St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-11-02
ME AND URIAH.
Our Experience in Keeping Sum-
mer Boarders.

Our Experience in Keeping Sum
mer Boarders.
Me and Uriah had got along fust
rate fur about thirty years or SO whei
the love of gain got bold OF me. and
/ made up my mind to keep summer
bOarders.
There was the Blinkerses: they't
made enough to buy new kerridge II
take um tn meetin', and there wus the
Poplinses that had all gone into silks
fur the same cause; and seq to Uriah,
sez /:
Look here. Henery." that's my
pet name for Uriah, ''why not?" sez |.
well, NANNY" sez Uriah. that's
his pet name for me, ''well. dunno Al
there is any reason pertickeler ag in it
only we've been so kinder comfortable
as we be- Wen hev to do more. and
wen hev to buy lots of things; and
cookin' fur twenty amt like c0Okin
fur two. specially when the two ain''
pernickctty and is healthy. You'd
orter hear Farmer Poggins wish t0
mussy his wife would give up takin'
um: she's been 10 bed. with the doctor
com in twice a day. on account OF over
work. Boardcrs amt all angels. and
keepin' um amt all parrydice"
But think of the money. my pre-
cious old honey" sez |, maxim pctry
without meaning tn do it. think
how you will kinder like TO say to
yourself: Now, there is SO much
banked / sha'n't spend it onto rib
bins or kerridgcs- Well bank it and
get satisfaction out Of it, and you and
me won't hev no fear fur old age.
What's little more work? You ain't
but fifty and l amt but forty-seven.
We've got our health and strength; II
won't hurt us"
1T may in other ways" seq Criah.
s.But | never hinder you from actin rs
you please, and never shill. Nancy"
And so the next day jez went down
tn New York and had it put inter the
paper that Mrs. Pottleton. of Stopover.
would take few select summer
boarders. Plenty of fresh eggs and
milk, fruit, mountain air. and not
many muskee.ers.
SAY none," sez the young man at
the desk, when he read the advertise
ment-he wuz young man l knOwed
TO speak tu-''say no muskeeters. Mrs.
Pottlctoa, as the rest does"
The rest tells fibs, then" sez L
'.They is some everywhere.
Leave it out altogether then. sez
he, and SO did. and put in my prices
instead.
Well, got lots of answers, and by
the middle OF June had fifteen board
crs Me and Uriah was sleeping in the
barn. Twas obleeged to keep help.
which was great trial. and ! was be-
ginning TO run down considerably from
work and anxiety. Still. 10 15s is $50.
as used to keep saying to myself.
when got up feeling like boiled owl.
and wasn't goin' give up after gettin'
my own way agin' Uriah the way l had
got it.
Idunno but I'd hev stuck tn it ef it
hadn't been for the Jessamys. They
was city folkses and come down one
Monday mornin'.
The ma Miss Jessamy. was one Of
the hy-away kind Of widders' dressed
principally in bugles. She shone COM
in up the road considerbul more'n .
tin-peddler The darters wus sixteen
and eighteen and twenty-one. They
wus laced and hustled out. and frizzed
and ribboned like Christmas dolls in
York show-winders. And they brought
down trunks enough for an army, and
games they called lawn-t snnis and
archery.
The fust wus balls and bAts and net
tins. the last wus bow-arrers and .
target. But they couldn't find no place
for their tennis, ana the lamentin' and
the sighin' and the appealin' to dear
Mr. Pottleton to give them ground
enough, until Uriah jest made a blamed
fool of himself and squared off one Of
the hay-medders for um. and rolled it
and help 'em f:ir tn sot up nets. and
went and made rustic seats fur 'cm.
and wasn't to be seen only at meal
times fur the best of the week.
Wall, I'd calkerlated on Criah help
in, me. In old times ef had punxin-
pies tn make he'd cut up the punkin.
and he'd heat up the oven Criah was
real smart for a man. and never hevin'
no children he did lots Of things fur
me-hung out the clothes sometimes
when there wurn't no need Of him onto
the farm. and he used to stand fur me
TO drape my skirts on like lamb.
But now, when l bed more tn do than
ever had in my life before he didn't
come nigh me.
/ bore it quite a spell before ! spoke.
But one night walked up in our bed
in the barn, aggravated by remember
i'm that I'D had to split my own kin
slin's that day. and l said all had to
sag-bottlin' UP SO long ] had plenty.