News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-01-15
FOREFATHERO' DAY.
BY "JOsIAH ALIENS WIFE" "

ed, and on the evenin' mail, from she
that wuZ Parthenie Keeler-Miss
Eben Rumble that now is-inviten'
my pardner and me to come down to
her house on a visit.
She lived nigh to Plymouth, and
she wanted us special to come to the
doin's there; they wuz goin' to cele-
brate FOrefathers' Day there; they
Wuz gOin' to keep it on the rock, as
nigh as | could make out by the let
ter-the rock where the old forefath-
ers landed.
Coin to have the doin' S right there
on the stun.
Wall, l wuZ agreeable to the idep,
for | had took quite a notion to Pa
theny from the first time [ ever see
her. She seemed to be a good sensi-
BILE woman, and one that tended to
her own business a good deal of the
time. And | had heard very favor
able accounts of her.
Her husband had gin out. so she
told me, when | first got acquainted
with her, on a tower. He was con-
sumptive materially, and he had been
took with chills and spazzums and
things, so s he couldn't only list git
round
But Miss Rumble wuz a master
hand to work, and she invited us
warm to come there and stay through
the hull doin's.
Miss Rumble and | sort o took to
each other, as | say, at first sight.
though, like any two woman erect
eres worth their salt, we didn't think
alike on all subjects.
She felt dretful reverential toward
the male sex, reverentiaIer than
seemed to feel toward 'em, though |
always meant to use 'em well, and
did.
But she had a material sort o. bent
to her mind that made her want to
look up to 'em.
And, take it all together, it wuz
fairly providential that she felt that
way, for her pardner wuz one who
needed help in that direction. And
she had four children, all males, that
she had to get headed right. She
had to take all the care on 'em her
self, because her husband, OWN to
sickness, weakness, etc, hadn't been
able to do nothin' for 'em, only jest
to become father to 'em, and she had
to do all the fetchin' of 'em up her.
self.
She had got 'em headed pretty
middlin' right now, and got 'em all
away to school and college, so she
was more free to devote herself to
her pardner. He had to be rubbed
good deal, and his feet soaked, etc,
etc.
And she had considerable time left
to tend to FOrefathers' Day, which
they always held right near her, and
she was dretful interested in it.
She thought sights and sights of
her forefathers; she jest about wOr-
shipped them old men. Talked sights
about 'em-in fact, talked about 'em
most all the time, when she wasn't
a-talkin' about her own individual
males
But, still, there was suthin' about
Parthenie Rumble that | liked. And
her admirin' enthusiasm about them
old forefathers was fairly ketchen';
and Josiah and l got interested in
the subject. (She writ fifteen pages
and a half of warm eulOgy on 'em.)
And so we made up our minds to go.
Well, we got there in the edge of
the evenin'. And she acted dretful
glad to see us. A good, hullsome-
lookin'. hull-souled creeter Partheny
Rumble is, as l ever want to see, and
the warm, strong grip of her hand
does visitor good.
Her husband looked pretty peaked
and saller. | never had seen him;
she never had brung him with her to
our house, on account of her havin'
to keep him to home for a number of
years.
But in his feeble and sort o. shackly
way he seemed glad to see us. He
kinder prOpped himself up on his cane
and shook hands with us, but his
head kinder wobbled round; and his
hand was so trembly and shaky, that
l was glad to leggo o. it. That man
needs Il good syrup of sasaperily and
spearmint and yaller dock, l believe;
if anything could set him up firmer
on his legs | believe that would. But
l am a-digressin' away from my sub
iect; and to resume:
Parthenie had a good supper, q
first-rate one, cooked by herself, too;
for, in order to keep the four boys to
school and college, she had to do
some strong calculatin' and lots of
hard work.
But everything wuz done jest right;
she came from careful, smart fam
lily, and so did he; it wuz sickness
that broke him down, though some
say, and stick to it, that he drinked.
Their house wuz a good-sized old
fashioned house, with a gamhrOl ruff,
and a big attick that run the hull
length out on top.
OF course, at the breakfast-table
Ga splendid, good breakfast, too),
the conversation all run on our fore
fathers. We all Jest praised up them
old men, for | hain't got anything
against 'em; | like 'em, and always
did. And Parthenie and her husband
and my Josiah, why, they all jest
worshipped 'em.
And so we talked about 'em a
sight; how they suffered and bled
considerable, and fit and brung free
dom in on the end of their swords.
And what a big debt we owed 'em
and ct cetery, ct cetery,