Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-10-29


in the house, that i had to burn some
coffee on top of the stove to fumigate
the room.
'Twould cost money!" SEE |, 'and
your father cant spare much, thi;
year, on account of that boss having
the heaves and dying, and milk;
going down to two cents onto the
can"
But Margaret Ann sed that didn't
make no difference-we could do the
work ourselves. And she talked al
me so much and used so many words
that had never been aired sense they
was put into Webster on the bridge
and that give in. | could have
stood out agin words of two syllables
but, when they come to be shot at me
eight and ten syllables long, | went
down before 'em like grass before a
four-hoss mowing-machine.
She talked the scheme into her pa
in much the same way, and got ten
dollars out of him and the liberty to
do as she was a-mind to.
We harnessed the old mare into
Wagon and went over to Smithville
and got the painter there to mix up
some paint, and we bought some
paper and some red curtains and
some prepared glue and some varnish
and some tacks with brass heads, and
other things too numerous to mention.
We begun on the front room first.
We piled all the furniture into the
front entry, and sot a table against
the door that was loaded down with
lots of things.
Margaret Ann put Oh an old red
petticoat Of mine over her dress, and
tied her head up in a gingham
apron, before she went to business.
My Uniform was one of Reuben's old
calico shirts that kept for him to
wear in NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. any
body sweat so in haying, that it rots
shirt clean to nothing-and l put it
ON outside Of my old delaine skirt
that | wear when | am a-whshing.
We had the wash-bench and two
barrels with board over 'em to stand
upon. l had the barrels and Marga-
ret had the bench.
"Now ma" seq she, dipping her
brush into the paint you want to dip
lightly: give it a little dab against
the side of the pail, to shake out the
superfuent paint, and draw it toward
you-so, in this way" And she dab
bed and then she drawed-and, the
result was amazing The paint flew
and squirted all into Margaret's face
and eyes, and she looked like the
piece of "spatter-work" that Miss
Dismore took the premium oftwenty-
FIVE cents on at the Smithville cattle
show last fall. And she grabbed up
the tail Of that petticoat, which had
dipped itself into pot of black paint
that we had mixed to stripe off with,
and rubbed it over her countenance,
and black and blue was about equally
mixed.
Heaven and earth! Margaret
Ann" seq l, you'll never come clean
in the world without billing out. And
l made rush toward, to wipe her off
with my apron, and | forgot that l
was OH them barrels and the board
tilted up, and | made a grab to save
myself, and down | went into one of
them barrels-feet fust, paint brush
and all-and the barrel fitted me as
we'll as if the copper had took my
measure.
Murder :" cried Margaret, running
to the door and shouting down the
road: ma has suicided herself !!
Help. help"
And, in a mint, Reuben came run
ing in like mad, and Squire Power.
Creation of Adam !" SEE Reuben,
"now there is another good barrel
gone to shucks And l shall have
to buy barrels to put my apple crop
into! Twenty cents on one barrel
out Mirandy," SEE he, cit is strange
that a woman as old as you are can't
keep herself out of scrapes like this"
II guess it'll be scrape in airnest
afore | git out" seq |, as l squirmed
around and the nails on the inside of
the pesky barrel begun to pillow into
my hide.
Lets pull her out" seq Squire
Power, splitting onto his hands and
bracing hisself. "You hold onto the
barrel, and I'll extract her Jest as
dentist takes out moulder."
And Reuben grabbed the barrel,
and the Squire grabbed me. He got
me right by the shoulder that I've
had rhumatiz into for nigh onto six
year, and for a minnit, l thought l
should be made into two Mirandy
Wigginses. ! struck out with the
hand that had the paint brush in it.,
and the Squire's mouth was the near
est and most convenient opening
and in the hrush went naint and all