St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-03-07
THE MOUNTAIN WHITES.

he MUM AIN w Ill EO.
Mrs. "Gee Moses"--A Character Study.
We came to call her Mrs. Gee
Moses" from her frequent use of that
expletive, and, in the first moments
of our acquaintance | saw that she
was character" Therefore, when
we had joined her at the mansion, |
pressed her to alight and come into
the house, that | might study her
more at my leisure But she declin-
ed, saying, with a gratified smile,
you Sc very perlite; any one mout
know YOU was a Yankee. YOu'se so
perlite yOu'se most made me forget
what | come fur. You see | sell
place, you don't raise huff ter keep
yer fam bly, Nv niggers. Gee Moses
| wudn't hev so many on 'em round
me, not for nothin'."
Nor would we, madam, if we
could help it," | answered. 1--WE do
buy truck, and we wouldn't object
to buying of you; but, how is it that
you, woman, and with a Yankee
husband, are around selling farm
produce :"
wall, yer see" she answered,
Use right smart man for hus-
band, and he stays to home and
raises things, and I-seein' he trust
ed folks too much, and got fooled too
often-cluded I'd better do the barg-
'inin'-and so we go. He wucks, an
trades, and ye'd better believe we
get on right well together. But
though he is a wicker and real
smart, he hain't smart huff ter deal
with these North Carlinas. If l am
one on 'em, must say they be a aw-
full mean set round hyar. They'd
borrer his very hide and never brung
it back, eff | didn't watch 'em at
every turn"
When we had completed some
needed purchases, | invited her again
to come into the house, but, drawing
from her belt an old-fashioned silver
watch, and consulting it rather os-
tentatiously, she again declined, say
ing, Not now, | thank YOU My
watch says it's after twelve, and
must make my way along. But
tain my watch; it's my husbands.
He brung it from Vermont. But I'll
tarry some other time, and have my
man come ter see We. You'll like him,
fur he's wicker, and q Yankee like
yerselves."
And then she spoke to her horse,
and away she went, about as fast as
her tongue had travelled.
After this Mrs. Gee Moses was q
constant caller at our house, and
with each of her visits we became
more interested in her; but she per-
refused our invitations to
alight, and come into my library, all
one of these occasions, drawing out
her watch as usual, she said, MY
man has heap NV book larnin' an
he's read to me as. how time is
SO yer see, l carry it in my
belt, fur | reckon it's well ter hev
some money alters about We, even if
it ar borrered."
She had been our regular visitor for
several weeks, when, with no eXpla-
she ceased coming, and as
day after day went by without her
we concluded something
had happened to her, and we had
lost the little bit of history we had
hoped to extract from her experiences
in that mountain region. We knew
where she lived, and had decided to
ride over to the farm to ascertain
what had become of her, when, sud
denly, she again drove up to our
doorway in her trim Jersey wagon.
[ saw her approach from the open
door of my library, and stepping out
upon the lawn [ accosted her with,
Good morning, Mrs. B.. I'm
delighted to see you. Where in the
world have you been ?"
Been ?" she echoed. Been ter see
my boys over ter Tennessee-been a
kyar ride-jest let me tell We bout it ~
DO | replied. Come, sit here
on the bench and tell me all about it"
Cant thai int got time now; but
fur all that, I'll tell We bout it. Ye
see, I'd never been on the kyars in all
my born days. My man he put me
and while l was a-luckin at
him frum the kyar winder, thar come
a jerk, an a hitch, an putin, an a
an off we piked. An how
we did go! Gee Moses The fences,
the barns, an the houses got all mix
ed up tergether, an l jest thought
we was gOin' all ter smash; but |
grabbed a-holt Nv the seat ahead of
me, an bullied up an bore it. But |
ye'd better b'lieve | was skeart. 1t |
peared as FIVE was fyin'. Icouldn't |
see nothin' AFTER while we stop
ped; an then we COED on ag'in with |
4 jerk, an a hitch, worse'n a balkv |
horse, till, with yell that went all |
me, we belt up ter Warm
Springs. | reckon l won't trust my |
bones on them kyars ag'in in hur-
W"
Il am glad to hear you say so,
Mrs. b, for we feel lonesome if we
miss your pleasant face of morning. |
But when are we to have that visit
you have promised us ~
well, let me see she answered
Use been away ten
lays, an | mout as well be hung fur
I sheep as lamb, so I'll make it
leven, an come termorrer But We
must hev yer woman ter home, or
ny man mout be jealous
''She will be here; but bring Your
along-we'll be right glad
o see him.
Cant do that she replied, ''but
II hev him come ter see We, some