The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1883-11-03
wooL-PICKINs AND A PICNIC.

"Why, is that you, Mis- Manlyr
Come in, won't youp l wouldn't
a-knowed you but for your voice, seein'
as your bonnet is SO fur over your face,
an this ham a-fryin' does make sech
fumes around my head.
''Mis' Manlyn stood in the doorway.
1t was dusk. She wore long gray
bonnet of the kind known as shaker -
with voluminous skirt that wrapped
her figure like comfortable mantle.
If you could have peeped like a star
within that bonnet, you would have
seen tired, worn face, and eyes that
looked with something like envy into
the comfortable kitchen where Mis-
Hornish was frying bacon for "his"
supper. In this western country the
shy matrons always speak of their hus-
bands as ''he.")
"It's so late can't STOP" said Mis-
Manly. 81 just dropped round to say
was tryin' to git up wool-pickin' for
to morrow, an to see if you an Deb
would come"
Debby Hornish was busy at the
ironing-table, pressing out white skirt
with an overskirt and three ruflles; but
she stopped moment, pushing back
the little black rings Of hair from her
rosy brow, to say:
"Why, Mis- Manly, what pityl I'D
have helped you with all the pleasure
in life; but there's the picnicl What
ever possessed you to have the WOOL
pickin' the same dayp"
"Ain't it just my luck2" cried the
widow. "You see, I've been kind o.
slack about my wool, an yestiddy
mornin' MIR. Simlins said if I'D have
it ready agin Thursday, that he'd take
it in TO Mulkytown and sell it for me.
It's the only chance Ill get to send it
off; and wool is up now TO 30 cents in
money, and 90 in trade; so just felt as
if must get it out tomorrow, come
what might"
"How many have promised to comeP'
swell, you see, this picnic spoils
everything. / could a-got 15 or 20,
and we could a-6nished it up before
noon. But everybody was plum crazy
about this picnic. l amt got the
promise of more'n five ladies', an you
know that amt no show at all to pick
out the wool of IL sheep, an it seems
like my sheep was always the dirtiest
sheep-an' the fondest o. brambles and
brier-hedges-of any in the country
Here Mis- Manly let few tears fall
mild as the rain of drizzling day, and
quite as depressing.
sit is too bad for anythingl" cried
Mrs Hornish, with hearty sympathy,
''I'll come over, of couse; but Deb, you
know couldn't give up the picnic"
''Law no, 1t couldn't be expected
Pm powerful glad to haveyou. "You'l
come early, won't youpn
"I'll be bound that l get over before
you have your dishes done up" said
Mrs Hornish, with jolly laugh.
The widow Manly took her sad face
home; the supper was dished; ''he'
came in from the wheat field; and tn,
white dress was finished and fiuted; bu
somehow Debby Hornish did not fee
quite happy.
"She did look so pftiful, f" she thought
recalling the pinched little face unde
the sun-bonnet. ~ should have beel
so glad to have helped her,"
In truth, the poor, complaining littl
woman needed help good many time
In the course of the year. "He" hal
been killed in mill where he worke
some five years before, leaving to hi
wife four children, small farm, fey
sheep, and a cow; all of which sh
managed as well as her load of fears
agitations, and chills allowed. The
all had chills, poor things; they ha
given up the doctor as vain luxury
but they bought quinine and calomt
by the pound, and worked on dismal
between the shakes. A wool-pickin
was one Of the hardest "chOres" of I'll
year.
Are there any of my city-bred youn
folks who don't know what a woo
picking isp 1t is careful pickin
over of the wool after it has bee
sheared to free it from burrs, bramble
berries, Spanish-needles, dry mud, an
dead insects that lively sheep WI
collect in his rambles through the worl
Further north the sheep are taken to
sparkling running stream, and We
washed before they are clipped; but
the stagnant, coffee-colored creeks
the West this would be useless Ger
mony.
''Not half-a-dozen in the county
help that foolish little woman, "thoug
Deb, wrathfully, ''why couldn't s.
have had her wool-pickin' week ago
At any other time there would ha'
been no lack Of neighbors to help t
widow in her need; but everybody W
taken up with the picnic. In the haI
work-day life of these people, few plei
ures arise; and in all the farm hous
through the six-mile and the nine-m
prairie thispicnic had been talked abo
for a month Of Sundays.
They were going in buggies, wagol
and on foot; were to fish in Big-Mud
creek; to gather wild roses and bla(
berries; to light fire in the "timbe
so they called the wooded portiC
of the fiat country-and make hot Q
fee for dinner; and dance under