Connecticut western news., 1886-06-02
THE DOWN-HIIL ROAD.

 THE DOWN-HILL ROAD. 'T guess never told ye bout Josiah's accident that he had few years ago, did I, when he and I was goin' to Murry- vile, tradin'7 Wal, if I hain't, then I will, that is, if you won't tell him that I told ont, cause he's alias sayin' wom- an can't keep nothin' to herself, and I allow there is some things can't keep, and this is one on lem.
 "As I was goin' to say, Josiah had got to go and git lot of stuff, some paint, a few rails to fix the fence with, some meal an bran, an one thing an another, don't remember jest what now, only I had occasion to remember these few. I'd got to have some cotton cloth, caliker, molasses, sugar, etc., SO l told him l guessed I'd go along too. So I packed some eggs into peck measure of oats, an had pretty near pound of feathers tied up in a paper bag that I had been savin' along, so thought I'd take lem an turn lem towards my cloth an things.
 'sWe loaded up am got started early one Saturday mornin.' We took the old gray mare an the lumber-wagin. Ye See, Josiah thought he could bring the rails better in long wagin. The dash board was split off pretty low down, but he said he guessed twould hold all we should want to bring without spillin' out. So we drove along an got to town about ten o'clock.
 'I went round to Jacobs's and sold my eggs, an to Hyde 6 Taylor's with my feathers, but they wouldn't give me my price, so jest put lem back into the wagin, an went to Loomis's and bought my cloth and things, an got back to Williams's stable = where Josiah alias keeps his horse-at jest two o'clock, an he wa'n't there, so went to the milliner's shop to git my bunnit fixed, an SO told ] was, an to come after me with the team. When got there the bunnit hadn't been touched, an in few minutes up drove Josiah. Now, if you ever went any where with man that's alias in a hurry, why, then, it's no use for me to under take to tell ye what went through with a-tryin' to keep that man from goin' of without me or sassin' that milliner. But we got started at last, and Josiah says, says he:
 We've got sich load, and its SC kinder hot, Pm goin' to take the down hill road; it's good deal higher tha way than 'tis t'other, an better road too, except that pesky hill.'
 "'Yes,' says I, "pesky hill" is jes where shan't go. Pve rid down tha hill once, a-holdin' on with all my might an like ter pitched out the wagin heai fust. No, sir, if you go that road you'll have to stop an let me git out
 'sNow you know Josiah as we'll as do; he'll do anything to save cent o money or minutes time, and he's alla sayin' ''time is money"
 'fWal, I let him have his way ruthe than to have any more words about it but when we got to the hill I got out an after Josiah had took good cud C tobacker into his mouth, he and the ol mare logged along; but see few bram ble berries longside the road, and stor ped to pick a few on lem, when I heer somethin' go kerslam, and there the ol mare was, flat down, the wagin kinde standin' on end, an Josiah a-sprawlir around on the horses back, an the ju O molasses, pot O paint, an measure ( oats on top of him, an somethin' { ruther had wet my bag of feathers al made big hole int, and things WI kinder squeezed onto lem, so that the was a-puffin' out in all directions. I'll cork got out O the jug, an the fenc' rails was stan'in' in the air, some on 'el cross-ways an I don't know what no If that didn't beat all the sights I ev' see I never was SO tickled in my Tiff m if it had killed him I don't believe could have helped laffin', for there l lay, covered with paint, molasses, featl CTS, oats, bran an dirt, an madd' man you never see than he was.
 'rNow, Josiah don't very often swe, in my hearin', but tell ye there was blue streak ont down that hill that afte noon, what want already streaked wit paint and molasses. SaysI:
 "'Josiah, what's happened7 Don't :, like the down-hill road2'
 "sConsarn it! that's woman all owe Ain't satisfied with seein' man sto round in this way, without twittin' on bein' his own fault; an that aint all; won't sleep a wink tonight 'tilye've to ev'ry man, woman an child in the neig borhood.'
 sI jest stood there and hild on to [ sides til thought should go of, { when got so could speak, says I: J siah Jones, you're picture fer Conf Alnanack, if eyer there was one, entitl