The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-11-26

/ DuJ WHICH Snc fcHcctcu UnaC MarC nuu b
good deal of business to attend to, and
Achsa suggested that he had on one or
two occasions before staid overnight, she
gave him up at II, and they all went
to bed, the widow included, who kept
her own counsel
Could they have seen not more than
two miles from home, in secluded hol-
low, the object of their sOlicitude fast
asleep, the jaded horses asleep Us well, as
the moonlight falling upon the portly
figure of the deacon, whose hat was
pulled down over his face, they would
hardly have dreamed of midnight assas-
sins, boarding house expenses, and cattle
feed, as did Santha Ann the whole night
long.
All would have been well, for the dea-
con ut least, if, as the sun rose and he
rose too, he had not applied to the bottle
for comfort. Some way he dreaded to
meet Santha Ann, when he realized that
he had been all night coming home and
his befogged brain craved more Of the
stimulant which had so basaly betrayed
him.
At early sunrise the three women sat
down to breakfast, and that meal over,
came the thud of horses feet and q
shrill voice beating about the bush to the
time of "We w-won't" very loud) Ego
home till morning; we w-wont" (still
louder ego home till Sunday morning,
(hic) anyhow"
Santha Ann looked at Achsa with the
heartbreak in her face.
"Santhy (hic), ole girl, come out here
gee up, Dob!-come out here! I've brung
We home (hic) present-half dozen of
'em-come along, Santhy-long long
upsy dumpsey, Sanity Ann"
Well, the disgraceful truth was out.
Santha, seeing the horror struck face of
the widow, as well as the pity in her
eyes, Strengthened herself at once Her
pride took fire.
"Achsy," she said, with flashing eyes,
"your fathers been mighty lucky or he
wouldn't a took single glass o. beer. l
shouldn't wonder eff he'd made thou
sand dollarsr'
Then they both went out. The farmer
was literally singing happy. He sang as
he shook hands, sang as he unloaded,
roared when he saw the widow, and
wanted to dance with her; and finally,
after drinking a strong cup of tea, he sat
down somewhat subdued, while the
widow discreetly left and went into the
kitchen.
"Well, Sanity" laughed her husband,
as the hired man took the horses away,
"see if haven't remembered vel An
didn't tech no liquor; only took some
beverage once or twice"
Santha Ann gave him look.
"Well, 1 didn't, Sanity Ann; you can
look for yerself. Them's the articles,
but don't know what they be-" Then
he sat back and sang:
Come, ye disconsolate.
"Seems's If 'aint felt so musical in
clined for O year. See, there's q Gear
pet-s-sweeper an a cradle, an an ice
screamer, an lots more things"
"Man alive'" exclaimed Santha Ann,
in dismay; "what on earth do we want
of a carpet sweeper We haven't got a
carpet in this housep'
"Git some, then, Sanity Ann-git lots
of 'em; they're jest laying round loose at
that store. Git plenty, or the carpet
sweeper III be kinder lonesome" he adj
ded, with a maudlin grin.
"And what do we want of a GRADER"
was the next question.
"Well, it sort o. reminded me, Sanity
Ann, looking far back'ard into futer
years, that we was all babies once-all
babies once! Sanity Ann, the recollec-
ton was kind o. subduin', an l sort o.
wanted that cradle to mediate over.
You know it's from the cradle to the
grave. The good Book tells us, Sanity
Ann, Beloved brethren, we're all pill
grims an travellers; an even Bunyan's
'Pilgrim's Progress laid its infant head
in cradle. So jest got it for a rcmem-
brancer, Sanity Ann-from the cradle to
the graven
He took out his handkerchief and held
1t to his eyes. Achsa flounced out of the
room, and with an expletive not at all
filial ran up to her own room.
"But what do you mean by an ice
creamery" tearfully urged his wife; that
thing with the churn handler"
"That is it, Achsy Ami mean San
thy Jane; you kin make gallons of ice
cream fer Achsy an me-"
"But we never see ice here" cried his
wife, at her wits end.
Hire Spot pond next winter, Sanity
Ann; jest hire Spot pond, the hull of it,
an We'll hev a corner in ice ourselves
an make 'nough ice cream to last all
winter"
"And what is thiss" asked his wife,
picking up a large roll.
"Lot's o. sheet music for Achsy;
'nough to last her as long as abe lives.
Got it at a bargain, Sanity Ann-got 'em
all at bargains, horseshoes an all"
Santha Ann groaned. "But Achsy
hain't got TO r.;'aacr," she said despair
ingly. a.. 10 organ, nor anything"
ave can buy 'em, Santhy-lot's of
'em; they'll be handy to hev in the fam
ily," muttered the farmer, now half
asleep.
"And this awful thingr' Santha went
on, picking up hideous steeple crowned
hat-"the awfulest thing ever saw, and
the coarsest. It's O mans straw hatr'
"'Tain't. ] got it for Achsy, N I got
it cheap, too"
This was too much. The woman
threw the hat across the floor, stumbled
over bundles and boxes and farming i'm
plements, and made for the door. She
turned round for a final question.
"Did you git something for a suit of
clothes?'' she asked, her facial muscles
contorted.
81 did, Sanity Ami did," he an
swered, sOlemnly, with side wave of
his right hand. 81 got fifty yards.
Make 'em loose, Sanity Ann--make 'em
loose; there's plenty o. material"
Between crying and crying the woman
went out of the room, and sat down in
the kitchen, almost ready to despair.
"Well," said the widow. who was now
wipiug up the last of the dishes, "no one
can't say but he's a good prowider."
Cpd just like to hear anyone say any
thing about itr' muttered Santha Ann,
Indignantly, and the widow meekly sub
sided.
"Well, s'pose / must fill the lamps.
Thank heaven he did git the Hep said
Santha. "It's blessed mercy it didn't
roll out O. the wagon" And she went
slowly out in the hall, where the big five
gallon jar stood.
Through the open door she could see
that Mart had arisen and was staggering
round. He saw her lift the can, and
spoke: "You bet your life, Sanity Ann,
had Unstable work keepin' that thing
from sploding. put my foot on it an
held my umbreller over it to keep it out
o. the moOnshine, an the cork popped
out an stuffed it up best could. Don't
you never send me after no kerosene no
more
81 won't send you after anything, il l
know myself, snapped his wife, and took
up the can.
"My gracious to goodnessr' she cried,
as she tried to decant some of the fluid
into a smaller flask, "what's thisp'
"Kinder looks like m'lasses," said the
widow.
ooh, heavens! it isl When will my
troubles end?'' sobbed Santha Ann.
give gallons of good sweetening utterly
spoiled! do think that's the straw too
much, an won't bear it, won't I'll
send Mart about his bizness. To Think
he must "A ben drugged by some wicked,
designin' villenp'
said the widow. "S'pose he went on that
way right along9"
"I'd-rd kill him, bleeve," muttered
| fha har oil IN hQ