Democratic messenger., 1888-09-01
aO0D OLD TIMES.

,F@Eitzabeth stuart Pnelpa
s 3O0D OLD TIMES.
~ s,witt was Q little. dried up
ir91 and ho used 10 wear red
cf kund his neck and red flannel
q fra on his plug hat when he went
sting In winter lie was always
III & TO argue that these modern times
Zero awfully bad. and that the good old
times OF q hundred years ago were lust
right He would decry invention and I'm
provement and say that tho world would
10 better without them He took a news
paper on purpose 10 count the murders 70
corded In Il and toll how bad the world
had grown He would stand for hours on
q corner In the village and retail his do
ductions on tho present and his regrets
for the past
Ono day hc had whipped tho minister In
argument. and as he had had hts dinner
and tho minister had gono away mad and
the women were At work In the kitchen,
hc tipped ba. his chair. drew a red
silk handker yer his head to keep
of tho Aics TO sleep He had
not slept ov Nutes before his son
John came
Come. fn pust got at that
piccc OF wheat
Blewitt go, o. ewned and fol
lowed his son to tho lard. wliere his
two SONS sat on q log Y couple OF
sickies
What In tho nation a. N doing with
those old sicklesr' said 81
tine Of the boys looked Nishcd and
said ,,Doin1 Why we are Nag ready
To cut tho wheat.
Blewi,t stared g,omen, and y, , said
why In thunder don't you hitoOon to
that reaper and stop foolin' with them
sicklcsy''
The boys looked at each other In sur.
prise. but said nothing Blewitt ran TO
the shed. but there was no reaper there
lie came back The boys had got over tho
fence and were OH their knees rcaping tho
wheat and carrying Il In gavels
Boys" said Blcwitt. what do you
mean by this foolishness, whcro Is tha,
reapers"
Charley. tho second boy. looked at his
father pityingly. and then tapped his fore
head and looked over TO John. who nodded
and looked sad
| why uhIN DIcWIIt, yOt iuu
never run them bundles through thrcsh
= .Thrsshin machine. sa,a , Charley.
''why. you know Us well Us | do that |
shall have to fail this wheat out mornings
and nights while going to school this
winter What ails you. fatherr'
Blewitt. as We said. got mad easily
and now hc just hoppeu up aud down and
said
"F1ail II outl l, mus, bc threshed
ready TO ship on tho cars next month
| Cars. cars. said John. don't know
what ails you. father. or what you mean
know shall have 10 team this wheat
down to Albany and sell II for what IL
will bring Here you como out talkin'
about reapers and cars and thrcshin' ma
chimes. and darned IL don't believe you
are crazy. so now
Blewitt pinchcd himself 20 SEQ II hc
was awake and strode angrily TO the
house As no approached II no heard q
rumbling and roaring like wind. and he
looked into the kitchen and there was his
wife spinning Who-o-o went the big
wheel and Blcwitt sank into chair and
yelled
"Now. Maria. what under tho canopy
arc you doinT'
"boinr" said mis- wife. why. spinnin',
OF course must get out forty yards OF
full cloth for you and tho boys. and
twenty yards OF pressed flannel for mo
and tho gals
Blewitt looked down at his legs and saw
them incased In full cloth of coarse tex
ture. and the seat Of his trousers he felt
reached clear up 10 his shoulder blades.
and tho legs were rs wido as two bushcl
sacks
well. I'll bedarned." was all no said
Drcamily he sauntcred out again TO the
wheat field. and John hailed him
Father. II you amt goin' TO help cut
tho wheat. suppose you yoke the oxen and
go up 10 tho woods and draw draft or
two Of logs for woodY'
Blewitt wns composed. but he said Il
had intended TO burn coal In tho sitting
room and parlor. and not cut much
wood
Goal. coali" said John. angrily: NOW
SEQ here. father. don't want any more of
this foolish talk am goin to git doc
tor
Blcwii, began to think hc needed one
himself Hero his boys had never heard
Of reaper or thrcsl,nlg machine or cars
lio fel, of hts full cloth pants aud groaned
On tho lounge at tue house he laid him
self down and tried TO calmly think things
over When tho doctor came he called
fui pnil and barred Blcwitts arm u.
t0ok out his lance. and then Elcwii;
grOan,d again
I must takc gallon OF blood said
thr doctor. and then hc will calm down
aud be all right.
Don't YOU know blccdin' IVES played
out fifty years agof" said Blcwitt
''llow he wandcrs said the doctor. and
plunged IN hts lancet Blewitt tainted
When he came to himself he heard ono o:
the girls talking about an artist down Ia
the village who took profile pictures with
q spindle as natural as life
What do you want Of such blamed
pici iurcs "a thatT said Blcwitt from the
lounge Why don't you 20 down ic
Takems ut Albany and grt photographs
photographs said the whole family
what funny nanlcs he gets on IN hi'
crazy fancy
Blewiii was ton weak to arguc and hs
seemed To- ha. somehow ont of sympathy
or knowledge with all mankind ~ hr iusl
lay still. aud watched the girls g,'i supper
lie ndi',sl that the hn'lnmrd wu- dawn
nnd tn, wHs built ~ -. ir"l'la,r \
kettle was nh tia mgIr'h anal wS~ .Wvrn1