The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-06-09

to come out an the weather 'uz a-git'
tin warm she'd go up in the woods an
gether all she could carry.
"Cajer, he used to low sometimes
that Smanthy ort to be a-doin' some
thin to help take keer O. the children,
stead O. traipsin around the timber;
but she'd only sort O smile like, an
say the best part O. her life 'ud be
a-lack;n' eff she couldn't see the purity
things that 'uz SO common ever where's.
"Well, one day, about fifteen years
ago, Cajerd gone down to the diggin's
to get grist O. corn ground fer to
make corn-bread. an Smanthy got the
cabin redied up an went up the hill be-
hind the truck-patch an into the
woods, to look fer flowers an to see
what the children 'uz a-doin'. When she
got up thar about forty rod, she could
smell somethin' Albumin, an purity
soon she heerd the children a-screamin'
like bcin' killed. She ran up the hill
through the bushes an turned around
the pint of sort o off shoot of the
bluff, an then she seed what 'uz the
matter. They had made fire in the
leaves that laid on the ground thick
over winter, an it had spread out an
got clean around 'em, an when
Smanthy see 'em. it 'uz Albumin
tur' BILE fierce an gettin' closter to 'em
ever mint. She never stopped her
runnin'. but jes' went tearin' right
through them blazes ten foot high, an
grabbed the two youngest, an held 'em
clost agin her breast an bent her head
down over EN- like, an run out to
safe place. Then, without stoppin' to
take breath, she run back agin-fer
the fire uz a-drorin' up into mighty
small ring by that time-an' grabbin'
the other one O. the children up, she
Rugged it clost, an sort o wrapped
her dress around it's head. an then run
out with it.
when they started down to the
cabin, Smanthy made the children lead
her, she 'uz burnt that bad, an seemed
like she couldn't see very well, fer she
KEEP a-stumblin' an askin' the oldes'
gal which way to 60.
along IN the evenin', CATER, he
come home, an went in the cabin
hungry as houn'; but supper wuzn't
ready, not even q fire burning in the
stove. He 'uz powerful vexed, an
axed where Smanthy wuz. The chill
dren said she 'uz a-settin' down to the
spring. He up and went a-tearin'
down thar, purity mad, an thar she set
on the rock, a-cryin' soft, an tryin' to
look up hyar at the sun a-shinin' on
the top O. this hill. She heerd him
a-comin', an SEE she, kind O quiet
like, afore ne could open his mouth:
Cajer, says she, I'm that burnt that
I'm blind, an can't see the sunshine
mr. the flowers mr. the children no
more An then she bust out cryin'
like she'd die.
"Cajer went back to the diggin's an
got the doctor, an he tended on her
for nigh onto six months. Her face
w allus kind o smooth-lille an white,
an her eyes 'uz blue an big an looked
plumb through Teller, afore that; her
hair 'uz sort O crinkly, too, like the
shaller water in the crick whar it runs
swift; but when she got well, they 'uz
big scars all over her face, an her hair
'uz ez stiff an straight ez wire, I'M the
wust thing 'uz that she 'uz that blind
that she couldn't tell whether it 'uz
day or night.
after that it seemed like she w sort
of stupid. an nothin' Caier mr. any o.
the neighbors could do I'D make her
chirk up. She jes' set there quiet, an
never said nothin' hardly, an every
day when the sun 'uz a-shinin' she'd
have one O. the children lead her down
to the rock by the spring, an then
she'd turn her face up lords this hill
like she 'uz a-tryin' to see the yeller
light on the trees an rocks up hyar.
81 reckin her a-grievin' an sor-
rowin' that way sort o changed her.
fer she got to be like child agn. The
children 'uz a-growin' up, an they set
a heap o store by Their nanny, recol-
lectin' how her suferin' all come from
her savin' them; an Cajer, too, seemed
like he 'uz a-tryin' to make up fer bein'
contrary sometimes afore she w hurt.
Yes, they take mighty good keer O.
Smanthy now, an she seems kind O.
happy an les like little gal.
That's why said while ago that
l lowed Smanthy 'uz a-gettin' supper
She thinks nothin' 'ud be done eff it
warn't fer her, an the rest o 'em they
don't say nothin' to contrary her. She
scrapes the taters, an strings the beans,
an ever thin o that kind, an then
after she gifts done one O the children
takes 'em an goes away whar she can't
hear, an fixes them all over agin, fer
not bein' able to see, she can't do it
right. When they git done eatin, moth
in II do but she must have rag an
dry the dishes, and then one O. the gals
wipes 'em agin. 1t makes Teller feel
kind O. Gurus in the throat to see Cajer
huntin' around in the woods fer flowers
fer Smanthy to hold in her hand an
smell of, cause he don't keer nothin'