Griggs courier., 1893-03-24
MUD-DAUBERS.
An Incident Of Tale-Be2rinR in
Missouri.

becky-howdyT'
This salutation, with shade, per.
'haps, more of cordiality in the second
clause than in the first. rouses me from
the revery into which 1 am in danger
OF falling id my despairing efforts to
entertain one of my neighbors, Mrs
Becky Angin by name, who lhas come
to spend the day with me, bringing
2 with her an infant of few months,
her youngest child.
At the sound of a new voice look
npquickly to see standing on the porch
another neighbor, Mrs. Dick Walton.
Dick, the hus band, is tying his team at
the gate.
''lt never rains but it pours." 1 say
to myself But Istrive to feel q neigh
borly gladness as invite her to enter
and take off her bonnet. l do feel
nothing but kindness, but am relieved
by her reply: "No, no; the floors good
enough fer my bunnit-I can't stay
long, anyhow"
strive to infuse as much warmth
into my manner as possible; yet am
somewhat appalled, by the prospect of
two of them to entertain for whole
day! They are such arid souls. think
with a rueful sigh of the work on my
desk. But perhaps they will partially
entertain each other; and I may do
them some good. At least can try.
Such are my benevolent intentions,
when my latest visitor continues thus:
''Dick wants to see you.uns bout
borryin' yor. double shovel. We lowed
ter drap in a mint; we're aimin' ter go
to town this evenin'. Dicks in right
smart of a hurry, fer him!"
Meanwhile she deposits her ample
person in 4 chair, moving it near the
door, for it is a very warm day.
"Wall, how do all you-uns come on?''
1--WE are all quite we'll, thank you,"
1reply; but Becky complains that she
is mighty poorly"
''That's mighty peart baby you-uns
got thar; it's so!'' remarks Mrs. Wal
ton to Becky. quite ignoring the hostess.
Becky smiles in pleased way as she
answers. in her soft, lazy drawl: "Wall,
we-uns low hits ruther peart She's
the purtiest baby I've he'd"
''You-uns got a right smart of garden
truck, rcckon?" inquiries Mrs. Wal
ton. / boast a little, feeling that here
at last is chance to reinstate myself
in her good opinion; for have sort
OF intuitive consciousness that she does
not wholly approve of me, for some un-
defined reason. Unfortunately, it leaks
out in the course of our conversation
that l, personally, have very little to
do with the garden truck as regards
raising it; and that a woman should
not tend the garden is an objectionable
sin!
To save a possible hiatus, relate
the dire slaughter of the innocents"
which has taken place in my poultry
yard recently. A ''varmint"-in other
words. skunk-has killed three of
my finest chickens and so far has es-
capped retribution. Apprehensive of
future visits and consequent deficit
in my broilers and future eggs, l in
dulge in few regrets when Mrs Wal
ton takes the pipe from her mouth to
say: ''No sich never bothers me none. I"
''What do you do?' meekly inquire.
mo skunk gifts ary chicken from
me. I'm thar jist as soon as the OIL
hen hollers, an kill hit"
But how do you kill it?" ask, with
interest, tempered with the conscious
ness that I had never yet killed q
chicken, much less skunk! But per-
haps might-iu an emergency-to
save my life!
''Huh! faint hard! Jist take hit by
the tail. right easy, tote hit to the
wood pile an chop hits head off.
'Tain't hard; I've killed right smart"
Fancy me taking skunk by the tail.
right easy" or any other way!
But diversion is created by the ad-
vent of Dick Walton, who has con-
cluded to sit in the shade and smoke
awhile before going to town. There
is always another day a-comin'" in
our friends almanac; besides, he suf-
Ros. - y