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

UAJJ ILLS. manly CA1Cd oCosy
Thing, "what would you do if your
sheep were like some l read of the other
day. out in Colorado2 Why, in the time
of drought their feeces get full of dust;
then the wind blows the grass-seeds into
| the wool, and when the rain comes the
seeds sprout, and after awhile the sheep
strut around with the green grass grow
| ing on their backsn
All hands turned to look at Jessy. No
one spoke. But after long silence Dame
Thumb said:
Jessy Thing, you're jokin', amt
you9"
81 declare I read it." said Jessy,
twinkling her eyes at Deb.
"She always was master hand to
! joke" said Grandma Bixby. aI saw
her born, and her mother and her grand
mother"
| The wool-picking went on SO vigor-
ously that by dinner time it was more
than half done. After dinner Deb in
sisted that the widow join the cheerful
company, and leave her to do the clear
ing up. While Jessy, declaring herself
so tired that she must take Incoming, y
went down to the spring to rest under
the shade of the trees. Deb hustled
around rattling the dishes, and listening
to the old ladies' chirp in the next room.
"Them Things is such nice folks, 2
said Dame Thumb.
"Well, when all's said an done they've
got the curiousest name in the world, .
sighed the Widow Manly.
"Don't you know how that came
about ?'' asked Grandma Bixby.
"I did know, but it's kind of slipped
my mind, OWN to so much trouble"
Why, the great-grandfather O. these
young Things, he was named Blizzard.
And he had sight O. trouble all on
account of his name. Do what he would,
the boys would call him Buzzard an flap
their arms like wings when he came
around, an vex him real rough. So he
went to the legislature prayin' for his
name to be changed. All right says
the Legislature, what name'l you hayer
'Oh ! anything says he, anything.
That'l do says the judge. Write
that name down, he says to the clerk
Anything
"Old Blizzard, he was so struck Of a
heap that he couldn't say word. And
so in the snappin' Of birds eye he was
written down by the name Of Anything.
The mex gineration they dropped the
Any, but Things they are to this day."
"An' Things they will remain, 4" sol
emnly said the old lady with the rheu-
matism, "tilI the last day, when they'll
be called up by their proper name O.
Blizzard
"WelI, Thing is a good name, said
Dame Thumb. Its SO handy like, an
forget it you can't
"There's a good many girls in the
country would be glad enough to take
it, said the widow.
Debby in the next room felt her cheeks
burn. The stove was so hot.
am go down to the spring and wash
the rolling-pin, " she called; and catch
ing her sunbonnet she walked of, fan
ming herself with her apron.
The spring was shaded by willows,
and under one of them Jessy lay asleep.
Her crutch had fallen by her side, one
arm was rounded under her head, the
other, half-bare, was flung out on the
grass.
"I will not wake her. thought Deb,
"poor child how tired and warm she
looksr'
But at this instant Deb's eyes grew wild
with horror. Within foot of Jessie's
bare arm was young adder. Its head,
spreading out a little, was reared to
strike; white foam was at its mouth.
How Deb did it she never knew, but the
next second she had struck wildly at that
evil head with the rolling-pin, and was
crying:
"Wakel Jessyi Waker'
Jessie did wake, and to scene that
she never forgot. Deb had not dared to
raise the rolling pin to strike again; but
pressed upon it with the energy of de-
spair, fastening the reptile to earth,
though it squirmed, and hissed, and
twisted itself round the brave girls
wrist.
I" Get to the house, Jessie, as fast as
you can, and bring knife"
She hobbled off, and in time to be
counted by seconds was back again with
the whole party. The four old ladies
and Deb's mother were unnerved. But
the Widow Manly, for once in her life
rising to the occasion, cut off the adder's
head in mastery manner, just below
where Deb held it down with the rolling
pin.
They are used to snakes in this broad,
beautiful West Of ours, so no one tainted.
Not a great deal was said. But Dame
Thumb patted Jessy on the head, with
e You had an escape, honey. That was
powerful pizen snake"
~ know it." said the girl, with
quick shudder.
The wool-picking went on; but Jessy
clung to Deb, and did not do much more.
AS the sun went down, and the party
broke up, she said: g If it hadn't been
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