The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-11-03
THE OLR SETTLER.
His Uncle Snebecker's Story OF
the Widow Pudgecrack.

| "Wull, Squire" said the Old Settler,
"the summer is past an the harvest is
ended How's yer pigs fattenin'?"
''Only $3.50, major" replied the
Squire 'That Yorkshire breed O. pigs
don't seem to gether heft suddent ez
| they mowt."
is them pigs O. your'n YorlSshires?"
asked the Old Settler.
''Nothin' shorter!' exclaimed the
| Squire yorkshire from tail to noz-
zle."
"Yorkshires?" said the Old Settler,
maliciously "Wull, now, b'gosh, from
| the build on 'em thort they was plow-
sheers?"
sMeanin' their heads?" said the
Squire.
s,Jedgin' 'em from their heads Yes"
replied the Old Settler.
Come to think on it, MAJOR" said
the Squire, "them heads is a leetle sharp
an p'nted, an ca'c'lated pooty well to
turn up the sile, but don't keep pigs
;or their heads. keep pigs for their
hams, an tenderlines, an shoulders
an setch. Our folks don't winter over
on head cheese, our folks don't"
Whose folks does, bgosb% de-
manded the Old Settler, testify.
II didn't say as anybody's did," re-
piled the Squire.
"But We sinniwated!'
The Squire didn't say whether he
mad insinuated or whether he hadn't,
out suspicion of smile lurked about
sim. There was silence for awhile,
| which the Old Settler broke abruptly
by saying:
: ''Speakin' O. the summer bein' past
.n' the harvest bein' ended alluz puts
ne in mind O the story O. the Widder
Pudgecrack an the harvest on her
,learin, ez my uncle, Snebecker Giles,
asety tell it. 1t all happened in the
Wild Gander Ridge deestric', fer Idon't
think tha was a man in the hull O the
Sugar Swamp deestric' ez could "a had
she heart to do wat Shadrack Biff O.
Wild Gander done, an tina was men in
sugar Swamp mean enough, b'gosh, to
pass lead sixpences on a bind fiddler at
q dance, an one of 'em were Tobin It'd
it, which 1 hadn't orter say, don't
s'pose, Squire, bein' ez he were rela-
zion o. your'n; but facts is facts"
The Old Settler paused to see how
this little reference affected the Squire,
and he seemed disappointed when the
Squire said:
''That's so. He were meaner than
,ow itch. Uncle Tobin were"
'But bad his good p'ints," said the
Old Settler "He know'd which dim
nyjohn had the best stuff in it."
'That runs in the family, major"
said the Squire, smiling again.
"An' he never drinked alone, said the
Old Settler. "That don't run in the
family"
''That's onfort'nit for you, major"
said the Squire, with a still broader
smile.
The Old Settler looked hard at the
Squire for awhile, but let the subject of
Tobin Tidfit drop and went on with
the story of the Widow Pudgecrack's
.learing.
"My uncle, Snebecker Giles, were
goin' through the Wild Gander Ridge
1eestric' long late in December, wunst,
sellin' medicine fer sniffies in sheep, an
he came to clearin' where tina were a
slommickin' great big chap sot out on
the woodpile skinnin' mushrats. Uncle
Snebecker pulled up his hoss an hollers
out to the chap:
"'Hullo, neighbour! What clearin' is
thisP
"'The Widder Pudgecrack clearin',
says the chap, keepin' on with his
mushrat skinnin'.
els the widder imp says Uncle Sne'
becker
"'Wull, ruther!' says the chap, larfn
like hyeny. She's ben in these two
weeks--way in,' he says.
"Uncle Snebecker didn't know
Exactly wat to make outen this, but
he says:
"'Kin see the widder. think?'
"'Wull,' says the chap, larfin' ag'in
not jist now; but if yer good, stiff
Hard-shell Baptis', an don't backslide
the chances is that yen run ag'in hel
pne o. these days he says.
'Uncle Snebecker begun to git MAD
now, an he says, pooty loud:
"'See herer he says. If we think "
kin pick meup fer consarned idiit ye
barkin' up the wrong tree fer coons
What's the reason can't see the wild
der now?
"'Wull, says the chap, larfih' more'l
ever. 4 dunno why We can't, unless it,
cause the widder's deadp
Then the chap went on skinnin' hi
mushrats, an Uncle Snebecker wer
goin' on, wen the chap hollers to hin
an says:
"'Guess we don't know about tn
Widder Pudgecraclx, do yep he says.
"Uncle Snebecler said he didn't.
"'Wull,' says the chap, we mustn't g
way without hearin' bout the widder,
says he. Itll be wuth yer while
80 Uncle Snebecker stayed to hea
about the widder.
"A year ago, now,' says the char
this want the Widder Pudgecracl
clearin', cause tina want no Widde
Pudgecrack then, an tina want N
clearin'. The Widder Pudgecrack the
were jist plain Tabithy Ann Flint, e
teaehed theWild Gande deestric' school
Tabithy Ann were gettin' to'ards tn
time wen it want no trick at all fe
her to recomember elk fer forty yea
an better, an the chances was tina
she'd be Tabithy Ann Flint when sh
T.. H. ID -