The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-08-03
olks will come to buy butter in a driving

folks will come to buy butter in a driving
ramp
but it may not raia tomorrow, Aunt
Sally. Why, it's only two o'clock. The
shower must have come up very sudden
ly."
.sWhat if it don't rain tomorrow.
The roads'n be all mud knee-deep.
Nobody'd come through such mean
mud's we lave to look at butter. They'd
be fools # they did. It's jest as 1 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 a bat"
"Aunt Sally, 1 think this is a little too
much. I'm very tired and I 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, m
the more you talk about it the more 1
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 a pound, m we shan't have
money enough to keep from starvin' to
death N buy clothes to cover u naked
ness. But there's n thing about it: l
won't pinch m be economical a 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. l 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'i it, m not wait till this
time; m f we don't git thirty cents,
| iest'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 a
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 a 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 night
rest had been untroubled and filled with
sweetest dreams. The prospect for a
cosy, quiet breakfast wa Frightening
when half n 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 q sip or two out of her w cup,
when the sitting-room door opened, and
out walked Aunt Sally, looking quiet but
ominous. She drew a chair to the fire
and sat black and silent for five minutes.
''Did the geese wake you up, Aunt
Sally?" asked Willie, Dollie's little
brother.
awake me up! Guess they'd awaked
anybody up that want dead. If l was
a boy big as you be, I'd keep geese in
their places; but nobody in this family
ever sees to anything or w will"
"Won't you Lave some coffee, while
it's fresh and not, Aunt Sally, asked
Dolly.
No, 1 don't want nothin', hot mol
cold. l feel perfectly sick this mornin',
iest's l knew last night l should feel; anC
I've got to have the doctor right straight
off and have something to take. Here's
a whole month gone, n Ihain't had bu'
two quart bottles of medicine. Ihad tt
lay awake all night and think about the
butter. 1 knew if I didn't nobody else
would. It'll take me down sick. 1 fee
this morning iest's il l was going tt
have the typhoid fever, m 1 shall hav,
: it, too, If I had anything to do abou
things, I should 90 right off this morn
in and see bout sellin' mat butter; but
of course, what 1 thinks nothin' in thi
{ house and neUer was"
The group at the table were silent
only now and then saying a word OF two
as they served each other.
!, Dolly felt the essential vulgarity of al
family contentious, and, in general, sh,
answered nothing to Aunt Sally's foolisl
TRADES, which were much more frequen
in Mr.. Browns absence.
| George Sterling left the room a
quickly as he could, and Dolly followed
: him to the piazza, where they talked
| minute over what had best be done.
l George will drive down to s.
I'LL SCC ut HC oil NO Will ilC UuiIOCl,
Dolly said, as she returned to the kitchen
But Aunt Sally deigned no reply. Sh
rose and walked into the more gentee
: part of the house and wa notseen agail
for several hours. The occasional slam
ming of doors and windows testified t.
her existence.
l In the afternoon George returned, AM
: told Dolly that he could contract the but
p -. g., L-E ro.%, E-o 1ln I'M.
markets were full for a few days; bu
t her fathers friends had advised him t
t wait a little, as they thought it would b
l up to thirty cents again.
Several days passed and the question
l of butter was sill unsettled. Dolly wa
t busy with her work, hardly getting
minute to peep into the new Hdrpe
s which George had brought from tn
post-office. One day she put two of he
: delicious custard pies into the oven t
bake, and then went upstairs for a fey
minutes to make beds. Aunt Sally
l meanwhile, walked into the kitchen
+ which she found '.cold as a barn,
l built up a hot fire, and sat down by tn
' stove. When Dolly returned, she smel
t a strong odor of burning pastry, and
l opening the o%Yen-door, found that he
pies were completely ruined.
"Why, Aunt Sally" said she, "didn'
Y you smell my pies burningP"
"Smell um!' returned Aunt Sally
"No, 1 didn't, N 1 sban't smell nothir
5 more till the buffers sold" And sh
t marched off into the sitting-room a
though her dignity had been offended
What a pity Dickens didn't kno,
Aunt Sally" thought Dolly, as she wen
about making some more pies.
S Mr.. John Sterling, Georges father
G always sent away his butter to a certai
city firm, whose chief member had, as
n boy, been brought up in the family c
John Sterling's father. The Sterling
J knew the firm well and knew that it wa
n trustworthy. George, therefore, sugges
ed to Dolly that he write to his father
friend, Mr.. Furness, and ask his advic
about the butter they had to sell.
He wrote, and in a short time a lettt
o came, advising the Browns to send the
butter on. 1t, would surely net the
a twenty-eight cents and perhaps thirt'
Mr.. Furness promised to do the best
g could.