The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-02-11

1eller. lie was Olu HouSh W Dc my
father, and he's been dead good many
year, but l can remember jest as well how
he looked as if twas yesterday. He was
tall, and thin, and light-complected, and
had kind of sober look round his mouth.
He kept the store, and | know when
mother sent me there on an arrant, used
to try to get waited on by some Of the
others. / was kind of afeared of him, he
was so dreadful solemn and precise, and
he'd measure off yard of caliker for an
apron as though twas widder's weeds, and
hand out a stick of candy as though twas
stalk of wormwood. | never see such
sober man, but | s'pose he'd had things
90 agin' him, though didn't know
nothin bout it then. He was real sharp
at bargain, sober as he was, and he got
real fcrehanded, but it didn't seem as if
twas much account to him. He didn't
care a mite bout fxin' ON himself up,
used to 90 round lookin' like Hudy, and
he didn't have coat of paint put on his
house for twenty year. He had good
barn too-it was tore down three year ago
but he didn't take mite of care ont.
His folks was all dead, and l s'pose he
didn't have nobody to put him up to it.
Il used to hear my mother talk sight
about the way Amos Dawson was lettin'
things run to rack and ruin, but | never
heerd Silence open her mouth about it. [
used to be over there good deal too.
She was the handsomest cretur, Silence
Temple was She was gettin' considera-
Bile along in years, too, but, sakes alive
she was one of them folks that you never
thought of bein' old or young. Seemed
as if years didn't make no difference to
her one way or tother. She was as old
as mother, but I'd 'nough sight ruther go
over to see her than any of the little girls
that was my age. Land sakes how |
used to poster mother to let me go over to
Silence's with my knittin' work in the ar
ternoon She'd be afeared Silence would
not want to have me round so much, but
she never showed it, if she didn't. 81
lence would tell me to draw up the leetle
rockin cheer to the fire, and there I'd set
side of her and knit, and she'd generally
ask me to stay to tea, and we alters had
sweet cake, and sass. Silence lived real
nice; her father was old Squire Temple,
and he left her considerable property, She
lived all alone in that big house; you know
where It's, on the hill opposite the meetin
house. | dunno who does live there now;
your Aunt Jane viii tell yc She used to
have an old woman, that had alters worked
in the family, live with her, but she died
year or two arter her father did, and
then wouldn't have nobody else. She was
a fust-rate housekeeper, | can tell yel
There amt many like her nowadays. !
tell Jane, sometimes, she'd orter seen
how Silence Temple kept house, and |
guess she'd do some things a leetle differ
ent. There wouldn't be speck Of dust
in one of them big rooms, and they was
full of the most elegant carved furniture,
too, that the squire had had brought him
from over seas. 1t want no easy job to
keep the dust out of them carved cheers,
l can tell ye but don blieve anybody
could have found speck there, if they'd
hunted with a candle and spectacles.
''Silence had chany closet full of cha
ny that was her mothers, and don't be-
lieve anybody copld ever have left fin
ger-print in one of them cups or plates,
not even if they was settin' on the topmost
shelf. Sometimes Silence she used to take
down them cups and saucers, and wash
'em when | was in there, and then I'd
poster her to let me wipe EN-. You never
see such chany might have had it set in
the winders for glass, it was so thin. l
wonder want afeared of breakin' it, but
there was but one cup broke that | knowed
Of, and then | s'pose Silence broke it her
self; she said she did.
sit was one AFTERNOON, when we had the
chany out in the kitchen a-waship opt,
and Silence she had just washed one Of
them blue chany cups and / was a-takin'
it to wipe. when l looked out of the win
der, and see Amos Dawson a-goin' by:
The linin' of his coat was tore, and there
was great long streamer of yaller cloth
a-blowin' out behind when he walked. !
giggled right out, and sez |, sSakes alive
Jest look at Mr.. Dawson's coat
aAnd all of sudden, down dropped
that blue chany cup, and broke all to
smash / was so scarf that hollered
right out, but Silence she just stopped
down and begun pickin up the pieces of
chany.
eI'm dreadful sorry, sez |, for l
s'posed I'd broke it, but Silence she just
sez sez She
al broke it myself; don't mind nothin
about it, Cynthy Ann, and she went on a
pickin up the pieces.
aWhen she got up, she looked as if she
had been cryin, and I thought it was b
cause the cup was broke. | told her I was
dreadful sorry bout it, but she stood up
straight never see her stoop mite
she was as straight as an Injun-and seq
she
1t don't raake no odds about the cup.
I've got all the cups want, but her voice
sounded jest as if she was as full of tears