Tolland County press., 1883-01-18
AUNT SAMANTHA DOOLITTLE,s EXPERIENCE

Spunky Holler Dec 9th.
 Spunky Holler was goin' skatin'. The invites was out in full force everybody thet new how tew skate, was goin' tew skate on skates and everybody else wus priveleged tew skate that way if they cud, or emmy other way thet was most conven- ient. Sam and Hammer was delited, fer they new how Liab cud skate tew, but he wuddent let on whether he was goin' or not, till arter the widder Smith he'd been over and kinder persuaded him.
 I reckonsd he was watein tew see wheth- CT was goin or not, fer they diddent none on 'em know as l new ennything about skatin', an diddent no enuff tew brag on, so kep still. But arter the widder had got Liab tew promise to go over, I made up my mind putty quick that guessed Samantha wud be there tew. So I told Sam to go down to Blake's store and git me sum skates, and I'd practiss 8 little beforehand. Sam was willin' enuff tew help me fool lem, fer he'd ruthsr tux a hken to me from the fust, which I hadn't raly Expected, fer never was partial tsw boys, espeshalle of that age. So he went arter the skates, and brung lem to me when was in the back buttry maxim pancakes, so'st none of the of 'em wuddent nc noth- in about it.
 "Sam," ses I, did you git the skates ?"
 "Yes," ses Sam, '.i told MT. Blake.if he'd got any skates and he ssd he he'd and I told him was they big enuf fer Saman- tha and he sed an OK cud skate on 'em : an told him I guessed they'd do, so bro't 'em along.
 I guessed they wud too, but diddent kalkerlate tew make my fust trial on 'em in publick. So arter got the pancakes fried Sam and I went down to the pond, all by ourselves, tew try the experiment. AS told you, diddent know much about it, and diddent ixpect very good luck just at fust, but diddent spose one pair oi skates cud ack so much like circus per- formance fer just as soon as got one foot on the ice, 1t got inter sich pesky hurry all to once, that it wuddent wait a minnit fer tother one, and went skatin round promiscus like, till it got kinde, tired out, and he'd tew see how quick l cud set down. But diddent giv it up, and tho one on 'em wanted to go east, and tother one was determined to go west, when it warnt waltsing around and bal ansin tew it's partner. got lem broke in arter while so'st they worked dubble fust rate and when Thursday nite cum i warnt afrade tew skate afore enny on 'em, tho dlddent lxpect tew git the fust prize fer bein' the best skater.
 The Widder Smith and Polly Gilson, they cum along airly, and stopped fer Hammer, they sed. So of course they for got that Liab was goin'. I'll allow was leetle suspicious of widder that cud perswade Liab to go, when cuddent git him to stir peg and I ruther tho't they'd bare watchin', fer the widder was Liab's old love story, and I'd he'd hints thet she haddent gin him up yit
 Twas most as lite as day when we start ed, and the widder was es frisky as a young kitten, and I'll allow Liab was live Her than I'd ever seen him afore, but mabe that was GUS I was takin' leetle more notiss. They was dredful consarn- ed tew no what I was goin' tew dew, ,seein' ss I haddent no skates along, (cus I'd sent 'em on ahed by Sam) and Liab ses kinder hateful thet he shuddent spose thare wuld be much fun in standin roun