Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-04-22
A SUMMER OUTING.

well for years, and it's all owing tc
my summers outing. / gained ten
pounds in a month.
Where did go? Not to Saratoga.
Long Branch, nor the White Noun
tains; neither did 1 go visiting OF
camping out. If you must know,
didn't go three miles from home.
have always worked hard, for you
know there is always enough to do III
q family of children, and we couldn't
affoIs much hired help. Every year
have felt that l was growing old fast,
but was never so sensible of it as last
spring.
Somehow had lost all ambition a.
well as strength. Everything wGs a
burden to me, every mole-hill of work
looked like a mountain. l had no APP
petite, and though was tired all the
time, l couldn't sleep at all well nights.
was SO nervous that everything wor-
ried me, and in Johns shop, across the
street, the ringing of the anvil that
used to think SO musical seemed to
beat every stroke on my brain.
People used to tell me, ''You ough,
20 go away and rest" but it isn't easy
for the mother of family to leave six
children between the ages of three and
thirteen, when every penny has to be
counted twice before you use it.
AuIs Drusilla came to see us the
last of July.
"Now, Almiry Crispin," she said,
before she had been in the house ten
minutes, 81 didn't come to make you
any work. I've heard how poorly you
was, and 1 must say you do look spind-
en- enough, but I've come to help you.
I'm a-goin' to keep house and send you
off somewheres."
John seconded the idea; but where
should go?
"Go out to Ohio and visit your sis.
Ter" he suggested. "You never went,
and you've always wanted to CO."
al haven't the money or strength to
get ready, nor to go if I was ready"
said. "Moreover, 1 don't feel like
visiting anybody"
"Thats what you DON'T" said Aum
Drusilla 81 know just how it is.
You feel a good deal more like crawl
in into hole, and then drawin' the
hole in after vel"
acknowledged 1 did. Gwen if ]
mad all the money / wanted to use,
shouldn't feel like going to any place
where 1 had to make an effort of any
kind in the way of dress or conversa-
tion.n
The talk dTifted on to something
else, but that very night an idea came
to me, ana in the morning l asked
John if he would get a team and carry
me up to the widow Smiths. She live.
on hill in the north part of the town,
and had heard that she was fixing
up her house to take summer boarders.
1t is just such place as city peovle
like, breezy and slightly, and there are
pleasant, romantic walks, and drives
in every direction. Somehow it was
borne in upon me that it was just the
place for me. knew she had no
boarders this year, but was preparing
to take some next summer. How her
eyes fairly stood out when l asked her
if she would take me as a boarder fol
a MONTH
"Why, certainly, Mis- Crlspin," she
said, hesitatingly; and then L ex.
planned the matter.
81 want to be quiet, and rest, and
be waited on just the same as though ]
came from a thousand miles away. ]
don't want even TO take caro- of my
own room"
OTIS just the thing she said. al
want Horace and Mary Ann to have
some sort of practice so they can wal:
on city boarders genteelly, and l know
you wouldn't mind if they were little
awkward at first"
So we arranged it in a few minutes.
Z was to have large, sunny, quie;
chamber, with the liberty of the whole
house and premises, and one or the
other of the young people to take the
team and carry me to ride wherever ]
wished, all for three dollars week.
And was 10 come the very next day.
Rather short time to get ready for a
months outing, you might think, but
1t was all l needed. No new dresse.
50 make, or anything,-it was restful
tust to think of itl l packed small
trunk with my best clothes, didn't even
put in an apron of any sort, lest il
should remind me of work, ana that |
wanted TO forget. In the very bottom
of the trunk l put a few pieces OF
fsncy-work that had begun at various
times in years past, and never had
time to finish, though my fingers had
often fairly itched to get hold of them
as relief from the tiresome monotony
of patching and darning. Lately,
had lost all ambition even for them
but / hoped l might feel differently
after had rested.
Next above them put in books that
bad been in the house for years and I