The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-08-20
NANNY'S DOINGS.

Ephraim COmstOck, wiping his mouth
on his shirt sleeve, he had just taken
o long, satisfying draught from the
dripping bucket pulled up from the
well. II declare for it, Betsey, it does
beat all mater"
"What?" asked Mrs. Comstock,
glancing up; she was Smelling early
peas in the porch, and her fingers kept
on in the work, while her eyes looked
at her husband, and her ears listened
for what he had to say. "What is
beating nater?'
"In the first place to begin with, scch
a family as Aaron Pettlbone hed?"
Mrs. Comstock laughed, that mel
low shaking laugh, peculiar to very
stout people, until the tiny green
globes dropped into the shiningpan in
her lap, danced a merry jig from sheer
sympathy. Upon the occasion Oieach
successive birth in.the Pettibone fam
", Uncle Ephriam had made the same
remark. 1t had nothing ofnoyeltyfo for
his wife, yet she laughed.
"Well, I've hearn yousayth afore,
E~phraim."
oval, it is true enough to be said
~agein," was the rejoincr. at is q
terrible family; seven on 'em, and all
gals And not a boy to kinder keep
the name when Aaron is gone, as he is
now, poor man. Time was when the
Pettibones was as prosperous as any
family in the county. lido say it goes
agin mater, Betsey, and you can jest
laugh, ef you want to.
'Betsey smiled into her pan Of peas.
81 am thinking some OF them Petit
bone gals won't hev a great sight Of
trouble about keeping the names" she
said.
oval, whatever they are going to
do is more than / know" continued
Mr.. Comstock, mediSatiyely swapping
q pea pod and Smelling its contents in
his capacious mouth. ''They hev got
the house sech as it il, and half an
acre a ground; but that won't feed
and cloth seven on email gals. Now
of there was a boy
(Which there amt" interrupted
Mrs, Comstock, 'and mehbe it is a
good thing. Only sons amt mostly
dependence, being too fond OF them
selves"
Meanwhile, in the small, no-coiored
dwelling which, with the small half
acre of land, comprised Aaron Petit
bones sole legacy to his daughters,
the seven Misses Pettibone were dis
cussing ways and means; though, to
be sure, there was very little choice OF
ways, and no means to speak Of.
They were all alone in the world now,
since the death of their father d fort
night before, tnemother having died a
year i more previously. Each one
of them wore a tiny knot OF Grape in
her hair.
we haven't any money, so we can
not afford to buy mourning" Nanny,
the fifth Mise Pettibone, had explain
ed to Mrs. Deacon Parmalee, q neigh
Dor. There are SO many OF MS, YOU
know; and ! am not sure papa would
have desired it, anyway, so perhaps it
IS lust as we'll"
But it was her own idea-the weaq-
ing 81 these badges Of black-yhich
seemed to give some outward recceni-
tion Of their bereavement, and the
Others fell in with her.
They were assembled Id the sitting
room, that sunshiny, summer day.
1t was d small room, and very proper
lys since the furniture, being of the
most meagfB description, might have
been quite lost III a larger apartment.
But the curtains, the metamorphosis
of q muslin gown ancientlY belonging
90 Miss Abigail, the eldest OF the seven,
blew airily out from the windows, in
at Which the climbing roses peeped:
the little old-faslioned fireplace was
TILED with branches of evergreen, held
up by a pair ofbrass andirons polished
TO resplendency; and there were vari-
Gus dainty devices termed d pressed
Terms ind autumn leaves, together
with a great many c0st-nothinQs (else
they would scarcely have found d
place therel, feminine nicknacks, dis.
posed aDout the room, really redeem,
ing i from the poor, comfortless ap.
pearance which It must otherwise
have presented.
There was a silence of some minutes
following Mrs Abigaips declaration
that,
Something must be done.n
II was broken presently by tht
youngest of the family, 4 bright littl,
maiden ~ fha ewof ~ 49,