Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-02-20

see n gal do that yitl"
"But she's eatin' corn bread stead o. them
biscuit" said Martha Jane, who though wait.
ing on the table stood munchiDg corn vigor-
ously. She's like me. / takes oornbread
every time-none o. your -four doins inside
o. mel"
"Marthy James fond Of corn in whatsom-
ever shape" said Aunt Fanny, "but she can't
more'n half eat ii on the cOb--her front
teeth's gone but she's that set In her ways
she says as she's goin' ter hev them snags
pulled out an hev new ones in"
"An' l will too" she answered. 'I'm
plum sick an tired o. havin' no front teeth.
woman over the mountain-she had hern
pulled an everybody told her hit 'ud kill her
she's a sight older'n he--but when she felt
the chill a-comin' on, she TUX good drink
o corn whiskey an went to bed, an she got
well, an she amt dead yit neither"
well, you uns git along now" said Aunt
Fanny. II see you's ct all you want jes'
set down thar 10 the porch, an Marthy Jane
an NELL clear away this yere truck"
The men soon set of for the mountain,
but the women, having been assured by
Aunt Fanny that 'sence the rain hit was a
pow'rful drabbly walk" preferred to stay
where they were, and do up Martha James
hair. They were willing to believe without
ocular proof the fact that great part
of the side Of the mountain is slowly not
sliding, but sinking-dropping into the bow.
els of the earth.
"Hits jes a-cavin in, we uus thinks"
Martha Jane said ''all the old folks say the
Iujuns had a big silver mine under thar, an
the moneys in thar yt, Of anybody'd try TO
git hit out but don't s'posen any body ev.
er will hit 'ud cost a sight o. money"
You'll have to make your sweetheart fnd
it for you some day" said the blue-eyed
young lady wckedy.
MY sweetheart La !" said Martha Jane,
with chuckle at her own wit, "he's busy
putin IN gold an silver, not giilin' EN- out.
He's a tooth-dentist, he is-esstways, my
principal sweetheart is-an' he lives in At
lauty. He's a comm up here this fall, -
gancng up ooq1ettishly with her dark, close
set sparks OF eyes and wrnkling her thick
dark skin in a smile that brought her lack Of
front teeth into painful prominence Hes
dead IN love with me, he is Last summer
he put four gold plugs into my mouth an
never charged me cent-did hit all for love
an he's goin to take out these yere snags
and put in some front teeth for nothn', when
he comes. He's made me a real han'some
offer but l amt give him no satisfaction yit
He an mes ben sorter oourtin', though,
three or four year; he wrote me two letters
in six weeks oncet."
tion p asked the girl, as Martha Jane paused
for breath and turned her head to Que side to
take in the effect of the twists.
Nov, 1 amt goin' to tell you that" she
said with another coquettish glance. II may
never git married I've got seven sisters
married sisters an half sisters together-my
names Kirby, an ma was a wdder with TO-
chillun when she married Pa Smith. He was
an old young man, Pa Smith was, an ma
thought he'd do better by US n ef he was
younger an pearter; an hes done well he's
a mighty good man"
but you started to tell us about your sis.
ters. "
"Oh, yes. Well, I've alters ben poor lit
tie sickly, doucey thing, an they all say
ought not to git married my husban' might
put too many hArdships on me an Ia ef
he amt the right kind you'd be ruined forev-
er an eternal; a man takes all you've got
when he takes you, an you hain't got no
right TO the quilts you pieced with your own
hands or the SUI bonnet you wove yourself.
No, sir My sisters all dvised me never by
no means to marry-nothin' but trouble an
mindn' chilun, au can't say when you'll
work or when you'll rest-allers a man to
boss you-an' ct he's a pernicketty man
welll"
"But did you always think so badly of
marriage? Didn't you ever encourage any
bodyr" queried the preachers wife as Mar
tina Jane evidently waited to be drawn out
further.
"Well, ef did twas no harm done.
never did promise any body yit in cold earn
est. I'd tell em l had scatterin' mind. an
might not stick. | Ain't goin' to court no.
body, can tell you! But I've had some
pow good chances-amszin good three
on 'em was really above me. The men all
I f.nNa a.ak, .k..,N 81 "a
resist One teller told me not long ago he
thought had the most pow'rful out-Aatter-
ines tongue ne ever did see in ary mortal
womans head. That's what he said-jes'
the out-hstterin'es'."
And who WAS thst2"
"Oh, a school teacher up 'tother side the
branch. He's a handsome man-he might
suit some people, but me Ia, he can look at
me, an that's jes' about all. l tell MeAtsy
she can hev him."
"Who is Meatsy ?"
"She's one O. Pa Smiths an mas gals.
She's my hali-sistsr. Ma, she give me an
my sister Susan Maria good plain names, an
then she sorter branched out on Pa Smiths
chillun an made up names out OF her head
Thar's Dslphy Paralee, an Gemanthy Mag
molly, an Jaoony Agnes, an Dinksey Oaledo-
ny, an Meatsy Lavany, an ever 30 many
more ma jss' got EN- outen her head. An
my heads fixed up, is iii Well, Of that ar
tooth dentist was here But never mind.
I'll do it this way when him an me goes to
Atlanty next fall"
Then you are goin' to marry him ?"
"Marry who2 Me? that tooth h-dentist
| amt seed the man I'd marry yit. He's jes'
goin' to give me a trip to Atlanty to see the
sights. All the gals goes up here. Geman.
thy Magnoly went with Bill Johnson-that's
her husban' now-an' he took her to Athens
an spent nigh onto fifteen dollars on her.
She had a real good time, an so did Susan
Maria. She had three or four fellers a court
in her to oncet, an one on 'em took her to
Athens, an they was every one on em jes'
up for taking her after that, an each feller
tried to see which could spen' the most mon
ey an give her the best time"
The flow of Miss Kirby's eloquence was
broken just here by the arrival Of the men
of the party, and the mules, SO that there
was a gathering up of shawls, and much
hand shaking took place, in the midst of
which Martha Jane struck an attitude and
gazing unmistakably at the blond young man,
quoted those lines indigenous to the wilds of
North Georgia
Its hard for we uns from you uns to part,
For yCu uns has stolen we unses heart.n