The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-05-01
UNCLE PETER.
How the Gossips Unwittingly
Brought About Wedding.

ShO AAbeAo SouAtiy SllldSo AcdTu VIC
clang of the cracked, old hand-bell and.
afterward, the shrill, quavering notes
of cracked old voice singing some such
cheerful ditty as,
~ had an old COW,
And my COW loved me;
MIXED my COW
Under green bay tree"
they smiled and said: Uncle Peters
coming" The notes of his songs grew
shriller and more strident as Uncle
Peter drew near in his rickety old fish cart
with its canvas covering on the sides of
which was printed: "Mr. Peter P.
Pillsberry, dealer in fish, oysters clans
Had other notions. No trust" AL
though the mo trust part of the sign
had been made emphatic by being I'M
derscored, Uncle Peter did trust any
body and every body in such perfectly
reckless and guilelessly confding man
ner that it was wonder his bank &C
count was half so large as it actually
was
His bank account and other possessions
were so great that there was really no
necessity of Uncle Peter pursuing his
occupation of peddling fish, clans land
other notions" as he did, exposing him.
self to the heat of summer and the
winter storms while making his daily
rounds.
''Ye think I hadn't ought to do so no
more, do YEP" he often said to friendl Y
patrons who, with the freedom of life
long acquaintance, asked him why he
did not give up his occupation and take
things easy" "Ye reckon now that I'd
set round doin' nothin'?' he would
ask. Nav, sir; that amt the Pills
berry style. Id be puffectly mizzable
settin' round doin' nothin', and peddlin'
suits me. l like to git round an see
the folks. l allus was great for sosha-
bility, an peddlin's SIGH soshable biz
ness. Why, bless ye, know ev'ry man,
woman an child in this county like a
book, an shey all know me. How on
airth would We all git along if old Uncle
Peter left off peddlin'?"
1--WE would miss you uncle" his pa
irons always said, heartily; land we're
always glad to see you"
The old man would smile like pleased
child and say:
II reckon ye would miss me. Whered
you git your paddock an mack'rel an
hallybut an big fat clans an Providence
listers if Uncle Peter'd stop peddlin'?
You'd have to go clean to Smithfield,
nine mile away, fer 'em, that's what
you'd have to do. But l amt callatin'
on givin' up peddlin' though Rindy an
Becky an the the rest of 'em want me
to quit it an 60 to keepin' little store"
THAT would be easier for you,
wouldn't it?"
Mary time it wouldn't" the old man
would reply, shaking his head vigorous
ly. housekeeping never'd suit me.
It'd jist natchelly war me out to be
puddlin' round little sto' all the time
But Rindy an Becky an the rest Of 'em
think it'd be more genteeler'n peddlin'
fish; that's the idee with them. It's
kinder CALM to Becky in pertickler to
have her old dad peddlin' fish, an
smellin' of 'em when she has company,
though l allus try to get out'n the way
then; fish do smell, I'll allow"
Uncle Peters wife had been dead sew
eral years. His daughter Dorinda, a
sp,nste OF thirty-three, and Becky, a
him in the old home. Becky had had
the advantage, or disadvantage, Of at
tending would-be fashionable board
ing-school for a year, where she had early
learned that thesocicty to which she as
pired could never tolerate the daughter
of fish peddling father, notwithstand-
Ing the fact that that father was one of
the kindest and best and most honora-
BILE of men, and Becky had come home
determined to bring Uncle Peters fish,
peddling career to close.
He had simply laughed at her first at
tempt hiding the pain he felt behind
an ever smiling and kindly face. He
felt that Becky had come home ashamed
of him and his occupation, but he did
not say so to her, for he was peaceable
minded man VINO despised Jaw" of any
kind.
Dorinda had an Idea that store might
prove more profitable than q fish and
notion wagon, and she was too thrifty
to allow any opportunity to pass for in
creasing her fathers account, which she
expected to divide with her brothers
and sisters some day.
and daughters living near him, and all
of them, being thrifty like their sister,
kept their eyes fixed on their fathers
possessions, which aggregated several
thousand dollars They had even sug-
gested to him the propriety Of dividing
the property among them before his de-
mise and allowing them, in return there
for. to take care of him" the remainder
of his life.
But Uncle Peter was wiser and firm
er man than he seemed. He had a
strong, logged will, Notwithstanding
his childish manner and his smooth,
round, effeminate and ever smiling face.
lie met this suggestion with smile,
and dismissed it with joke, but there
was look in his faded old blue ewes
that forbade recurrence of the subject.
He came home from his rounds one day
In the merriest mood. He had CLEANED
OUT his entire stock in trade and his
cracked old voice sang annie Laurie"
in perfectly excruciating manner as
he drove cheerily up the long lane lead
ing to his house.
+ At the gate he met Mrs. Harriet Glib
bons, a woman from the village near
by, whose highest earthly Joy was felt
when it was her privilege to be first in
retailing new bit of gossip of unusual
interest. She was one of the few peo-
pie on the face of the earth whom good
old Uncle Peter did not like; but he had
never given utterance to this dislike,
and now he bobbed his head to and fro
and greeted her with a cordial "Howdy
do, Mis- Gibbons! Folks all we'll to
homer They be? That's right. Can't
We stay to tea? It must be bout ready"
But Mrs. Gibbons declined the invita-
ton somewhat stifly and went on her
way. ~
When Uncle Peter went into the