The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1883-11-03

A.
Thing-was to be there. Now Deb
was 16; and to her thinking, Hiram
was an interesting youth.
In fact, everybody had a good word
for Mr.. Thing. He had lovely farm,
to begin with. His sheep sheared 10
pounds to the fleece; his wheat averaged
30 bushels to the acre. He had nice
house; and since his mothers death
only his crippled little sister Jessy to
take care of it. 1t was plain to all the
gossips in the country that he needed a
wife. And all the girls liked him.
Alice Preston, with her bright black |
eyes, Betty Browning, who could turn
out such loaf of bread as couldn't be
equalled in Perry county; Christy |
Wicker, the shy Swiss girl; they could |
all be casting line in Big-Muddy and !
smiling on Hiram Thing. Deb's very
existence would be forgotten-so Deb
thought-unless she should be there in
the white dress with the fiuted ruffles.
She sat on the porch looking up to
the sweet silent stars and thought it
over. In the sitning-room her father
dozed in his chair, with newspaper
over his face to keep off the night
moths and the stray flies that were
sleepily sticking to the ceiling; her
mother nodded over "IIis'' half-darned
stocking. The work for the day was
done. Nothing between Deb and her
conscience.
She sat there so long, and was go still
that finally her mother reused herself
to call, "Why, Debby, child why don't
you come inp Have your wits gone a
wool-gatherin'pn
THAT'S Just it, motherl" cried Deb,
with a laugh, though she brushed
something warm from her eyes as she
spoke. "I've just about concluded to
give up the picnic and go to the wool
pickin'."
'Debby Hornishl 1 thought your
heart was plumb set on the picnic"
$50 thought myself; but it's little
more set on helpin' Mis- Manly git her
wool out. She is such shif'less little
critterl An it'll be real misfortune
for her if she don't sell her wool for
good price. So I'll just go along and
bear my bob with the rest of you. And
il you don't mind, mother, I'll take
over the cakes and things baked for
the picnic"
"That's a good plan, honey, for l
reckon she won't have much Of din
ner.n
BY "sun.up" the next morning Deb
and her mother were off. As they
reached Mis- Manly's gate, buggy
whirled up in cloud Of dust. A voice
called, "Debl Debby Hornishl"
"Welll WE'LL" cried Mrs. Hornish, ''if
there amt Hiram and Jessy Thingln
"Why amt you on your way to the
picnic, Debp cried the young girl in the
buggy.
"Ohl you know wool-pickin' is such
lfun," said Deb, with droll look, 81
couidn't resist comin' over and lendin'
a hand"
"Well, you girls are crazy" said Mr..
Thing, jumpin' 'out of the buggy; ''here' 3
Jessy, nothin' would do but that she
must come to the wool-pickin'."
"That's natural enough, brother. ]
never did want to go to the picnic
much. What could do on my crutches
amongst a lot o. lively young folks, 1
should Just a. been drag on you.
But / can pick wool with anybody, so
here l am. It's different, however,
with Deb.n
"Yes, indeed" cried Mr.. Thing
eagerly, "and now, Miss Deb, do lei
me persuade you to change your mind
You see haven't any company now
that sis has deserted me. I'll be proud
if you'll let me drive you to the picnic
, and keep company with you to-day"
,, Poor Debl how handsome he looked
, as he stood there twisting his fingers il
, the horse's name. Tall and slim, hi
/, eyes as blue as his calico shirt, anC
J dancing with fun under his wide straw
! that. How nice, this warm day, t.
= drive along the waving wheat-felds
, meeting the breeze as it ruffled thi
lyoung corn; to fish under the shade o
!, cottonwood tree. Much, much bet
ter than to sit in stuffy room, picking
, brambles out of wool.
"Do CO." urged Jessy; 'you know
, I'm as good as two at wool-pickin'."
Whether Mr.. Things smile was to,
=. confident or Deb's own heart reproachet
1 her, know not, but at any rate sh
said resolutely:
Q I'm run a race with you in wool
d pickin', Jessy Thing, an tllat'sall ther
is of that"
9 In the widow Manly's house ther
- were two rooms. One the kitchen
e dining and company room, with tw
It beds in the corner, u /, other a sleeping
sl room for the widow I'D her children
1t was here, too, tn : she retired t
{, weep over her miseries, solace neces
II sary only too often.
N By the time they had fairly got t
work four more were added to til
10 party-gran0mothers all too old to car
IS for picnics. "Grandma Bixby," too
ID the lead; she was as spry as girl an
ID said she was 100 years old. Mrs. Hil
is gins, noted for having survived thre
W congestive chills; Mrs. Harte, double
le up with the rheumatism; and funn
s, little old woman who had 10 childre
ey and was nicknamed "Dame Thumb
ld by her boys, made up the party. !
v, great heap Of wool was piled up in IL
el middle of the floor. They sat aroun
ly it and peeped at each other over the tC
~ of the pile as people do at dinner parti,
ne over the epergne.
"I'm afraid, ladies', that my wool
lg dreadful dirty" said the widow Mani
1l- with depressed air.
lg "Why, Mrs. Manly" cried jess
en- Thing, gayly, what would you do
,s, your sheep were like some 1 read Of IL
nd other day, out in Coloradop Why,
ill the time of drought their feeces g
ID. full of dust; then the wind blows Il
, a grass seeds into the wool, and whC
ell the rain comes the seeds sprout, al
in after while the sheep strut arour
of with the green grass growing on the
re- backs"
All heads turned to look at Jess
to No one spoke. But after long silen
int Dame Thumb said:
ihe 'Jessy Thing, you're jokin', air
,." you2"
We 81 declare read it," said Jess
he twinkling her eyes at Deb.
Tas "She always was master hand
rd- Joke" said Grandma Bixby II 50
as lher born, and her mother and h
oao r,ra nj mnthpr -