Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-01-14
MRS. POSSUMN0SE.
BY A. CERES FRITsCH.

on ten year. Our married life was
about the average, that is, twas nuther
happier nor more onfortunit than other
folkses. We he'd our rightful share O.
trouble, or leastways we thort SO; ontil
our new neighbors moved into the house
acrost the way. AFTER that, me an my
man wus purity well agreed that our
measure o trouble was more'n rightly
orter fall to our share, that it was
heaped up an runnin' over.
Mind now, when say our neighbors,
don't mean the hull on 'em, not him
nor the young ones, they wus we'll
enough in their way; but her, Mrs.
Possumnose.
The Possumnoses he'd lived near
neighbors to us nigh onto a year before
we got properly acquainted with them.
That is to say, I'd called there when
they fust come an she ID bin to our house !;
but 'twan't no regular visitin' acquaint-
ance. I'd kind o. fit agin Seth goin'
there overly much of evenin's, not that
I knowed ennything agin her. bless yer
heart, no! But twas as eff I'd he'd
sort ov uncomfortable feelin', or a
warnin voice like, that KEEP telIin' me
inwardly, that the less we he'd to do
with her the better 'twould be fer us in
the end.
Wall, by n-by ctwill de year come
the middle O. next july, my little boy
wus took sick with the scarlet fever.
About the same time Seth broke his
arm tippin' over with load O. hay:
I felt dretful worretted about both
on 'em, an what with all the work to
do, an them to take care on, he'd my
hands an heart full enough.
The neighbors came in an offered
helpin' hand an wus kind as could be,
all on 'em, but nobody was more ready
an willin' to share my burden O. trouble
an set up nights an give help an adj
vice, than Mrs. Possumnose.
I wus fetched by her goodness an
took the help she give willinly, cause
knowed I'd be on hand to do the same
by her if emmy sickness should turn up
to her house.
By the Titles my neighbor worked
herself into my confidence, SOS to-
mostly overcome nv inward dislike and
fear l had agin her. She was so kind
an wi!lin' to do an help, seemed as eff
no sort O. weather could keep her to
hum fer day, while we wuz under
goin our affection, an as eff settin' up
nights to spell me in nussin' the sick
ones wus only play to her.
It's true, / begin to discover afore a
great while that Mrs. Possumnose made
our biZness her own more'n wus neces-
sary, nor agreeable to me, strictly
speakin', an 1 he'd good reason to mis-
trust that all the doin's and sayin's in
our family was kerrid off to the neigh
bors an talked over, an more put with
'em an changed round till 'twould
make yer eyes stick out O. yer head to
hear 'em told over.
'Twan't long afore little things I'd
said to Mrs. Possumnose wus brung
back to me, twisted into such shape
chat couldn't hardly tell they wus my
own story.
I I begun to wish I'd never Civ her no |
chance to come among us, but seem
she'd bin so kind an helpful when we'd
he'd sickness Ccause, let her be which
ever way she might in other things,
shall alwa's stick up for her there
she's fust-rate hand in sickness.)
1t seemed hard to turn agin her an
break her O. comm to our house an |
nosin' round what didn't consarn her. |
'Twould ha' seemed so much like as eff |
I'd he'd a ongrateful dispersishun an |
wusn't no hand to rec'llect past favers;
an of all failin's, preserve me from
that.
Wall, as time went by, Mrs. Postum
nose worked herself into our family
consarns more an more, an it seemed |
like as eff I wus entirely helpless to
prevent it. Cause why? She couldn't
take no slight hint, an to come right
out an tell her in plain talk that I
could see through her game an that
her company was a-gittin' to be dis
agreeable to me, hedn't the grit.
Seth said to me, ses he:
"Why on airth don't you put stop
to her peekin' an sneakin' an askin'
questions an maxim We tell what ye
don't want her to know? Ye nights
well do it now, afore she's got ye into
some trouble or other, cause she's
mischief-maker, that's plain to be seen,
an the only reason she wus so neigh
borly when me an Johnny wus sick is
that she wanted chance to make We
beholden to her, SOS ye couldn't shake
her off.
could see all that without Seth's
p'intin' it out to me, but as said afore,
I couldn't muster up the spunk to let
her know it. Eff ever a wumman paid
dearly fer neighborly help an sympathy
that's bin Civ her, that wumman wus
me. Eff there wus Unexpected omp'ny
come upon me, Mrs. Fossumnose must
pop in along about supper time to see
how the tea-table wus got up, eff me
an Seth he'd bin'lto town tradin', she
must come in the fust thing next
mornin' to find out all about what we'd
bin buyin' an how much we'd paid fer
it Eff hired wumman to do DAVIS
washin', my neighbor would be sure to
be on hand in the even'n', to see eff the
clothes looked clear an clean and ask
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