Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-03-09

boards by the roadslde. presently
the teacher came along.
"Good afternoon, Miss Pellew,'
said the deacon.
Good after, Deacon Puffer," was
the response.
Miss Pellew, want to have
little talk with you. come and sit
down here" said the deacon, patting
the board.
Thank you, but I prefer to
stand. I'm not the least tired"
"Better come and sit down. II
you're afraid of sizing your dress
you can sit on my handkerchief"
and the deacon spread out greasy
bandana on the board beside him.
Miss Pellew sat down-but not on
the handkerchief.
Got book in your hand, see.
'Rithmetic, / s'pose."
"No, its volume of poems" said
Miss Pellew.
"Poetry Huh |" and the dca-
cons face expressed deep disgust.
You don't like poetry, then 2"
81 hate it. Betsy Jane liked it,
though. There's one verse she had
over 80 often that learnt it by
heart, spite of myself:
"sone cup ofsweet milk,
One cup of sour,
Two cups of Indian meal,
One cup Of -four"
Miss Pellew smiled.
81 think / have heard that before"
she said. otis a receipt for making
bread, isn't it ~
"Yas. Can you make bread Mise
Pellew 2"
"Yes.'
"And cakes and pics 2"
eyes"
Sand can you cook Eaters, cab.
bage and meat and SIGH stuff"
Certainly"
"You can't make butter and
cheese of course ?"
@No.n
"But you could learn?'
"Undoubtedly," said Miss Pei
lew, wondering what the deacon was
driving at.
"And you don't believe in being
wasteful, do you?
" Certainly not. / consider econ
omy cardinal virtue"
6" Pm mighty glad to hear you
talk so, said the deacon, with spark
ling eyes. And now, how do you
like living in the country 7"
81 like it immensely"
How would you like to live in
the country all the time 2"
81 think I could content myself
to do SO. Nature appeals to me
so strongly. love to see the grass
and grain ripple in the breeze and to
hear the kline low in the fields" said
Miss Pellew, dreamily.
"Like to hear the kline low?' said
the deacon puzzled. "The kline low2
I don't quite git your mean-oh yes,
yes! I understand. You like to
hear the COWS heller. Wall, yes it
is kinder nice to hear 'em, that is if
they don't heller too much. / don t
s'pose you know how to milk, Miss
Pellew? But you could learn"
Miss PclIew regarded her slender
fingers very doubtfully. "Well, I
don't know. 1t may be among the
| possibilities"
Oh, it's easy to milk,very easy
cried the deacon, eagerly land it
fun, too, the biggest kind of fun.
Betsy Jane was a clipper to milk.
She could milk three cows to my
two. All, she was treasure, Betsy
Jane was -
" have heard her highly spoken
OF. It is very sad for man to lose
the partner of his SOUL" said Miss
Pellew, turning her spectacles SYM
pathetically upon her companion.
Deacon Puffer groaned dismally.
cts provokin', terribly provok-
in, Miss Pellew."
81 presume you miss her very
much ?n
On, dreadfully. When she was
alive che took off my shoulders lots
of little jobs around the house and
barn that / have to do now. She
wasn't any of your show wimmin,
you know, but a ginuine helpmeet
You don't b1ieve in them show win.
min, that amt good for nothin' al
all 'cept to look at n
mo, | do not believe in such wo-
men.
Il felt sartain you didn't. MJ
two gals, I'm sorry to say, are grow
i'm up into show wimmin. They meek
ma to pint out their folly to 'em.
Wouldn't you like to be their ms
Miss Pellew ~