Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-05
IN LOVE AND WAR.

Eugene Field In Chicago News.
IN LOVE AND WAR.
The story OF country village is the
STORY of its store.
That wonderful place where the mail
and the molasses few from common
source, SO to speak where your inner
and outer man, your mental and phys
ical self, must get all their stimulus lis
the epitome Of all the diffusely written
history of the lives that cluster around 1t.
What the store man cannot tell you Of
every passer by and every customer you
are not likely to learn yourself, except
by unusual fortune; and all he does tell
You has the delightful piquancy of hav-
ing passed through the medium Of q
rarely shrewd mind, gaining more than
zone beauty spot in the transit.
That was what was thinking as l sat
I'm 'Bijah's store, with the mingled odors
,of calico print and dried apples, coffee
fand the straw that crockery is packed in
Axighting for supremacy in my notice.
Bijah's broad back was turned to me
aand he was sorting the days mail with
comments that made me as wise as him.
self regarding its contents.
mis- Mi-randy Beal," said 'Bijah;
''that'n be abaout her pension, guess.
4Ruther efficial lookin, thet ris. Mr.. Asy
Fowler; his son John-gone down to
ssPochemouth-he writes ter him nigh
,tonter every week-en nice, clean hand
s4he writes, does John. Here's letter
fer the schulema'am. Now thar's
ihan'writtin fer vel Putty ez she is, an
-sjest as simple like"
: The latch clicked and the door opened.
yBijah looked over his shoulder and
sgrinned. l was shut out from sight Of
imore than the visitors degs by q slack
slime Of dangling towels, aprons and
ssocks;' but they were steady, reliable
looking legs, straight smd strong, clothed
sin heavy boots and blue overalls.
,Bijah neither turned nor laid down
Ibis letters. He stood there grinning,
land whether the person in the doorway
was grinning also, or plotting my assas-
ssination in pantomime, / was none the
wiser.
Tho heavy boots shuf1ed and turned
about, stepped outside !. and the door
sshut. 'Bijah chuckled to himself and
looked back to his letters again.
s"Them papers Is for young Thomp-
sson. Hes tn editor of our paper. He's
alive-alive an Eclin. He's been out
west fur spell. an he thinks we're all
dead an buried. IAN he has made q
great change in The Bugler, l tell you.
Folks say he'll be made ter smart fur
the way he muses. raound inter peoples
'saffairs; but it's lively, it's lively"
The papers went into separate box,
land 'Bijah resumed the letters.
ssMehaly Hopkins; she's got heap Of
money. 'Mazin hsow fond yer folks is
,of ye when yer got q pile and amt no
heirs Of yer buddy. She's good fer em
though; she's . cute 'un."
81 suppose it Is unusual for any one to
make much more than their living away
npp here, isn't it, 'Bijahy'
"Humph! yes, fer any one. Not fer
some on 'em though. Some on 'em is
smarter n creased 1ightnin."
He put his head ON one side and
squinted at the letter he was holding.
Him. now, Jeremiah Wilson, he's a
keen un. Nobody ever got the best O.
th.ole man but Jim. You saw Jim
ncame in here jest naow; amt no later
bugs on Jim; when he gifts up he's up
fer all day." ~
.Bijah grinned and wagged his head.
.'Jere-miah-W Wn-sonr' he remarked.
land slapped the letter into its pigeon
hole.
The latch clicked again, the door
sopened and the same, pair of legs ap-
peared An the very samespot where l had
,lseep them before
Bijah grinned.
Presumably the unseen grinned also.
sfor there was too much. of 'Biiah's grin
mot to be offensive, If itwere otherwise.
"Whutchu want7'
l.sNothiu."
"We don't keep that; OF, if we do,
vwere jest aout of it."
The big boots turned about slowly.
"Sure ye do want no lamps, are yer
."Gals go with 'em?"
'Not in this shop"
"Thet settles it, as fur as I'm con-
acerned," and he went away and closed
THE door again
'Bijah looked after him and chuckled.
whats the joke, 'BijahY'
Done ez I'd. orter say an'thin, aout-
saide, but You know how it is, Mr.. Carson,
you never seem NO stranger"
'1Hand over your story, you old gos-
Asip," answered. why, it would burn
your tongue of il you tried to keep it
fn."
Hjah tlanghed heartily at this polite
sally.
"Well. I take fer my tex, as Elder
6locum says, that beautiful axum, sAll.is
fair in Loves an war;"
He came around the end Of the counter
and sat on an unopened sugar barrel,
with his legs crossed and his rough
hands clasped around his knee.
9TH ole man. jeremiah Wilson. that
! mentioned back spell, he's Tartar,
He do know nothin but his own way: an
Mis- Wilson, she never know'd nothin
but ter gin 1t to him. He's got a trick
er turnin redfaced an lookin like he was
agoin ter bust, an Mis- Wilson, she wux
80 neat, she couldn't bear ter hev her
house mussed, 80 she fest gin in to him.
''Ther was one gal Name her name
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