Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-10-31

Thin 20 M. 1Hillg-HlralI
MI n,ewaS Se to be there. Now Del
@ mas TO- and to her thinking, Hiram
was an interesting youth.
IN TACT, everybody had a good word
.or Mr: Thing. He had a lovely farm
70 pegln with. His sheep sheared nd
pouhdS TO the fleece; his wheat AVERAGED
~ bushels TO the acre. He had nice
mouse; and since his mothers death
only his crippled little sister Jessv Ia
take care of it. 1t was plain to ali the
sossips IN the country that he needed a
wMe. And all the girls liked him.
Allce Preston, with her bright blacE
eyes, Betty Browning, who could turn
out such loaf of bread as couIdn,t ha
9Iudlied W III Perry county; Christy
wicker, the shy Swiss girl: they could
all De casting lire in Muddy anC,
snliing ON Hiram Thing. Deb's very
existence would be forgotten-so Deb
ulouSht-unleSs she should be there i'm
Ihe White dress with the fiuted ruffies.
She sat on the porch looking up to
the sweet silent stars and thought it
over. In the sit.ing-room her father
uozed In his chair, with a newspaper
over MS face to keep off the night
moths and the stray flies that were
sieepily sticking to the ceiling; her
mother nodded over ''His'' haif-darned
stocking. The work for the dav WAS
done. Nothing between Deb and her
lconsclene.
She sat there so long, and was so still
that finally her mother reused herself
to call, why, Debby, childI why don It
you come in? Have your wits gone a
wool-gatherin'?''
That's just it, mother" cried Deb,
with a laugh, though she brushed
something warm from her eyes as she
spoke. 1--we just about concluded to
give up the picnic and go to the wool
pickin'.'
''Debby Hornish! L thought your
heat was plumb set on the picnic.''
$50 l thought myself; but it's little
more set on heipin' Mis- Manly git her
wool out. She is such shif'leSs little
critter! 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
II you don't mind, mother, I'll take
over the cakes and things L baked for
the picnic"
That's a good plan, honey, for L
reckon she won't have much of din
ner.''
By ''sun.up" the next morning Deb
and her mother were off. As they
reached Mis- Manly's gate, buggy
whirled up in cloud IF dust. a Voice
called, ''Deb! Debby Hornish,''
well! welll'' cried Mrs. Hornish, ''if
there amt Hiram and JeSsy Thing!''
why amt you on your way to the
picnic, Deb? cried the young girl in the
buggy.
''Oh! you know wool-pickin' is such
fun," said Deb, with droll look, Il
couldn't resist comm over and lendin'
hand"
'Well, you girls are crazy" said Mr..
Thing, jumpin out of the buggy; 'here's
Jessy, nothin' would do but that she
must come to the wool-pickin'.
That S natural enough, brother. l
never did want to go to the picnic
much. What could do on my crutches
amongst lot o. lively young folks. L
should Just "a been a drag on you.
But 1 can pick wool with anybody, so
here L am. It's different, however,
with Deb"
"Yes, indeed,n cried Mr.. Thing,
eagerly, "and now, Miss Deb, do let
me persuade you to change your mind.
You see L haven't any company now
that sis has deserted me. III be proud
if you'll let me drive you to the picnic,
and keep company with you to-day"
Poor Deb! how handsome he looked
as he stood there twisting his fingers in
the horses name. Tall and slim, his
ewes as blue as his calico shirt, and
dancing with fun under his wide straw
hat. How nice, this warm day, to
drive along the waving wheat-tields,
meeting the breeze as it ruffled the
young corn; to fish under the shade of
a 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-plckin'.
Whether Mr. Things smile was too
confident or Deb's OWL heart reproached
her, know not, but at any rate she
said resolutely:
s.I'll run a race with you in wool
pickin', JeSsy Thing, an that all there
is of that"
In the widow Manly's house there
were two rooms. One the kitchen,
dining and company" room, with two
beds in the corner, the other sleeping
room for the widow and her children.
Ii was here, too, that she retired to,
weep over her miseries, solace neces-
sary only too often.
BY the time they had fairly got to
work four more were added 10 the
party-grarlmothe all too old to care
for picnics. ''Grandma BiXby," took
the lead; she was as spry as girl and
said she was 100 years old. Mrs. Hlg-
gins. noted for having survived three
congestive chills; Mrs. Harte, doubled
mn with the rheumatism; and funny
little old woman who had 10 children
and was nicknamed ''Dame Thumb
by her boys, made up the party. a
great heap of wool was piled up III the
middle of the floor. They sat around
n and peeped at each other over the top
of the pile as people do at dinner PARTIES
over the epergne.
s.I'm afraid, ladies, that my wool Is
dreadful dirty" said the widow Manly,
with depressed air.
..Why, Mrs. Manly" cried Jessy
Thing. gayly. "what would you DO IL
rour Sheen were like some L read OF the
other day, out in Colorado9 Why, in
the time of drought their fieeces get
fuIl of dust; then the wind blows the
Grass seeds into the wool, and when
the ram comes the seeds sprout, and
after a while the sheep strut around
with the green grass growing on their
backs =. 1oss,,
No one smoke. But after long silence
Dame Thumb said: -,
aJessy Thing, you're jokin', amt
you2" -, ;,,,S,id Jessv
twinkling her eyes at Deb.
..She ALWAYS was a master hand to
;oken said Grandma Bixby Il saw
I'm tar horn and her mother and her
grandmother"