Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-10-10
HIRAM'S VISIT.

ram =
Hiram Hopeydew colored at the alb
rupt question, but he answered, truth.
fully:
/ don't see what else 1 kin DO, Aunt
Peggy. Sister Susan is bent on a-mar-
YIN he school-tescher an a-goin' off
to The Black Hills or sou'cres away
out of all creation. An here's all the
fall work a-comin' on-that meddel
hay to stack. an corn to cut, pumkIns
to eethcr an Siberian crabs to make up
in cider fur The apple-butter, an nc
help 10 be got fur love or money. An
1t stands TO reason | can't tend the
farm and cook the vitlles, too. So l
thought soon as thrashin' was over
you've promised 10 stay till then Aun!
Peggy-an' then l thought Ia 20 round
som'ers nigh about CLOVER Creek where
come Of our kiDiolks live an stay a
Week or so, an cit a-a-somebody
I;hat can lousckeep an the hke-do
the miiken' an churnin', tend to put
tin up fruit, MAXIM apple butter. take
keer Of lie chickens an ducks, an do
the cooliu', an ceabln', Sister Susan
was a pow erful good housekeeper, an
81 c couldn't be beat a.cOokin' either
III could find a good sort Of a woman
dat I'D cook okal TO Susan, wonldn'i
mind a-marry in her.
Hun p! So you expect TO eta wife
an ccod one, 90, IN week or two,
hey ? You're a eump, Hiram Honey
dew. an nolhln' else. Besides, you
ought 10 git wife you could keer fur,
as well as a good hou.ekeerer. House
keepu' an cooken' amt everything,
tell you. There's sech think as al
fcckshin between man and wife,
But Hiram secuted at this idea.
'Ore woman is tie same as another
TO me- be returned, loftily. L want
housekeeper, an that's why I'm a
goiu' to marry at ALL
Wal then, Hiram, if you're bound
au' determined TO 70 an hunt up
wife that away, me bbe kin help yor
q little. | knew the folks about Clovel
Creek ike book when yer Uncle Eli
was alive, an we lived on the olt
uoneydew farm. An thar was Maha
la Nutler. She married Job Perky
an hey bought a farm on Glover Hill
toiher side The creek. There wan
nobody could beat Mahala a house
keopIn' Them days, an most likely he
d9rior, Marthy Jane. Les tuck after her
They ale sort o. kin folks O. yourn, too
Mahaly was yer Uncle Ell's own cous
in. An ef you like, I'll write en-
few lines, an tell 'em you're a-comin
an sort o. prepare 'em. fur nobod.
! likes 10 hov company onexpected.'
kndso it was settled, much to HI
I rams relief, and be whetted his scytb'
d went Gnt TO NOW feed OF greet
a., aio = FOR his horses with Lighter
a be bad for a week.
''', Tor ho ba 4 made up his mind that
,ta Ioro Perky was ss good
houseieeper as A mt Peggy sa"' !"
wonld brinr her home with him as Mrs
Hcneydew in a weeks the II she wal
willing. ~.
And no doubt she would be- Tor hl
ram was quite gOod-looking man
with pleasant brown eyes, curly 0ro"'
hair, ard a thick, brown mous'scne'
Moreover he was 'well-to-do,' ant
almost any of the girls in bis own
neiobborhood would have jumped a
the chance of presiding over his oioa'
acres and picturesque cottage ia'"
house. balf buried in sugar-maples an
tall Lollard popular trees.
But to Hiram, as 10 most others
distance lent enchantment 10 The view
and he was bound and determined a
Aunt Peggy had said, 10 seek bis lat
in some of the wide old farm house
dotting the fertile borders OF Glove
Greek.
He'll be a mighty good ketch IL
,,ou an no mistake, Marthy Jane
commented Mrs. Perky when Aun
Peeay's letter had been duly receive
and read. "A mighty good ketch, an
Won must do your best to ketch him
jTain't often a gal has sech chanc
thrown at her head, an if you've sc
mite o. pluck about you, you won
LET them stuck-up Briggs git ahead
vou. Delilah Briggs would give he
ears 10 get ahead of you, I'll bet a but
tonp
To which bit of logic Marthy Jan'
asseuled. with toss other head, ant
he assurance that Delilah Briggs, M
no one else, wasn'r a-goin 10 git ahea
of her. .. c.,,,., psrt