Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1885-05-28
MADAM ADAM.
The Old Lady Tells What She Knows
About Gardening.
BY MADAM ADAM.
For the Sentinel.


work enough if everything goes right,
that is to say, five have good sea
sons, good seed, and a good hand to do
the work, but when one has all the
work to do themselves, and the ground
gets hard and dry, and hand like
Adam, and an old hen and chickens
like Gains, that scratches up every
seed, and sends them fore and aft, its
enough to make job cry out in vex-
alton of spirit. Governor Scales, and
General Ransom sent me some seed
from Washington, and it certainly did
elevate my feelings to think that they
would remember me. Well 1 told
Adam he must fix the very best places
in the garden for the seed from the
! Governor and General, as it was not
possible for such uncommon seed to
flourish in poor land any more than it
was possible for common people not to
feel very much cramped among the
gentility of the earth. He scratched
along, telling me that at did take
mighty little things to give me the
big-head." Says l, "Adam I was born
with the big-head, and know exactly
how to appreciate such present with
out any enlargement whatever of my
Uranium. These seed must be plant
ed on good ground not among thorns,
and thistles.' 90, shut up" says he.
"Just turn your tongue loose and your
equality seed will never be planted by
me-" So l hushed up and tell to ru.
minating, thinks [, How many good
seed are sown in this world, that fall
upon the wayside, and among thorns,
and are wasted forever. For instance
there's Adam, instead of permitting
me to enjoy the pride, this little gift
has created, he has hurt my feelings
and ordered me to hush. He's moth
ing but pepper-grass no how, SO
. wont mind it. That kind of seeC
fieurishes anywhere it falls, just like
some people we meet, but its good fol
nothing in the harvest, when the reap
er comes along.
My eyes are dim with tears, no
tears of sorrow, or contrition, or re
. pentance, but bitter tears of anger
Gains old hen has scratched up al
my seed, and if she was in cooking or
der she would be boiling IN the Dime
pot to my satisfaction. Adam is laugh
ing at me and saying that pride a
ways takes fall. From my bed
room window l can see the good-fol
nothing old thing looking very dejec
ed, for she's tied by one leg Ito til
! chicken COOP No sky pilot ever too
:, more pains to SOW good seed to sinner
= than [ did to sow those seed, and lik
old satan she has scattered them
;, the four winds. Is it not satan lik'
Those nice gentlemen now can onl
hear the wall of "the Summer is pas
:. and the harvest is ended" and ~
- nothing in sight, but an old scratchin
hen and six chickens, when l ha
: planned to say SO many nice things.
wish Cleveland would make me Mi
lister to China, I'd sweep every chicl
; en- out of existence.
i Across the way old Mrs. Billin,
can be seen hanging out clothes. 81
does work so hard to maintain h,
IL family, while her husband seems to
thriftless. She is singing, "A char:
to keep" at the top of her voice, an
). from all appearances one would su
a pose that she did have charge
keep, and mouths to pacify in the ba
: gain. There's six children over ther
and she's forever on the go. wond
if she's as great nuisance to her GU
i toners, as Gains old hen is to me.
wonder if she was tied by one leg to
re post and her children we're runniI
heller skelter like that old hens chic
il ems are, and she, was trying to eluo
he them back, and they wouldn't com
if it would not be a great sin to hobb
d her 80, I'd 60 and unite that old h
~ this minute, for its her duty to scrat'
for living, and she's only falfillil
her mission.
v ReidsriHe, ". g.