The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-12-18
A CHRISTMAS STORY.

1T was Christmas night, 1874" con-
!inued Plunkett, "when first seed Peter
simpson, though it had been norated
GROUND for some time that there was er
stranger in the settlement, and that he
was erkin to old Billy Brooks, and was
srgwyne to settle ermong us if he could
ind er place to suit him."
Brown drew his chair up closer to the
)ld man and remarked:
Them war the days when you played
'he fiddle, and hain't much to brag on
myself nor on my kin, but | never seed
40 music that come up to Sugar in the
iourd' when | was er handling the
hraws and you was er pulling of the
,ow."
I've seed the day could fairly make
fiddle talk" nodded Plunkett, and
hen continues:
"On the Christmas night of 1874 thar
vas a party at old man Jimmy Law
'ence's, and we'd all gathered and the
young folks had played er game er two
Of SIGH as 'Thimble. and Timothy Tub
srbutin, and Snap Out, till at last they
gathered partners and begin to walk
GROUND and GROUND, and Peter he was
here stranger and he didn't have no
partner and wasn't er having nothing to
do with the walking GROUND. So Lucy
Coats, as good er girl as ever lived in
Georgia, wanted to make him feel at
home, and 80 she axed him TO be the
middle fellow.
'That's the way the play is. They all
have partners but one. The odd one
gets in the middle as they all walk
GROUND and sing, and when they git to
the part in the song where 1t says Right
here I'll find her they all change part
ners and the middle man has the right
to jump beside some of the girls if he is
quick enough and then that fellow that
loses his girl gets in the middle, and 80
it goes"
"Oh, | know that old play" spoke
Brown, at the same time drawing his
chair little nearer to the old man.
WELL" continued Plunkett. "Peter
he got in the middle, and the youngsters
walked GROUND and GROUND er singing
30 as you could er heerd 'em er mile:
~ fhnS eo0 u ndl0, enu u COiu seoihy "e->s"S-'
Along comes the farmer drinking all the cider;
III reap the oats and who'll be the binder!
lost my true love and right here I'll find her.
And then the change come and Peter
he throwed himself GROUND and got by
the side Of Lucy, and he has told me
since that he loved her from that very
mint"
Old man Brown was unable to contain
himself longer and he remarked:
And Lucy made him as good er wife
Is ever or man had"
Plunkett frowned ct being disturbed
but soon continued:
Tho young folks went on with their
playing-nrst one thing and then an
other-till pretty soon they got partners
and went walking GROUND and GROUND
ergin. singing:
VERY wsa dosA lid johnnie Brown
Thb b ths way 70 London town;
6tAnd yuu star, Sand you BY
TN you hsar The Waterman cry.
~ou this caspss you must kneel
Khs your tsus love In the field,
KiA ~ oas thas you love best
Juse bseosS shs Soss 70 resG
pretty soou," continued Plunkett:
they cried ont, Seat your partners
and Peter and Lucy was right close 70
mo end Lucy shs turned and Iowed'
M. Plunkett, Ut me make you &C.
qaain1sd WITH N. Simpson
'Thsn Peter b. shook hands erlong
WITH n md tack q seat by me, and II
want no tine TN me and him was just
LIN GA friends, and be lived BY me- Q!
long tms and l never had q truG friend
'oe bsl1ssnsiehbor. and Christmas maxi,
~ tAink eEtsut tAsss old times ane |.
49, ~ nasAhoss thas have pas'eo
'sw ts.vG
.WSal,r oontinusd Plunkstt, "Psesa
- Lar mas4isd during OF the yeaa
ieesal tkAss whas want 70 tel yoe
Aswsa iag hoass that 70.
- n " ~ vAss ~ noo 4 d
=, - - M nv0 = uaee1 n.
S3GS r - I'm ~ 80 y.
@ 800 ~ rs1w 80 -
- dsAas