Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-10-18
THE wooL-PIcKING.

Why, IS that you, Mis- Manlyf Come
in, won't you2 wouldn't a-knowed you
but for your voice, seein' as your bonnet
is so fur over your facc.n
4" Mis- Manly stood in the doorway
It was dusk. She wore long gray bon
net of the kind known as Shaker,
with a yoluminous skirt that wrapped hel
figure like comfortable mantle. If yor
could have peeped like a star within thai
bonnet, you would have seen a tired
worn face, and eyes that looked witt
something like envy into the comfortable
kitchen where Mis- Hornish was prepar
ing bacon for his" supper. Gin this
western country the shy matrons alwayi
speak Of their husbands as "he.'D
cts SO late I can't STOP" said Mis-
Manly. 81 just dropped round to say
was tryin' to git up wool-pickin' fol
tomorrow, an to see if you an Del
would come"
Debby Hornish was busy at the iron
ing table, pressing out a white dress with
an overskirt and three rutfies; but she
stopped moment, pushing back the
little black rings Of hair from her rosy
brow to say:
"Why, Mis- Manly, what pityl I'd
have helped you with all the pleasure in
life; but there's the picnicl Whatever
possessed you to have the wool-pickin,
the same day ~
"Ain't it just my luck ?" cried the
widow. "You see, I've been kind O
slack about my wool, an yestiddy morn
in Mr.. simlins said if I'd have it ready
agin Thursday, that he'd take it to
Mulkystown an sell it for me. It's the
only chance III get to send it off; and
wool is up now to fifty cents in money
and fifty-five in trade; SO just felt as il
must get it out tomorrow, come what
might"
How many have promised to come p
"Well, you see, this picnic spoils
everything. could a-got fifteen OF
twenty, and we could a finished it up
before noon But everybody was plum
crazy about this picnic. l amt got the
promise of more'n five ladies, an you
know that amt no show at all to pick
out the wool of twelve sheep, an it
seems like my sheep was always the
dirtiest sheep-an' the fondest O
brambles and brier hedges-of any in
the country"
Here Mis- Manley let few tears fall;
mild as the rain of drizzling day, and
quite as depressing.
"It is too bad for anything - cried
Mrs. Hornish, with hearty sympathy.
"rn come over, Of course; but Deb, you
know, couldn't give up the picnic" ("
"Law no, it couldn't be expected; I'm
powerful glad to have you. You'll come
early, won't you 2"
"rll be bound that get over before
you have your dishes done up" said
Mrs. Hornish, with jolly laugh.
The Widow Manly took her sad face
home; the supper was dished; she y
came in from the wheat field; and the
white dress was finished and futed; but
somehow Debby Hornish did not feel
quite happy.
She did look SO pitiful, she thought,
recalling the pinched little face under
the sunbonnet. 81 should have been SO
glad to have helped her.
In truth, the poor, complaining little
woman needed help good many times
in the course of the year. He" had
been killed in mill where he worked
some five years before, leaving to his wife
four children, small farm, few sheep,
and COW; all Of which she managed as
well as her load of fears, agitations and
chills allowed. They all had chills, poor
things; they had given up the doctor as
vain luxury, but they bought quinine
and calomel by the pound, and worked
on dismally between the shakes. A wool
picking was one of the hardest "chores y
of the year.
Arc there any of my city-bred you ig
folks who don't know what wool-pick-
ing is2 1t is careful picking over OF
the wool after it has been sheared to free
it from burrs, brambles, berries, Spanish
needles, dry mud and dead insects that
a lively sheep viii collect in his rambles
through the world Further north the
sheep are taken to sparkling running
stream, and well washed before they are
clipped; but in the stagnant, coffee
colored creeks of the West this would be
a useless ceremony.
Not half dozen in the county to
help that foolish little woman, y thought
Deb, wrathfully. ssWhy couldn't she
have had her wool-piclin' week ago2n
At any other time there would have
been no lack Of neighbors to help the
widow in her need; but everybody was
taken up with the picnic. In the hard
woriaday life of these people few pleas
ures arise, and in all the farmhouses
through the six-mile and the nine mile
prairie this picnic had been talked about
for month Of Sundays
They were going in buggies, wagons