The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1885-10-29
GRANDMOTHER'S STORY.

Written for the American Rural Home.
Now don't talk to me about
snakes" said dear grandmother
Brown, with as fine a contempt as so
sweet voice and so kindly a face
could show. 1t was hardly possibleto
think of her as old, to believe that she
really began life with this wanning CEN
fury, although there attached to her
the charm-the dim half-light-of the
good old times" when our country
way very young; the fascinating but
sturdy romance of life in the then
Western frontiers of New York State,
of pioneer days i'll Michigan, OF strug-
giles and experiences that were exper-
fences, in which wild beasts and In
dians, and all sorts of dangers and es-
capes, commingled in delightful confu.
SION.
These little striped things no bigger
than your finger, ain worth the name
OF snakes" grandmother continued.
when Twas young we had snakes that
were snakes-adders, black snakes, rat
tie snakes-and out in Michigan lots
more that / don't remember now,
Did ever have any adventures with
snakes? Bless you, child, | should
think / did. You want me to tell
you one? Well, I'll tell you one
that l thought OF the minute you
came in and made such fuss
Just as though that young col
lese chap-what did you says his
name?-had saved your life by killing
harmless little garter snake no
more'n two feet long. What are you
SO red in the face about? Yes It's a
hot day. And it was just such day
as this that ! went down through the
clearin to pick 4 basket OF wild plums
to send to Aunt Mary. That was
when your grandchildren mean your
great grandfath er-lived over on Cam
andaigua Lake. How old was | then?
] was only girl, going Oh II, but |
suppose you'd call it Il young lady
now. And that makes me think Of
your college chap again-you'll find my
feather fan iii the top bureau drawer,
dear. He isn't your college chap2
Well, whatever you do, child, be hon
est with him and with yourself-if you
mean Yes say Yes, If you mean
No say No, but oe mighty sure
YOU mean No. before you do say it.
You'll have heartaches enough, dear,
without laying in stock of 'em
that you don't have any call
to have. There was a good
looking young fellow that lived
near neighbor to us-near neighbor
for those days, although our nearest
naighbor was two long miles away
that ussd to hang around fathers cab
in a good bit. KNEW what brought
him there, and ] GUESS t.!e rest OF the
folks did. | was little vain If tnose
days, child and conslderin' that Twas
the only garI that was comm on to
womanhood in ali that country for
ten miles around | got my iull share
OF attention. That kinder turned my
head, as it has turned the heads OF
better girls than | was. and so was
a little uppish and carried my head
pretty hi.L on my shoulders: This
young fellow that told you about
he had said as mucl. as that he loved
me, but hung back, although all the
time / wanted to own up. One day |
heard he had taken Martha Forbes
she vas his Uncle Jared's housekeeper
to mestiu' at the crossroads school
house the Sunday before. She was old
enough to be his mstiaefs and cross
eyed, and she suffered ut that;
- I,,f+ Il ia
in a little sniff, / had told him !
wouldn't 60 to meetin' with him and
that lie needn't come for me. Girls
will be giris-a.,d that means they
will be unreasonable when they set
out. Twas mad all through, and the
more though of that Martha FORBES
ia my place, the madden got. That
night ne came, but sent him off in a
'iiffy.' wouldn't hear a word of ex-
PLANTATION. just told him to go, and
that never wanted to see him around
our farm again. He was high strung,
too, but he looked more sad than an
cry as he clapped on his hat and went
out into the nj ght without T. word:
He had strong, three-mile-and-a-half
tramp through the woods-and when
remembered that the woods weren't
safe wanted to call him back-but |
didn't. | went to bed and had agood
cry and then lay awake till daylight
worrying about him. 1t would have
served me right if the bears or the
wolves had got him, with nobody On
earth to blame but myself.
With baud over her eyes grand
mother stopped So long that it seemed
as though she had fallen asleep,
"But what about the snake, grand
mother" softly, SO as not to awaken
her Il she were really asleep.
That's just what we're comm to
now" brightly, AYau think I've been
wandering away from the path, as
they say all us old women debut I
child. I've only been telling
this 50 you'll understand the rest OF
it better
'Well, as was saying, I went down
into the clearin' back OF the cornfield
to pick basket of wild plums. Faith
er had warned me to always keep Il
sharp look out for snakes, and he
wanted me to take a stout stick with
me whenever 1 went. This time was
SO nervous like and sort OF upset that
! forgot it. The plums were plenty,
but the bushes were 80 high that
could hardly find nv Way from one