Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-02

''What do you want OF such blamed
pictures as that?" said Blewitt from
the lounge "Why don't you go down
to Takem's at Albany and git photo
graphs?"
photographer said the whole fam
lily. what funny names he gets off
in his crazy fancy"
Blewitt was too weak to argue, and
he seemed to be somewhat out of SYM
pathy or knowledge with all mankind,
so he just lay still and watched the
girls get supper. He noticed the fire.
board was down and fire was built in
the fireplace. A kettle was on the
hearth and was covered with live Goals.
Soon he saw the girls take out of the
kettle some nice biscuits and he said
weakly, ''Why don't you use the cook
stoYe?"
"Poor pa said Angelina, chow he
wanders. Cook-stove! Wonder what
he means?"
Blewitt closed his eyes and thought.
Bayley, his new neighbor, was a man
he could trust-that is, in anything but
money matters. He knew Bayley was
badly in debt, but he was a good fell
low. He would send for him; so he
called his wife and told her to send
over for him.
'Why, you know" said Mrs. Blew
lit, ''Bayley has been in Jail for debt
for the last ten years"
In-jail-for-d said Blewitt;
''herewe are again. | have been trans
planted. give up; but say, here is 2
cents. You send letter down to broth
er John and he will be up here in
day or two"
''Why, husband, the mail only goes
once week, and then he will be three
days coming up on the stage, and, fur
thermore, it will cost a shilling-12
cepts-to send letter to Albany"
"Say," said Blewitt, ''just bury me,
will you? I don't belong to this cen
tury. Stage coaches! Twelve cents
postage! Telegraph him, then!''
'There goes another new word, "said
his wife in solemn voice, and she wet
ted cloth and laid it on his forehead,
as she repeated to herself: g Telegraph
what funny word!'
Blewitt was in despair. Could it be
that all the common things of life were
to him a dream? Had he ever ridden
on the cars? Did he ever own now
ing machine? Was there ever a tele-
graph pole in front of his house? He
turned his eye and looked out. He
only saw the tall post and long pole of
the well-sweep. Along the other side
of the road ran dense forest. He
was willing to swear that he had once
owned a nice meadow where that wood
was. Backed up against the log fence
was an ox-cart with neap as large as
young liberty pole. Down cellar he
could hear the banging of an old-fash-
toned churn. He looked up the road
to the east and saw the road was full
of great hemlock and pine stumps, and
over it the doctor was coming on horse
back, with saddle-bags before him.
Blewitt was a man of determination,
and he arose from the lounge and
went to the door to consult with his
wife.
MARIE said he, ''there has been
enough of this foolishness. You stare
at everything [ talk about, and can't
locate myself, or seem to fay in my
surroundings. Now, will you just an
swer me one question:
Certainly | will if l understand it,
said she.
"Well, then, who is president of these
'ere United States?n
''Why, John Adams, of course" she
said.
Blewitt sank down and whispered:
''Then you never heard of Cleveland
swingin' round the circle?"
''No, never" she answered.
Then, all right. Shoot me or put
me in a bag and lay me away in the
garnet. have got through, = said Blew
lit, and he went back to the lounge and
fell asleep.
When he awoke it was Sunday morn
ing, and the whole family were stirring
around getting ready for meeting. His
wife, of whom he was somewhat proud,
had put on a dress with a waist about
nine inches long and a skirt so tight
she could hardly walk, and on her head
such bonnet! 1t made Blewitt hold
his breath, but he had got through talk
ing. Fhe boys had on suits of full
cloth, and shirt-collars seven inches
wide. Bfswitt smiled but said moth
inc. At1ast Mrs Blewitt came to him
and asked him if he was going to
church.
Certainly, certainly said he, ':any-
thing to accommodate. Tell one of the
boys to hitch a horse on to the top car
riage.''
''Top carriage? There you 90 again
"Well, them" roared Blewitt, .'hitch
on to the stone boat, hitch on to the OK
cart, hitch on to anything. Have it
your own way"
'.Why, we will 90 on horseback-you
on the saddle, on the pillion behind"
said the wife.
"All right said Blewitt, and away
they went.
Blewitt made some adverse remarks
about the singing in church, which was
led by deacon with fiddle. The
sermon was too long, too. 1t lasted
two hours. On his way home from
church his wife appeared to be in fear
of something and urged him to hurry
up. He asked her what allied her, and
she told him, in trembling voice, that
his queer talk had made the minister
think him bewitched, and she feared
he would be burned or drowned.
What kind of a countryis this, any
how?" asked Blewitt
Then Mrs. Blewitt reminded him that
in New England several had thus died,
and that everybody believed in it, and
the church was death on witchcraft.
''Then [ guess we better light out
from here" said Blewitt, as he clapped
spurs to his horse.
Away they went. rattle-te-bang, over
stumps and logs and stones. and there
was a rattle and roar behind. and he
knew they were after him. They came
to log bridge over a brook, and they
struck it so hard that down it went,