Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-09-03
HOME, SWEET HOME.
Why MIR. Sage Didn't Buy the
Old Homestead.

time we may hope Tor llvln
price for our splendid Spottsyl-
vania corn lan's and magnificent med
der bottoms. George" s. 'e, "stir your
stumps and sell the LAM"
! s. L: MA, when the pinch comes,
you amt agoin' ito get your own con-
sent to part with the old homestead"
; s. 'e: George, now that the niggers
are free what is to keep down the
bushes and briars? A lone, lorn widow
woman and one gray-headed boy of
fifty (you know you are fifty, George),
can't manage all the lam and stock
we've got. Sell the lam, George, and
me and you will board at the Exchange
hotel in Richmond, with the bong tong
of Virginia, in style"
Ma" $ I, 81 don't b'lieve you'll part
with your gums and gourds, not to live
with Queen Victoria and eat oyshters
three times day. / think l know you
better'n you know yourself"
Then ma got mad and cried and said
was ''impident and sassy to her." and
I'd oughter carry out her views aud
uphold her."
Pa had never crossed her livin', nor
nobody else, so it ended in my postin'
down to Fredericksburg in my carryall
and putin the plantation, crops, stock,
ETC., into the hands of Mckay, lam
agent.
The town was alive with northern
capitalists and visitors at that time.
Some came to see about their dead, in
tered in the great union cemetery
there, it bcin' soon after the war was
over. 1t was like the verse we used to
say at school,
j" Many came TO see the wondeI,
To seek for gold and search for plunder,"
and some few to cast in their lots with
ours.
Mckay told me OF a couple that got
off the train that day. Said the man
was polite to his wife and gave Lame
Bill dollar.
A lam agent knows how to pick a
gentleman right well, though not so
well as an old Virginia house niger.
The one who used to tote the wood in
for the parlor fire, hang your horse or
carry him to water and bring your
boots.
Thinks I: "I'll drive 'em out, and
show the premises while ma is in the
notion"
So out l go with Mr.. and Mrs. Sage,
q nice couple, rich and unhealthy,
wanting to try southern ar.
There was q cheerful blaze on the
parlor hearth. Ma bleeves in little
blaze, all the year 'roun, though the
weather was mighty mild. Injun sum-
mer.
Kesia, the cook, tossed up little hot
dinner in no time, for we were hungry
as an army of locusses after our drive.
Briled ham an eggs, fried sausage
and hoecakes, and whilst ma poured
out the coffee and October peaches in
the gilt saucers studied her face.
To my astonishment she run on about
the fashions-a thing she had took no
stock in since pa died.
She wouldn't catch my eye, and /
sorter mistrusted her, but carried Mr..
Sage all over the plantation, and he
was delighted.
'Just what he was in search of. He
wanted everything as it stood, the
colts, the calves, hogs, hats, boots anG
all Thought he would put a new
barn here and "a playhouse there,
and "a vineyard and double the sheer
in the medder.'"
Him and Mrs. Sage mapped it off like
picture by the time they were ready
to leave next day.
OF course, drove them back to town
twenty miles O. rough roads and mighty
busy time o. year.
and Mckay made all the range
ments for the transfer of the property
and come on back home.
Still mistrustin of ma, / KEEP cle'r o
the subject. We both Stunned it, ant
durin the followin' week smoked ;
months allowance of tobacco, and mt
clicked and ratified her linittin'-needle,
us if life depended on her gettin' tina
sock finished, and I'll be shot if sh'
didn't knit the leg yard long
Byme-by Mckay came drivin' up in
fine double buggy, with Mr.. Sage, t.
pay down the first installmcnt.
When Cindy ushered 'em in m,
dropped her long sock leg and he
hands commenced to tremble.
1t was good sale. We were gcttir
all we asked, and craclsin' price i
was; for ma thought her dirt was
sight bettern'n other folks dirt No
a hitch-nowhar.
All of us set talkin' as friendly a
you please round the blaze on tn
hearth. Little black Joe on his ow
'sponsibility hams round waiter c
maiden blush apples, and Cindy, tn
house gal, not TO be outdone, gifts ou
ginger cakes and u foamin' pitcher c
sweet cider.
Ma set shalin' and trcmbly the Who'll
endurin' time.
Mr.. Sage he set back in pas oil
stuffet leather armcheer, with heels o
the fender like comfort itself, an
diluted about the chances he'd mind t
make.
~ hundred Southdown sheep" fo