Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-11-02

EetAeF, tne sltlleH ttalbs VI hAl-oODcH
men were caused By the well known fact that
''Ole Dick WIZ mighty lively with his pistols
when he'd got huff whisky aboard"
His wife did not always have good print
dress to wear to town, the children were sell
dom provided with shoes, but she always
seemed contented and lazily happy, and there
was not u merrier set Of little ones. The
mother WIS fair haired, blue eyed woman,
and the children all looked Ike her.
'The children mostly awl ioo2s like me-"
she would say, with an amiable smile; "awl
of EN- 'cept Caddie, an | guess she looks
more like her pa"
you kin Jest bet | do, and I'm mighty
glad havn't no towhead like these here
young uns,n Caddie would answer. She was
Il remarkably handsome girl. and people who
admired her delicate, dark face were always
shocked when her coarse voice and coarser
language were heard. or course, this ener-
ge' &c girl ruled the whole family; the man,
Who, in spite Of his strength and ferocity,
was as tender hearted and simple minded as
u child, the indolent, auiable woman, and
the swarm Of tow beaded children.
Caddie rad dreams of something different
from the vagrant life that satisfied the rest
Of the family. Sometimes she saw herself q
busy wife and mother, moving about the two
or three rooms Of n log farm house, with a
few hardy flowers struggling for existence in
the small front garden, with currant bushes,
strawberry vines, and hourishing vegetables
surrounding the house, and with waving
1elds Of grain stretching away TO the dark
mountains that bound these western valleys.
She cuulded these visions to her mother
once
II tell yer what, NAV, she said, when l
git married hain't goin' to hev no sech a
ferlorn DOLBY shanty ez this here. It'll hev
to be II log house, an derued well plastered,
an whitewashed inside an out. An there'll
DO the purtest rag carpet On the front room
floor you ever see, an good board floor in
the Kitchen, too. An III hev a likely colt to
ride, All some cows, SOS to hev lots Of milk
an butter, an yer bet yer life I'll be the boss
o the hull golderned ranch"
''Yew'vc always he'd fire dees in vew're
head, Caddie," drawled her mother; IAN eff
vow marrics Bishop Burns, like yewro pa
wants yew tew, maybe he'll Civ yew log
house; but yew know well enuff that Dan
Williams CANT do no sech thing fer yen
"IIuhT observed Caddie; 'ef that bull
headed old Burns ever comes a shinin' round
me, he'll get sech a crack in is jaw II make
him see stars, or else my name haint Cad
Johnson
"WaI, | guess he'd better not risk it then"
said the woman, with a feeble laugh, 'yew're
pas u hitchin' up the bosses, Caddie, an |
reckon yew'd better pack tibet there bit o.
butter IN box, an mebbe ole Burns ull give
ycw some shoes fer it eff yewre real nice
tew him.
IAN right" answered Cadde; "looka-
here, you ON, Ill kick you into the middle
of next week If you don't stop tryin' to lasso
that there pig. Come along here now an
rlt yer face washed We're goin' to the
Coop an uebbc you'll sit some candy, ef
You behave yourselves"
There was only one seat in the wagon, and
on it sat Dick johnson and his wife who
held tho baby in her arms. Caddie sat on
tho box in the back of tho wagon, and tho
children rolled around her in tho hay that
was always taken along for the horses to eat
while the women were trading in the Co
operative store and the man was drinking at
the one saloon.
The road ran along the bank of tho river,
whose cleaning breadths, seen at intervals
throus b tho overhanging willows, together
with tho long sweep Of green, ard brown,
and gold bunch grass that bowed its tas-
soled heads as the breeze passed over it,
waving like many colored sea away to tho
dark mountains with their snowy tops,
formed picture almost sublime in its per-
feet loveliuess
THAT there grass is cen a. most ready to
cut remar- ed old Dick; Il guess I'll borry
the bishops hay rick to-morrcr, an 60 aft r
q load o hay, an you yunguns kin coms
alocg an help stamp it, eff You want to-"
Tho children set up joyful shout, for
tbs was q treat for them, as it would be to
any one, TO tumble about III the long grass;
to fish for minnows in the cool gurglng
creel; to wade into it knee deep for water
cross, II picl; tart. wild berries, and to
cat all these deiicacies with the sweet home
made bread and country butter And after
this delightful day, how pleasant it was to
roll in tho sweet smelling; hay, with the
breezes cooling their sun burned cheeks,
during the long ride homo.
The sol drew up at last in front of the
village store, and the girl marshaled tho
children INTO the Coop with a good deal
of forcible persuasion.
How do do, Sister Johnson said tho
storekeeper, who was also the Mormon
bishop; well Caddie, | see you're as fat
and s&rsy us you ever was"
Caddio stared at him scorntully, not be-
cause she was offended at his free language,
she was quite used TO that; but this uncouth
NASAkH4S bsisl As lIuGJ q
any other l5-year-old girl
How much be you payin' fer tip top but
ter nowF sAc asked; I'm let You hev this
here. et you'll Civ me six bits roll fer it
"Oh, come now he said. '.you don't
want to do me out o all my profits like that
Seem its you, I'll let you hev two bits a
pound fer it, an that's more'n I'd do fer
ennybody else"
Well" said the girl. II guess I'll jest
look at some Shoes and il kin see par |
like, III take EN- fer the butter"
Caddies mother had gone with her numer-
Gus offspring to visit friend aud Cadde
was left alone to do her trading Her
elderly admirer took advantage Of this fact
TO plead his cause with the handsome girl.
You've got purity little foot fer gal o.
your size, he said, as she tried on pair OF
callsSiu shoes. declining all help from him.
"Huhr said the lady, too engrossed with
her task to police the compliment; "yas,
these here shoes fits kinder slick, but don't
b'heve they'll bold water when the snow
comes"
oh, they'll hold water fast enough he
answered; but they amt half nice enough
fer sech a hansum foot as yourn Now here's
pair o kid shoes I'm a-savin fer my wife"
We'll" asked Caddie sharply, then why
don't you give am to heri Lord knows she
needs um had enuSn
Now, look a-here, Cad" he said, "thet's
tomfoolishness, an you know it; Mirandy
don't want fer nothin', and she don't care
about fineries, but most girls does, an tell
you what, my secordll hev the incest duds o
any woman in town"
Caddie bad put her shoes on again by this
time, aud she did not propose to listen to him
any longer. II would not be wise TO quarrel
with the bishop, but she had no desire Ito
play second fiddle in no kind O. music" and
she told him So
"Haw, haw, haw," he laughed, II guess
not kin Jest see the way my ole womann
hev to step around when you air Mrs Burns
See here, Caddie, y he added, ~ she turned to
60. Il want g talk to jog, an You pighs