Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-10-16
BEHIND THE BUSHES.

| A Cornwall Young Mans visit to ais
/ Uncles, Aunts aud Cousins In ldassochu-
Sets. -. ..~.5., ~.
Exchange.-uncle Tom Saunders
1 was a thrifty farmer in the Connecticut
River Valley, owning a fine t'place" in
old Hampshire County, Massachu-
setts. Brother Billy Saunders went to
the Southern States and settled when
| ayoung man, where hereared a family,
and, althoughthere was acorrespond-
ence kept up, no visits passed between
the two families for more than twenty
five years.
1 A year or two after the Maine law
went into force in Massachusetts,,
| cousin Joe Saunders, from the South,
a. handsome, manly young fellow,
"came North" to visit his relatives.
He arrived at Uncle Toms house
about nightfall, in haying time, and
was heartily welcomed by uncle, aunt
| and cousins. Then after chat about
The folks, cousin Joe went to sleep in
the "spare BEDROOM" with feathers
and pillows enough for two, and did
not get up until 9 o'clock the next
morning.
Joe told the story on himself alter
ward. When he came down, the first
! one to welcome him was aunt Han
! nah, who, after the usual good morn
ing, Said
Joseph suppose that your Gus
| toms III the South in many ways are
| different from ours. Are you in the
habit OF drinking something a. little
strengthenin' and appetizin' in the
mornin'?"
Joe signified that such was the hab-
it with him sometimes.
"Well, we are all temperance folks
here, but I've got little bottle of
| Spirits that DR.. Bilhn's gave me for
the hypo that I keep in the buttery.
Here it is, Joseph; help yourself"
Joe was nothing 10th, and, thinking
that he probably would not have an
other such an opportunity during his
visit, he took a liberal snifter, and az
ter finishing breakfast, which hs.d
been kept for him, finding himself
doubly refreshed, strolled out toward
the barn, where Uncle Tom was busy
at work.
"Mornin', Joe," said his uncle,
cheerily; "say, come here" Then he
led Joe into the granary and said in a.
confidential kind Of way. "You know,
| 'spose, that we're all temperance
folks, but I've got little old apple
| jack behind that bin there, that kind
er keep for my roomatiz, away from the
| old woman and the boys. 'Spose we
take a horn apiece, you and I. It's
pretty good stuff"
Nothing 10th Joe imbibed again, and,
| feeling still more exhilarated, started
down into the meadow where the boys
were at work in the bayfield,.
"Good morning, cousin Joe," sung
out the oldest, as Joe came along
''How are you feeling this morning?
Say, Joe, don't you Southern fe]lers
take a little eye-opener occasionally?
a aoe Ses sta tins e aea father tep psG
mother are bright and shinin'
lights. But we boys ain 't-that is, we
amt practically. Just you 60 to that
| corner OF the fence, and under Jim's
! jacket you'll find a Jug of as good old
Jamaica as you have tasted in year.
I'll 60 with you. Take hold, Joe, it's
out Of sight of the house.
Joe complied, and the operation was
repeated once or twice before dinner
time. He managed to get through
with the meal without mourning sus-
picion as to his actual condition,
! thanks to a somewhat extensive capac-
ity, and stayed q week with the good
folks But he said afterward that he
never came so near being kept on q
weeks solid drunk as he did during the
time OF his visit to that Temperance
family"