The Hazlehurst signal., 1883-12-06
GRANDMOTHER AND THE OLD
HOUSE.

She never went 10 church. Inc DlDlc
was her regular Sunday companion.
She never talked religion" She did
hate old Banks. her next-door neighbor,
who had, she said. stolen her hens from
time immcmorial; old Banks, under
takcr. cabinct-makcr, farmer, Coroner
and livcry-stablc- keeper. combined; who
never expressed wish save in a voice
that could be heard over half the town;
whose hogs, horses, cows and hens
were in every kitchen garden save his
own; whose premises were Strcwn and
crowded with brokcn-down wagons,
carriages, whcclbarrowS, fractured
wheels and aXletrecs, boxes, boards,
hog troughS. hen coops, dog kennels,
and above all. iluttering and Tapping,
the clothes hung out by Mrs. Banks To
dry. Grandmother used at times To re-
mark "that the devil always tipped up
his cart in Banks backyard"
Ii is many years since she died. Not
until recently did understand that GU
rious, quiet old lady's life. She did not
live much in this world. She did not
like company. She sought none. She
would sit for hours silent in the chin
ney corner communing with herself.
No garrulols. coarse nature could ever
approach her. Her dignity was Of a
cold. quiet kind, but as inaccessible ~
the North Pole. She really wanted TO
be let alone. Her own thoughts were
sufficient company for her. The old
house in which she had lived child
during the Revolution was the only
world she cared To move in.
But she had that knowledge which
comes not from books. She had an in
structivc perception Of character. She
could instantly detect motive. IL was
but n small world she had seen. but in
that she had found little save selfishnesS
and dssimulation.
She liked not clattcr nor hustle. Our
village was troubled with fevcrish era
of prosperity. a railway was built and
a steamer took the place of the old
fashioned sloop. The old lady never
set foot on car or steamboat. doubt
that ever she saw them; certainly she
had no curiosity 10 do So. She clung To
the atmosphere and spirit of the old
house and old times.
There was n great deal of humor hid
den away in the old lady's nature. Sat
urday was market day. and our main
street used To be crowded with the farm
crs' teams from the country. Saturday
without runaway or smash-up was eS-
ccptionable. Grandmother used frank
ly to own that no sight in the world did
her so much good rs TO sec ono of these
country teams bolt through the street
from end To end, knocking of wheel
here and getting one Knocked of there,
while the deacon" ran after. whoa
ing!" and picking up his butter pats as
fast as they were shaken out behind,
and the rest of the trading agricultural
population gripped their horses by the
brides. and every farmers wife or old
maid from the champions" busy in
beating down the price of calico ''rcm-
nan,s," rushed adrighted from the shop
doors. each dceming ii was her butter
that had gone To ruin as she saw the
yellow cakes flying in the air.
Grandmother made OF me pet and
companion from an early age. With
her / was .'bub." No other name
would she ever apply 10 me. used to
sit during the long winter evenings and
hear her stories. She coald remember
something Of the Revolution; how the
..cow-boys" from Connecticut, robbers
alike OF Whig or Tory, came one night
and plundered her fathers house; how
she, n little girl, saw one Of these dctest-
able plundercrs snatch her father S
watch from the wall; hows wanted TO
cry out, but the man gave her such n
savage look she dared not.
She told also OF the English soldiers
mt one time quartered upon her; she
spoke of them with kindness and mod
Grafton, and would show me n pocket
Bible one had given her-the only arti-
Gle by which n poor Scotch private could
testify his gratitude for some kindness
she had rendered him.
When n Girl some of her family had
gone "Out West TO Tiogc," rs they
termed il. "Tioge' was ever to the
old lady the Ultima Thule of the United
States. People came to our house and
talked of Indiana, Illinois and Nlissis-
sippi. They had commenced TO ex-
plorc the vast territory beyond and
were feeling their way towards Cali
fornia. But grandmother's "Great
West" always remained firm and fast
i'm Tioga County, now one of the most
thickly settled portions of New York
State.
NV parents moved from the old house.
But I liked best to stay with grand
mother. The old house was home. 1
loved IL. Besides, she allowed me to
stay out till nine o'clock at night and
play with the village boys. She gave
me plenty of pie and cake. loved
dearly to sit by the fire Mt night and
hear her as she lived over the past. She
told the same tales over and over again.
but they wore we'll. Sometimes in the