Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-03-15

A few weeks later Jenny was just
leaving the presence of good Mrs. Perry,
mistress of substantial old homestead
in the small, struggling township of
Norrisville, after having displayed her
credentials and obtained months en-
gagement on trial.
The kitchen to which sac was now in
troduced was unlike any with which her
short life had acquainted her. 1t was a
farm kitchen, old fashioned but clean
sweet-sinelling, with dark beams project
ing from the ceiling, and smoked hams
and hitches of bacon depending there
from wide fireplace, which formed a
recess for the stove; long, whitley
brown table newly scrubbed small -paned
windows, and three-cornered oaken cup
boards Here were buckets of skim milk
made warm for the calves-for it was
chore time now and began to grow dusky
"a basin of white curd squeezed dry for
the last brood of turkeys, and loaves 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
harbarians. The ruling divinity here
was Mistress Ann Pettibone, spinster,
shrewd, terse, sound and dogmatic, and
not to be outdone in that special depart
ment of "smartness" 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 it's good thing Mrs. Ferry's
got some one to help afore there's any
more hands to board, " she began, with
an emphasis on the word "some one"
that failed to be quite complimentary.
ats the back ardest spring l ever see,
an the mud that's ben tracked in here
sence the middle o March nd be enough
to fill up a fair-sized pease patch. Ever
work out before2"
"Oh, yes; always" said Jenny, blush
ing and quaking,
wall, I only as'd, declared Mistress
Pettibone, shortly Clocks like an un-
dersized 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 nothln' to what it II be
-thro' havin' Here, you might take
a-holt an beat up these cakes eff you're
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-waal, SWAN, haow they did
eatD Here the good Ann seized upon
Jenny's bowl, and began to bake griddle
cakes as if for an army of harvesters.
''How beautifully you do it," said
Jenny. 'Won't you learn me how some
time?" Oh, artless one, are you thus al
ready the mistress of such skilful ca
jolery.
''Humphi Here, taste a bit, an see eff
I've got enough sody. Yew hear haow
Mis- Perry's old Durham got chokedl
Jenny shook her head, not daring to
ask what Durham was. "Waal, they'd
pitched aout hull lot O. ruty- bagys an
SIGH 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'
her head up over the wall an suckin
her wind in for dear life The men folks
was off to the mill, an dassent go nigh
her; but jes' then | see stranger come
by, an | hoilered aout to him, an what
sh'd he do but roll up his shirt sleeve,
an -ketch her about the neck somehow
=" Here Ann paused dramatically.
What did he do that for2" asked
Jenny, at last, really with some discern
ment, seeing that the whole episode was
scarcely more ineligible TO her than
Choctaw
"W'y, don't you see, he run his hull
arm down her throat, an up come that
piece o turnip as slick as candle.
And didn't the-the animal bite
himl" asked Jenny, more timidly.