St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-08-20

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IllHSk studded. and the
~ chest Of drawers
came nearly to the top The mahogany
was dark with age, the handles were
brass, the. base was spindlc-legged.
with acorn-shapcd projections breaking
the line. Beneath the five large
drawers were n collection of smaller
ones, three on each side with = deep
space or cupboard in the center.
This was inclosed by . door, Orna-
mentcd with brass knob and a quaint
little knockcr. The cupboard was like
. tiny porter's lodge, and enveloped the
whole piece Of furniture with an air OF
mystery. IL wardcd OF intrusion. and
suggested the Propriety of lifting the
knocler TO ask permission Of some
shadowy specter II one might venture
TO examine more closely this genuine
antique.
The owner was evidently proud of
her possession; and we found one day
that it had history-a true one. She
told it to rs with the keen interest that
age finds in rehearsing the story of its
youth.
II always wanted chest Of drawers;
and. when went to work in the fac
tory. determined to have one. i didn't
think much about gettin' married, and
havin' a parlor of my own. l just
wanted that.
.'Old Judge Pettingell had died, and
his niece was willin' to sell everything
that belonged to Mis- Judge. offered
her twenty-five dollars for this chest,
not KNOWN whether il was cheap or
not: but l meant to have it. Sol worked
hard; and every quarters payment
put by little money in . silk purse, all
by itself, until I'D saved enough.
when l had it brought home, father
didn't seemed pleased, and said l was
silly. and I'd better have put my money
in the bank: but mother, she looked 1t
it, and her eyes shone, and used to see
her standing up before it, and openin'
and ehuttin' the drawers.
Then got acquainted with my first
husband. always called him Hiram,
and SO do to this day. We were mar
ried; but I wouldn't take away the
chest from mother while she lived.
knew she set store by il, rs did.
AFTER mother dicd-father went first
then l brought it home, and this
china. l set the drawers up where
they stand now.
-Four or five years went BY. Hiram
and were happy together, and then he
was taken sick. We hadn't any chill
dren. lie used to say that he must
make his will: but he put it Of, and put
it of, and by and by he died without
doin' il.
II never thought that anything !
bought myself could belong to Hiram.
knew should get my thirds. and that
they would give me the house. sup
posed the furniture was mine.
1.-The day after the funeral Hiram's
two brothers came in, with = lawyer.
They said everything valuable had got
to be sold at auction. I could bid 'em
in II i wanted to; but all the property
had got to be 'rra'sed, in order to see
how much ought to have.
Then they went round the rooms.
saying what. this thing was worth and
what that thing was worth, and pretty
soon they came to the chest The
lawyer whispered to Hiram's brother,
but l heard him: This is worth con-
Siderable
Il almost screamed out: You can't
touch that. learned every cent Of it
in the factory, and paid for ii, and
brought il ever here
1.-The lawyer answered pretty sharp:
'Well, ma'am. that don't make bit Of
difference. Whatever you brought here
belonged to your husband That's the
law of the land
Ezekiel, Hiram's youngest brother.
stood close by. and he put in: why,
Abigail, you can buy back what you
want now II we give permission WAS
mad, and so just let the auction 60 on;
and, when the day came, | bid pretty
low on my things.
1.-The neighbors were real good. and
never tried to bid. against me. When
il came to that chest Of drawers. ] Just
spoke up loud. 50 every body could hear,
and said: It's burning shame for me
to have to buy what's already my own;
and if men folks have made such law,
they ought to take il back, and make
another Then I bid twenty-five dol
lars. and paid for the chest over again;
for l knew Ezekiel would get Ill he
could for it.
There was just enough from my
thirds to keep the house and garden,
but Hiram's brothers had all the rest Of
the land. They sold il to Mr.. Jones,
our nearest neighbor: and l shut up my
house. and went back to work in the
factory. 'Twarn't very long before
Mis- Jones died. used to think, while
the looms were goin', about our two
houses, and the kitchens with nobody
there, as il used to be; for Mis- Jones
was . real pleasant woman, and we
were always neighborly together.
'One day, about year afterward, I
went mp home to look over my things-
] suppose Mr.. Jones saw the light, for
he came over to make . call. Twas
mighty glad to zee "A old sace; far I
had been real lenesomeeand did want
TO hear about everything.
before he went away, he asked me
to marry him. Mis- Jones had gone. he
hadn't any children, and he said he'd
lust as soon come here and live as not
You see his house was an old one, and
he thought he could use il for another
barn: while Hiram and had fixed up
this one until it was most as nice as new
perhaps hadn't ought to have done
Il 50 quick. for Hiram had ouiJ been
Cuxo nhont Two yesTw but I Vas