Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-09-10
SARAH ANN JOyES PAPERS.
"reminiscences OF Farm LiHe-What
Game OF Jeremiah's Leaving
the Gate Open.

One morning'in July had TO bake
bread and churn, besides doing all the
other housework, so put the bread in
to the stove oven, and / took the churn
and set it down under big oak tree
that stands in the back yard.
/ had just commenced working the
churn when | saw Jeremiah pass
through the gate into the barnyard.
'Jeremiall,' says /, 'you haye left. the
gate open.
Never mlnd,' says he, Il am coming
back In minute
didn't think any more about the
gate then, but just as / was ready to
take cut the butter, happened to look
over into the potato patch, and there
was hog roofing up the potatoes.
called, Jeremiah y as loud as I
could scream, but all heard In reply
to this patriotic appeal was the word, i,
Jeremiah y echoed back from the
barn.
My eyes wandered back over the land
scape in search of my absent husband, !,
and finally beheld him about quarter
ola mile away, seated on the top of a
rail fence in the shadeof large cotton
wood, talking to Bill Jinks, who was
i'm the lane on the other side OF the
fence, burdening the back of an old
horse, that I always called Bonaparte,
not because he was an uncommonly
ambitious animal, but because the
greater part of him was composed OF
bones.
am well acquainted with both men,
and I know that there was little likeli-
hood ofJeremiah returning to the house
for the next two hours, so reluctantly
left the churn end went to the rescue
of the potatoes. AS / started called
theldog. Tige had followed Jeremiah,
and knowing that he had gone to sleep
in the shade of the cottonwood. but as
soon as he heard me call him. he started
on run. Jeremiah heard me at the
same time, and slid down off the fence,
and sauntered leisurely towards the
house.
A hog can always see if gate is left
open when he wants to get into mis-.
chief, but never when you want to drive
him out. FIVE times that four-footed
quadruped and myself reyolved around
that potato patch at speed that would
have started the prespiration on liv-
ing skeleton in January. but when we
passed the gate the sixth time, the
brute struck up toward the house. and
he and Tige met and had wrestling
match I'm the butter and buttermilk
where I had LETT the churn. The milk
house door was standing wide open and
I made rush for it, but before / could
reach it / saw the hog dart through it,
followed by Tige. I heard a tremen-
dous squealing and tearing around in
the milk-house, and pretty soon Tige
came leading the hog out by the ear. /
looked within, aud if ever saw de-
struction saw it there. For mo-
ment / forgot everything but the sad
spectacle before me, but
.sSunk i'm self-consuming anguish
Can the poor heart always ache
No, the tortured nerve will languish,
Or the strings of life must break"
And fortunately l was aroused from
my sorrowful meditations by the voice
of Jeremiah exclaiming as he came a.
round the corner OF the house:
What's all this row about, Sally
Ann p
I replied to Jeremiah's question by
giving him a very forcible lecture con-
cerning his carelessness, then I turned
around and went into the kitchen
where found my bread burnt as black
as coal. I had just taken the bread
out of the oven when heard some one
knock at the door.
I wiped the Precipitation from my
face, and obeying the summons, found
myself face to face with Mrs. Gumbrei,
the worst gossip In the country. / felt
like shutting the door in her face. for I
was sure that she had heard the close,
if not the whole of my lecture to Jere-
miah. I tried. however, to act as IL
nothing unusual had occurred.
sGood morning, Mrs. JONES' said
she.
Good morning, Mrs. Gumbrel, says
[.
wont you come in p says I.
sYes, I'll come in for q minute or
two,' says she.
will you take off your bonnet says
L.
Yes says she, sI'll take it off while
I stay. for can cool better with it off,
She took off her bonnet, and / knew
then she had something to communi :
cate before she left, and resigned my
self to endure her company until she
was ready to leave. I didn't have to
wait long, for she was anxious to un-
burden her mind.
Did you hear about the picnicp' says
she.
sWhat picnic p says /.
why says she. MRS. Brown is go