The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1890-05-23

A few weeks later Jenny was JUS
leaving the presence Of good Mrs. Perry,
mistress of a substantial old homestead
in the small, Struggling township Of
Norrisville, after having displayed hel
credentials and obtained a months en-
gagement on trial
The kitchen to which she was now in
troduced was unlike any with which her
short life had acquainted her 1t was a
farm kitchen, eld-fashioned but clean
understanding, with dark beams project
ing from the ceiling, and smoked hams
and fitches of bacon depending there
from; wide fireplace, which formed a
recess for the stove; a long, Whitley
brown table newly scrubbed; small-paned
windows, AID three-cornered oaken cup
boards. Here were buckets of szim-milk
made warm for the calFes-for 1t was
chore time now and began to grow dusky
"a basin OF white curir5Ea ezed dry for
siae last brood OF t1fEevs, affdsieaFes Of
rye bread, such as Jenny had never seen,
fresh from the oven, and steaming under
their wrappings. Close by the fire a
little motherless lamb was pinned
up in blankets, and stirring and
bleating uneasily, with voice
so like baby's that it made ones heart
tremble; and a bushel of potatoes ''cut
to eyes for planting suggested to the
little town waitress a horde of famished
barbarians. The ruling divinity here
was Mistress Ann Pettibone, a spinster,
shrewd, terse, sound and dogmatic, and
not to be outdone in that special depart
ment of 'ssmartness" to which she APP
piled herself. She received the new
conner with a series of vigorous mods,
cast an eye over her, approved her neat
look and opened conversation with the
gusto of born general
.'Waal, its good thing Mrs. Ferry's
got some one to help afore there's any.
more hands to board,p she began, with
an emphasis on the word "some one
that failed to be quite complimentary.
'It's the back 'ardest spring l ever see,
an the mud that's ben tracked in here
sence the middle o March 'ud be enough
to fill up fair-sized pease patch. Ever
work out before2"
"oh, yes; always" said Jenny, blush
ing and guaking.
"Wall, I only as'd, " declared Mistress
Pettibone, shortly. Clocks ike an IN
cosset, she docs, {" was her men
tai addition. ''The men folks is put to
it naow to get in the crops, but, law
sakes faint nothin' to what it II. be
tire hayin'l Here, you might take
a-holt an beat up these cakes eff you're
a min to. Land wy, they sot up the
bes' part O. the night gittin' the hay
in from that south medder las year, an
they et-wsal, SWAN, haow they did
esti" Here the good Ann seized upon
Jenny's bowl, and began to bake griddle
cakes as if for an army of harvesters.
Chow beautifully you do it," said
Jenny. won't you learn me how some
timel" Oh, artEess one, are you thus ii
ready the mistress of such skilful ca
ioleryi
HHumphi Here, taste bit, an see eff
I've got enough sody. Yew hear haow
Mis- Perry's old Durham got choked2
Jenny shook her head, not daring to
ask what Durham was ''Wasl, they'd
pitched aout a hull lot o ruty- bagys an
sich to the cattle one day, an some way
that critter got piece stuck in her throat
hear asort o. rumblin' an LOOM aout
to the farm yard, an run aout, an thar
she was daoun on her fore knees a-tossin'
ner head up over the wall an suckin'
ier wind in for dear life. The men folks
was off to the mill, an I dassent go nigh
ler; but jes' then I see stranger come
~, an l hoilered aout to him, an what
hid he do but roll up his shirt sleeve,
IN -ketch her about the neck somehow
- Here Ann paused dramatically.
What did he do that for2" asked
Jenny, at last, really with some discern
nent, seeing that the whole episode was
icarcely more ineligible to her than
1hoctaw.
"W'y, don't you see, he run his hull
Irm down her throat, an up come that
,iece o. turnip as slick as a candle.
.'And didn't the-the animal bite
limlp asked Jenny, more timidly.
''Waal, she did then, said Ann, some-.l
What gruffly, because no raconteur likes
o have his climax anticipated. "'She
lid chaw his arm up consid able, though
-ou'd never a thought she'd a done it.
they said she bit clean thro' a cord, or a /
lerve, or suthin', an he went of his
read for spell, aan' it turned sort o. 4
lumb-like. Mis- Perry, she's KEEP him I
N sepee. an doctored him up, seein |
low he saved her best caow; am then 4
res real handy man naow his arms git I
in better, an a master one for sptttin'
Up kindlin's. He's aout thar naow in the
ned, an you can jes' step to the dooran
all him to supper Gomez Hes got al