The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-05-09

Inc nrst time saw her-an0 never
saw her but twice-there was nothing Wis
ible but a slat sun-bonnet and a pair of
red angular elbows keeping time to mo-
notonous chant: .....t r-.- '''--,
"Ma-ry and Marthy served the Lawd,
Mary and Marthy Served the Lawd, -
Mary and Marthy served the Lawd,
rsi An kin serve him tew.' r-a
This was followed by a vigorous rub
bing, the slat sun-bonnet tapping and
the elbows flying up and down ona home
made, rickety pine washboard- she
was washing, standing ON a bench, and
leaning over 30 far into the hot, steaming,
water that there was danger Of her losing
her balance and drowning. The sound
of the rubbing and splashing and her
own voice had prevented her hearing my
ened partridge and looked at me with a
frightened stare when / addressed her,
~ Don't be alarmed, little one,n / said,
,"I have lost my way, and stopped to ask
you where the hotel il. ."AnD - -o-i All =
She wrung the water out of her lean,
red hands, pushed back her sun bonnet
and stepped off the bench. r -
& Dew yew live at the taverng' she
asked, putting her brown head over on
one shoulder like bird, and looking at
me with bright, inquisitive eyes.
Z" Yes What shame to let such q
child as you wash; you ought to be play
ing with dolls" remarked, indignant
ly, "a .siaed bs.s Hr J.
She looked at me coyertly from under
the lashes of her soft, shy ewes. as if
wondering if would do her a harm,
drew her small form up proudly and
pointed to the mountain. &C bonn
keep riC''t up; tha's yoh place; 90
whah the road turns, an you'll site the
tavern.n saT &. NJ -fss s,, - =
''She buried her head in the tub and
resumed her chanting: % salq1,s ~ .
"Ma-ry and Marthy served tina Lawd."
When washalf up the mountain side
turned and saw her standing bareheaded
in the sun, looking after me, but she was
gone Like squirrel when she saw me
watching her. -'fs
The next time 1 saw her was when
was looking for particular species of
beetle-I am fond of bugs and worms
and being caught in a storm, sought
shelter in the first cabin, which was
hersl She did not open the door until ]
| had knocked and pounded number of
| times. a
can it's yew," was her larconic greet
ing, as she swung the old boards that
served for door and reluctantly admit
ted me. a- elf Ee
| There was q fire on. a stone hearth
there was very old man asleep in q
chair, and a great brindle cat, with green
eyes, arched itself at his side The room
was clean, bright, warm place, that was
more picturesque than anything had
seen in that dreary place called the
Pocket country, which lies between
Kentucky and Virginia, and where fate
had cast me for few lonely weeks. j
looked every moment for some woman to
make her appearance; yet it would be
hard to tell where she would come from
unless she had been in the lost above
There was a curtain hung across small
division of the cabin, but it concealed
nothing. l
''Do you keep house here alonep'
asked.
"With feyther and gran'feyth /,
said the child, ,"-an-Keedsie."
"Oh, your brotherT' -A
She nodded her answer; sat on the
bench and dried myself in the freight
the old man reused himself and looked
curiously at me with red, ferret-like
eyes, that had no lashes to their weak
lids; the little girl whispered to him and
he went to sleep again. .ar'r
GLOW old are your I.ssked, wher
we had talked little, and she was moi
30 much afraid of me-
"What do you think" che asked in hel
quaint way. -.-
looked at her small childish figure
and guessed, "tenT .s- -
| She laughed little and shook hel
small head.
1 remarked the sharp curved chin an6
ventured ''fifteenf'
TRY agen."
She threw back her sun-burned hail
and looked full into mine with her bright
restless eye.
"Seventeen?"-for I caught tn.
glimpse of woman'snature in theircleal
depths.
hYoh all out" She sighed as sh,
spoke. III -I
al believe you are ifty.n / said
sharply, there was such change in eaci
movement of the little woman.
"Y'ime twenty" she replied, In he
childish voice. .at
/ think if she had said one hundred ]
would not have been surprised, she WA
so weirdly quaint and old; as we were
sitting silent she watching every motor
l made, there was great Gathering al
the door, and she flew, with that swift
motion of hers, to open it. There was 9
loud, angry voice, which she at once
answered in her soft tones, and then q
man stumbled into the room, and with
out noticing me, threw himself on the
low little bed and snored instantly-ar
ugly, unkempt drunken man, shabbily
garbed and forbidding- looking.
'It's feyther," she sighed, "he's tooker
agen; it's the mountin' agoo he's got, an
1t takes holt rite sharp, 30 s he cannot dc
a stroke of work. Poh feyther."
"And the old man?' 1 queried, point
to the slumbering figure in the chair. Z
"Gran'feyther. He's a comfort toh
me mostly; he hasn't tina agoo yoh see.'
"Do you take care of these"-thes<
dreadful people had nearly said, but
checked myself-"your father and grand
fatherp cas5 80 ls7si
"Yes, and Kedsiel Wait till you Sc,
Kedsiei'
The first happy look had seen came
into her eyes. She was hstening-a steI
was at the door, which opened, and
young, fresh, fair-looking man cam,
softly in. He was rather neatly dressed
but one look at his long, smooth chin ant
open mouth told the story-he was wit
Less. 80