Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-09-15

m "A n than Mr.. Hale. His
IL barns is picter to
look at, the stun walls an fences Is
all plumb straight, and there amt an
improvement in hay-cutters or hoss-
rakes or threshers but he gifts a-holt
on it the fust thing
"Oh!" said Nancy.
''Yaas," drawled Peter. 'Jest what
was sayin. Right up to the mark.
Their amt no gittin' ahead of him. 1
do s'pose, now, he's made more money
outen his farm than any other man in
Park County"
"Humphl' said Nancy.
Peter sat and looked at her, uncon-
sciously winking his dull eyes as she
washed and wiped the old India China
dishes with rapidity and skill which
inspired him with involuntary respect.
'Jest what I was sayin'," he after
ward remarked. 'Ezackly like chain
lightnin'. Never see any one work so
fast in my life. Fairly made me
dizzvl"
''Wen, Nan, there amt no such
hurry" said Farmer Hale, coming
complacently in from the adjoining
room. whero he had been interviewing
a carpenter on the subject Of an addi-
ton to his barn. Cant you afford to
set down a spell?"
Nancy Hale-a feminine copy of her
tall. resolute-faced brother-shook her
head
"There's always hurry" said she,
'till the works donei"
'Jest what 1 was a-sayin', " said
Peter, rubbing his horny hands and
secretly calculating on the chances of
his being asked to stay to dinner.
eur I smelt chicken fricassee, he
reported, "an' I'm dre:.ul partial to
fowl meat.
Just then Nancy whirled around and
looked her brother full in the face.
"Ain't there no dreens to carry this
dish-water away?" said she.
Mr.. Hale shook his head.
''We ginerally pour it round the
roots of the grapevines and plum
trees. said he. cts called very fer
tilizin'."
''Jest as allus say, " put in Peter.
"Better'n bone-dust" "
Nancy took the shining tin kettle in
her hand.
'Where's the water faucet?" asked
she.
"Ain't none nearer than the well, "
said her brother, little uneasily.
"Come now, Mar, you're completely
spilled, livin in them city flats
Miss Hale uttered miff.
"And 1 hope you won't put no non
sense in Jenny's head" added the
farmer.
II calculate it's put there already,
said Nancy. "Why, Elnathan, your
completely behind the times. "
ga man with farm the size o mine
can't afford to throw awayn no money in
humorin' the whims of the women
folks" observed Mr.. Hale, with some
asperity.
"WeH, 1 want you to un lerstand
one thing" remarked Nancy, giving
the pan of dishwater a fling toward
the trellis, where venerable Isabella
grapevine coiled itself like a iointed
snake, 'q shan't stay long, if you
don't fix up the kitchen little han
dier :"
''Jest what | was a-sayin,' y NUT
tered Peter Pinkcroft, looking fur
lively from one to the other Of the
contesting parties.
"Our mother didn't want none o
them newfangled trapsl" sullenly
spoke Hale.
";5he wanted 'em, 1 guess, said
Nancy, "but she didn't get EN-. She
worked herself to death and died afore
she was middle-aged. And father mar
ried q second wife, and she wore her
self out, too. Father he stood it
bravely. He didn't have to lug the
water and pour away the swill and
milk the COWS and run arter the little
turklets and ducklings-"
81 guess we amt no better'n our
ancestorsl' growled Hale.
"We ought to be wiser, at any
rate, retorted Nancy, measuring a
lidful of tea into the shining britannia
teapot