New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-05-09
NEW-ENGLAND SKETCHES
sPARRER.GRAss AND THE ITALIANS.


The faint and distorted rumors Of railway acci-
dents, wasbouts and cyclones had all been placed
| on the line we should inevitably take to come
| home.
Mrs Farnham told u.s. with her head more than
usually side, that though she had prayed
for us. that might be brought forth safely ont
of all the visitations the Lord might choose to
send upon US, she had still greatly feared that the
last great cyclone had destroyed She called
1t kcklone"
al told father (hcr name for her husband Eph-
raiml "that if you both was spared, there
wouldn't nobody rejoice more than / that I'd
never forgotten your kindness TO US in Louisas last
sickness and how you let US have sparrer-grass
when nothing else would set. | see yOur sparrer-
grass has come up beautiful. told father was sure
you'd let us have a bunch for in the spring you
know il does seem as if you couldn't get nothin' ter
relish and if it does relish, likelys not twont set'
NV sister and | were cutting asparagus, and
Goody Farnham, as we called her, was leaning over
the wall and thus discoursng to u.s.
There had been a time when this kind Of talk
from her would have made MS feel mean not to give
her what she wanted. But that time was long
gone by We felt cynically that we did not care in
the least how much she said she had prayed tor us
she would not get stalk of asparagus for all her
petitions.
me,nbered us So" said my sister, calmly shipping of
tender edible stems. but we haven't bit more
asparagus than we want You know Mr.. Farnham
overcharged us so wien he made this bed for us
that it would be far cheaper for to and buy at
the market
But Goody was not TO be put down in that way.
She looked more dolefus than ever. and lmmedi-
atey sided with
Il told father" she said miserably, that he was
a-askin' too much but he said he want agOin to
be the one to put down the price of labor
So Mrs Farnham waddled OFF. very much one
sided, deeply oppressed. ana without any aspara-
gus. We had not forgotten the time when Mr..
Farnham hal obeen allowed, without charge. to
make a garden on Dur land, and then we had paid
him cents apiece for cucumbers, and 80 cents for
a dozen ears OF corn.
If You want to know what it ls TO pinch cent"
to know the meaning of being close as the bark to
a tree" come and live in the real country here
You will be astOnished at the increased size of a
penny You will almost think you ought to pay
the birds so much by the hour for the enchanting
melody they make But this last sentence is sacri-
lege. and | sincerely beg pardon of that bro wn-
thrasher who is this moment singing close to my
window He is going on as if the universe were set
TO delicious music and he was telling about it in
manner TO make us feel it.
Mrs. Farnham is travelled woman herself. She
has spent part of one winter in Cincinnati with
"my Henry" That is the son of her marriage with
her third husband. There were some interesting
circumstances connected with this Western trip
which mean to tell some time Just
too much occupied with greater interest.
We had hardly I'm locked the house on our return
when we became aware that the part OF Ransome
lying between Burnt swamp" and " the wharf
+1,a rio had
let into their house a party of Italian wood-chop
pers. There were seven with child. First We
heard that each person had barrel of -four; but
this story was corrected by Nancy Holland, who
said that want so. There's man and his wife
and child: they have u barrel of -four; there ;
four other men, and there's barrel of -four to each
two of EN-. This Pm KNOWN to as fact" said
poor old Mrs. Holland. shaking with the excite
ment of her narration. "1hey don't buy no butch
er's meat from weeks end to weeks end. They
make great fiat cakes of nour and water and they
| bake EN- on the bottom OF the oven. They can't
speak plain word. They're Just as outlandlsh g
they can be. There's egg shells scattered all round
the front gate. | du think the Rimer gals ought
to er thought fore they let such critters in. An
they wouldn't work the day after the other sun
day: tAev said twas Easter Monday or some SIGH
foreign stuff, an they told Isaiah Metkif that the
sun danced on Easter Sunday. An hat du you
think. that warm Sabbath day mOrnin' s came
along every one of em was ayln' out on the grass
on their stummicks Me0be thaJs the way they
do where they come from: but say the Rimers
ought TO er Thought twice fore they let them crit
tiers in. 'raint place tor outandlsh men here.
N they can't talk N they're as dark Completed rs
they can be N amt the only one that's seen 'em
on their stummlcks in the yard n the woman
went by with short dress on, n the child bare
foot"
We wear short dresses round on the farm. you
now interected, wondering If we were cIassed
with the Italians.
Mrs. Holland inadvertently admitted that we had
been talked about for 1t, but the sin had been par
tally overlooked because it had been decided at
the Baptist Sewing Circle that, not having lived
always in Ransome we didn't know any better.
She was not to lie diverted from the subject it
had fall possession of her. and patiently sub
mltted 10 the flow of words Size went of on a side
issue for a moment and told us how. for week. she
had been watching for the smoke from our chimney
10 know if we had come home This morning she
saw il a pourn' out. N told Robert. there! says
l. there they be. N Pm goIn' ter start n here be.
knew you'd wanter know bout then critters over
there Jest across your garden So lou can't visit
EN-. The Perkinses amt spoke to the Rlmers sense
they come inter their house. The Perk inses say
faint no way ter let house to folks ye can
'sociate with. They amt got no furniture. no
beds. no curtlns. Only to think they hev sacks of
straw on the floor! oh, Tor! the feelin' IN this
place is strong YOU bet Miss Perkins says she did
think the Rimers he'd more regard for their friends
Miss Perkins did say she he'd hoped there wouldn't
be no more folks after you two, yc know, who
would wear short dresses. She said 'twant respect
able n she never could git il. Her gals
always he'd their srts drag, and always would.
She says she'd ruther they'd Inc drabbled than I'M
modest Them was her words but mercy | dr.
now's ought to 'er told EN-. But they said
10 the circle so ! guess they amt secret
" No secret at all" said |, and then succeeded in
dlverting this rash Of words into another channel.
Like so many New England towns. Ransome had
a share IN the floods OF this last winter; not
serious share. but enough.
Nancy Hollands cellar mad been filled W tn water.
- Lar., md