an shone inter the bedroom winder, he
got up an built the fire. There wasn't
no kindlipgs, nor stick Of wood. an
he had to skirmish around lively an ge,
some.
Arter the fire got to cracking in good
shape got up. / didn't hurry none, LEI
me tell You. Twas mos dead lying abed
so long, but SEE I to myself, "Ef make
the fires now, I'll probly hev to do it in
cold weather, an / won't do it for any
man." agss d pt-..r+s.-....E.F
He Was pretty sullea all day, but 1
didn't take no notice Of him, an he got
over it. The next day he was ter begin
hayin, an he had six men ter help him.
1 had ter do all the work, an take care
of the milk an churnin', an it vas nc
fool Of job. Come time ter get dinner
an there wasn't silver Of wood cut. !
sent Johnnie (he was then about seven
years old) out in the field ter tell Caleb
! wanted him.
He came in looking savage enough,
an wanted 10 know what il was wanted.
Sell
Q" want some wood ter burn"
"Wal," Sez he, "ther's a whole wood
pile out t.sre. Help yourself"
AN not stick split, sez I. You
will have ter get bigger stove ter burn
that"
"Wal, it amt such hard Job ter split
it" sez he. Nancy used tew, often,
when was bizzy.'
"Did she ?" sez /. 80 did Daniel. +"
He got the wood, an said, as he was
going out, that he didn't want ter be
called in out O. the mowin' field again.
unless twas for victuals.
"All right" sez /.
The mex day twas the same thing;
not stick split. Thinks l. "Old fel-
low, you amt got Nancy here. I'll larn
ye a little somethin' that p'raps We
don't know" So when il was dinner
time j blows the horn, an in comes all
seven of these men an sets down ter the
table. Sich 'stonished lookin' faces
as they had as they viewed
the grub. There was the biscit just
dough, the pertaters an meat an veget-
ables, and everything was washed clean
and put on raw. Not thing was cooked.
Caleb looked blacker'n as a thunder
cloud.
"What does this mean ?" sez he.
at means what it MEANS" sez /.
"You said yest'day that you didn't want
ter be called in from the mowin' field
again unless il was for victuals. an here
they are.'
mice shape, tew," sez he.
oval, 1 can't cook thout wood" seq
I, dryly like.
With that all seven of 'em started for
the door, and they never left that pile
till it was ready for the stove. I never
was bothered for wood again.
A few weeks after / wanted some
money purity bad. wanted ter send
Johnnie and Nellie back to school, an l
was bound that they should have some
clothes fit to wear. asked Caleb q
number of times to let me hev some, but
he made all kind of excuses. / didn't
tell him what I wanted Of it, mind ye.
SO one day along comes o peddler that
bought butter'n eggs. / had consider
able on hand that Caleb was intending
to carry into ther city when he had
time. So I sold every pound Of butter
an eggs had in the house. Igot nigh
on to $25 for 'em.
When Caleb came home told him I
had sold the butter'n eggs. -
"Heow much did you get n SEE he.
/ told him.
where's the money!" sez he.
"Tve got it, SEE /.
b /" Wall, sen he, Nancy alters give
me all the money that she took for but
ter and eggs"
"Did She" sez !. "And SO did
Daniel" 8Fg n LE
He got tired Of holding Nancy up
afore my eyes. for Iwould offset her with
Daniel every time. He found that I was
powerful sot in my way, an he thought
he might as well let me hev my own
way, an so he sez {:
81 don't mean to be ugly, but won't
be trod on by nobody" III
When he wouldn't let me hey what
money I wanted, I'd sell something
every time. sold two tons of hay one
time, when knew he only had enough
10 winter his critters. So, Cc The whole,
he found out that wasn't afraid of him,
and he behaved quite decent told
him not long ago that he was CROWN
clever. At.SSs4s. - - SlAl2AAs
"Clever r. ser he. "Td rather you'd
call me dog -goned fule than clever"
a But I notice he has improved. an /
Law IL ter his trainin'. Maine Farmer.
CITs IN THE POsTOFFicE.
There arc about l,0Q0 cats IN the en-
ploy of the Postoffice Department of the
V n r. a.