The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-01-27

the fender like comfort itser, ana
diluted about the changes he'd mind to
make.
"A hundred Southdown sheep" for
the hill pasture-an "grainin' forty
beeves;" "ten acres in turnips" and
"ten in celery" and all such wild talk
as city farmers indulge in.
Finally the pen was dipped and
handed ma, but stead her takin' it she
clinched her hands together hard, and
lnuGhin' "a tremulous little pitiful
laugh, s e:
Mr.. Sage, do YOU know how high
corn grows on this piantation:?"
- e, mo, num-"
"Ihen III tell"-holdinG her hand a
foot above the carpet exactly so
high and no higher. Then the blades
turn rusty and red and flop over like
dogs ears, and q little nubbin comes
the size of my finger"
Mr.. Sage sOrter smiled, for he had
commented on the big cornstubs in
the field. Ma gave another dry laugh,
and s. e:
Your sheep will all die. There
amt enough grass on the uplan's to
parster a rabbit, and the medders are
pizenous with chills and fever, and
we're subject 'to pneumonia and
mumps and measles. and its the worst
kind of luck to move at your time of
life. anyhow"
Mr.. Sage says very gently:
Madam, | respect your feeiin's"
and they walked out on the pOarch.
Then ma bust out in the pitifuliest
sobbin' and cryin', and she and me
had it.
She blamed NE, her only son, for
wantin' in her old age to turn his ma
a."
MY son." said she, "the air don't
blow so sweet and pure over no other
piece of Gods earth, and things all so
convenient to my hand | could 60 to
my places the darkest night that
comes"
Though III swear you'd have to travel
a mile to 90 the rounds of her flower
garden, greenhouse, dairy, Weavin'-
house, ice house, and all the fowl
houses and a purtenances. There
were located far apart in old slavery
days, to give occupation to the niggers,
lsuppose.
And, oh. George, my two babies in
the graveyard, and I'd picked out my
own place by your pas side. I'm like
an old tree. | can't stand transplatin'.
Oh, son, to think of your doin' such q
cruel-hearted thing in my old age!"
But ma," | says, tryin' to defen'
myself
And George. l don't know but its
wrong to go off and desert our niggers
The old ones that raised us and the
young ones we raised. It's not their
fault they are set free. and they mind
their old miss as we'll as ever they
did q always spilled 'em some), and
its only the trtlin', no-account ones
gone OF TO the Yankees any way"
Seem agreed with her, she went
on. "There'S old Ti,let with her rheu-
matiz. and Crazy Jane. who's harmless
as a robin, and your ma Old dropsitiel
butler, and 1ijud Jim BOY, that used
to drive the hoo|ed Morgan ho@so>
when your pa came a-courtin' me.
"W Who'd phNsic ,pm and scold EN-
and see they don't starVe? George, it
Wonld be a sin to desert 'em ct their
times Of lives
Women may be no great shakes at
hard, SCUM reasOnin', but mas a very
pretty talller indeed, and by grabs. |
felt sortcr so mySolf and downright
aggravated with Mckay. What call
had he to fly of like a pOtleg in such a
sudden sWiyet to Oust us from the pro-
pertv which had belonged to our gen.
GRAFTON ever since William the Con-
querer, and for aught | know helped
him to conquer it?
The honor and glory of settin' up in
a stitfed starched collar at the Ex-
change hotel, hobnobbin with the
Virginia Legislature. and the Judges,
| and the bong tong would be but a
poor compensation for my pack Of
hOun's and blood horses, and the foxes
and birds and things | was used to.
| would be but a lone, lost boy, cast
adrift, even if | did eat oyshtcrs three
times day.
"Ain't there no way of gettin' out
of this trap?" says ma, Wipin' her eyes
on the long stoc!ileg.
Il b'leeve I'd die anywhere else
IF we pay Mckay his commission
and persuade Mr.. Sage to give out the
notion" says doubtfully.
How much is the commission,
George:?" she asked eagerly.
at amounts to $3.50, but" -
"George," she spoke quietly, IF you
will step out to the stables for awhile
| think | can compose my mind and
solemnize my thoughts"
The colts came whinnyin' to meet
me and rubbed their noses on my
shoulder; the calves, the pigs, every
thing in the yard came at me in a
body.
I got hamper of nubbins and scat
tered 'em, and somethin' KEEP gettin'
in my eye, and l thought l would
actually blow my blamed nose off, and
the more / thought of Mckay's ottici-
business the madder got. But when
| got back to the parlor it was quiet as
| a church, and there was ma out at the
yard gate biddin' the gentl'men far
we'll" Such was her haste to get
them off and away.
Ny dear old mother! Her eyes
shone bright as a young girl's-she's s
smilin' and lookin' as pleased as il
she'd been left fortune.
Mr.. Sage smiled, too, and bowed
| ~ 4