Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-10-20
HTRAMS VISIT.

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Hiram Iloncydew colorcd at the abrupt
question, but he answered truthfully:
81 don't see what else l can do, Aunt
Peggy. Sister Susan is bent on a-marryin'
the school-tcucher and a-goin' of to the
Black Hills or som'eres away out of all
creation. An here's all the fall work
i-ccmin' on-that mcddcr hay to stack an
corn To cut, pumkims to gcther an Sibe-
rian crabs to make up in cider for the
apple-buttcr, an no help to bc got fur love
or money. An it stands to reason can't
tend the farm and cook the yittles too. So
[ thought soon us thrashin' was over
you've promised to stay till then, Aunt
Pcggy-an' then thought I'd go round
som'ercs nigh about Clover Creek where
some OF eur kinfolks live an stay week
or so, an git a-a---somebody that can
housckecp an the like, do the milkin' an
churnin' tend to putin up fruit, maxim
applc-buttcr, take keer of the chickens an
ducks, an do the cookin' and clcanin'.
Sister Susan WAS L powerful good house
keeper, an she couldn't be beat a-cookin'
either. If | could find good sort OF 4
woman that nd cook ekal to Susan, |
wouldn't mind a-marryin' her."
ElIumph. So you expect to sit wife
an good one, too, in week or two,
hey? You're gump, Hiram Ioneydew,
am nothin' else. Besides, you ought to
git wife you could keer fur, rs well As
good housekecper. Housekeepin' an
cookin' amt everything, l tell you.
There scch Il thing as aileckshin between
man and wife"
But Hiram secuted ut this idea.
cone woman is the same as another to
me-" he returned loftily. 81 want
housckccper, an that's why Pm a-goin'
to marry at all"
"Wal then, Hiram, if you're bound an
determined to go an hunt up wife that
way, mebbc kin help you Il little. l
knew the folks about Clover Creek like
book when yer Uncle Eli was alive an
we lived Oh tho old lIoneydew farm. An
thar was Mahala Nuttcr. She married
job Perky, an they bought farm OH
Clover Hill, t'other side the creek. There
want nobody could beat Mahala house.
kecpin' them days, an most likely her
darter, Marthy Jane, hes tuck after her.
They are sort % ldufolks o. yourn, too.
Mahaly was yer Uncle Ellis own cousin.
An eff you like, I'll write 'em few lines
am tell 'em you're a-cOmin', an sort O.
prepare 'cm, fur nobody likes to hev COM
pany unexpected"
And so it was settled, much to IIiram's
relief, and he whettcd his scythe and went
out to NOW Il feed of green clover for his
horses with lighter heart than he had
for Il week.
For hc had made up his mind that if
Martha Jane Perky was rs good house
keeper rs Aunt Peggy said he would
bring her home with him as Mrs. Honey
dew in weeks time if she was willing.
And no doubt she would be, for Hiram
was quite good-looking man, with pleas
ant brown eyes, curly brown hair, and 4
thick brown moustache.
Moreover lac was welI-to-do, and almost
any OF The girls in his own ncighbOrhOod
would have jumped at the chance Of pre-
siding over his broad acres and pictur-
csquc cottage farm house, half buried in
sugar naples and the tall Lollard poplar
trees.
But to Hiram, rs to most others, dis
tance lent cnchantment to the view, and
he was ''bound and determined" =" as Aunt
Peggy had said, to seek his fate in some
of the wide old farm houses dotting the
fertile borders of Clover Creek.
"He'll be Il mighty good ketch for you
an no mistake, Marthy Jane" comment
cd Mrs. Perky when Aunt Peggy's letter
had been duly received and read. GA
mighty good ketch, an you must do your
best to kctcI him. Tain't often gal has
sech chance thrown at her head, an if
you've got mite o. pluck about you, you
won't lc: them stuck-up Briggs git ahead
of you. Dclilah Briggs would give her
cars 10 git ahead of you, I'll bet a button"
TO which bit of logic Marthy Jane as
scuted, with toss of her head, and the
assurance that Delilah Briggs, nor no one
else, wasn't a-goin' to git ahead of her.
Consequently when farmer Perky drove
his gray team to the gate, with Hiram
HonevtIcyy On the scat beside him, the
necessary preparations had already been
made-iloors secured, baking done, and Il
substantial country dinner, with dessert
of apple-lumpliDgs and sweet-crean
sauce, ready 20 be served.
While Martha Jane, in a pink plaid
frock, with fiutcd ru1iies, stood waiting to
welcome the expected guest.
"S!e's mortal humly," thought Hiram,
as he sat smoking. after dinner, on the
porch, and mentally reviewing Martha