River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-06-21
aIITST LIKE 4 MAN.

border. 81 summered an wintered one
on 'em nigh on to fifty years, and the
was things he done don't see into up
to this day. Beside, / had sons, and
darters' husbands as well, and they'er
all of h piece; tarred with the same stick
as I.as used to say,
"Well," spoke up Miss Patty Brinkly,
a yivacious maiden lady, stopping to
thread her needle, with both elbows on
the quilt frame, and her thread and
needle stabbing at each other nearly
half yard away from her straining
eyes, 81 ha'nt never had no such ex-
perience thanks be 20 praise. Pa used
to say if / had ha' married any body I'd
have killed 'em or run away from 'em,
and dono but what should"
''They had something to be thankful
for, then, as well as thee, Patty" dryly
remarked Aunt Marcia Blinn, the only
lady of the "Friends" persuasion, as
she called it, whom Oakley boosted.
"Well, they're queer anyhow" re-
sumed the Widow Peck. There's no
'countin' for 'em; they'll up and do
'em than anything; and as for bein' pro-
tectors for women folks and all which
folks tell about In books, my land! Lias
Peck would ha died more'n forty times
eff hadn't ha' had dry things for to put
onto him when he came in soakin' wet
out of the crick, or after pouring rain.
AS it twas, he died O. rheumatic It he
took along O. floatin' saw logs down I'd
the mill in spring freshet and never
coming home to dinner, but working all
day in them damp clothes. give him
pokeberry rum an hemlock sweat,
and two hull bottles of Gumpton's gin
ger bitters, besides rubbin' sent for
the doctor; but it struck to his stomic,
ard he went off like snuff. But that
ant here nor there; as | was saying,
for nigh onto fifty years I'd put his flan-
mel shirts into the front left hand corner
Of the bottom drawer in the m'hog'ny
| bureau in the bedroom and every Sum
day mornin' regular, when he was clean
in up for meetin', he'd holler out, Luz
raney! where's them flannel shirts o
| mine?' Now that's sol" concluded the
disconsolate widow, wiping her eyes,
| and adding in stage aside, But I'd
| give considerable to hear him holler that
aQainp
"And they hain't got no memory"
| put i'll Miss Patty, who had at last
| coaxed needle and thread to an AMIGA
| BILE understanding, and was quilting
| away with zeal and discretion as every
| good Quilter knows how. 1 never see
| the time when they wouldn't forget
things. I've tailored round quite num-
Der of years, and I've he'd
an eye OMEN, as you say. There IS 81
la Buck. used to tailor for
! his folks consider BILE; the was him and
three boys and the hired man. Well,
| I'd got ont o. linen thread, say, and you
can't no more make overhauls with sew
| in cotton than you can with spider webs,
and Mis- Buck she'd say, 'Silas,' says
she. "Miss Pattv's all out o. linen thread.
When you go down to the store after
them rake tails | wish you'd fetch up
hank o. black and a hank O. brown.
Now don't you forglt it! And Silas he'd
| laugh, he was just as clever as a
basket o. chips, and he'd say-"Pll fetch
! It. mother; but he wouldn't!
md | set md set waitin' 70 :, and
finally put on my bunnlt
| and walk mile down to the corners
for to fetch it myself; then he'd say,
| cousin Patty'-you see we called cous-
ms because his fathers second wife was
sister to my Aunt Sophrony's husband
Cousin Patty, hain't you got them over
hauls done yet? and I'd sorter buster
up nd say, Cousin Silas, l ant no more
able to make bricks without straw'n the
Isr'elites was for Pharo', and you didn't
fetch me no thread yesterday! and then
he'd haW. haw, right out; he was real
clever, but landl so shiftless. That's just
a case in pint, SO to speak, we know;
Just one time, but you can tell by little
! what great deal means, and, as Mis-
Peck says, they're all alike"
"Thee doesn't think women folks are
all perfect, does thee, Patty?" queried
Aunt Marcia, in her calm voice.
'Well, dono as they be; demo as
said they be, but you can gener'lly tell
where the most of EMIL fetch up, and
you're kinder fit and prepared for what
they will do, and specially for what
they won't do. Sometimes they II disap-
pint all your calculations, but then you
can fall back on Scripter, and sect they
WAS made to be the weaker sect; though
if faint really lawful to say SO, own
| always did have poor opinion Of Adam
as ever was; to be a tellin' how twas
Eve made him eat the apple, when he
done it the first time askin'; but twas
jest like mani They keep dom of it
to this day; it's forever and always the
woman tempted me-"
"Thee femembers-doesn't thee?-
| the Scripture says, the woman, being
| deceived. was in transgression.' 1t hath
| always seemed to me kindly in Timothy
so to speak of her as to lay blame on the
| enemy"
''That amt neither here nor ther," an
| swered the logical and undaunted Patty.
~ amt tryin' to make light of Ewes
disobeyin,' but do say Adam was real
mean to get behind her; he was able to
say he wouldn't, | guess, Jest as well as
she was, but he didn't more'n she did
/ was readin' somewhere's t'other day,
about an old French Teller, judge or
somethin, judge of a p'iice court | ex-
pect by the tell, and whensomever they
fetched man before him that had been
took up for misdeed, no matter what
twas, he always asked who is she2'
lettin' on as though woman was at the
bottom of every wrong doin.' Clear
Adaml And that's what fault 'em for. !"
"Well, they be queer" Mrs. Peck
| again took up the fruitful theme. ''Sary,
| what was that you was telling about
Thomas an them letters t'other night?"
'Oh, ma" said Sarah Beers depreca-
tingly, but with laugh that lit her pale
face and sad ewes; for Sarah was typi-
ral New England woman; careful end
troubled about every thing; coward
physically, hero mentally; afraid of
| her very shadow. but doing the bravest
| things, with her hearts sinking and her
Joints trembling all the time, because
| duty or affection called her to such SER
vice. She married Tom Beers, bright,
| strong fellow, full of fun and reckless
| daring, and devoted to Sarah, but en-
| tirely ignorant of her daily anxieties
| and terrors; for she was as reticent as
she was timid, if she thought she could
save any one-much more any one she
| loved-by such reticence.
"0h, tell ont Sary; t amt no harm;
we all know Tom sets by ye like his life.
| He wouldn't do nothin' to plague We, if
| he knowed it, no more'n he'd cut his
| head off; but that letter business was Sc
exactly like men folks"
A chorus of voices echoed the request;
there were only about ten people at the
quilting-it was the regular sewing meet
| ing of 0akley-so Sarah consented.
"Well, It amt much to tell. but if ma
wants me to. You know, Toms horsie
is real young and kind of skittish, and
there is one thing above another I'm
afeared it's horse"
'tBless your soul and bodyw put in
her mother. 81 never see the thing
yet you want afeared of, Sary, horse OF
not"
"Oh, l know it, ma, but Pm awful.y
afeared ola skittish horse; Tom, he
don't really sense it, and be says Jenny
amt ugly, she's just full of play; and
s'pose she is; she's knowing as dog,
aud | give her bite of somethin' every