River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-01-30
SOME OF THANKFUL STR0NG'S
EXPERIENCES.
BY SARAH wADswoRrm oErcHELL.
No. 4.


w rights, me and Caleb had, and
he finished by sayin' s.Just you
wait till women can tie square knots,
then mebby I'll vote fer 'em. but
just as long as they tie grannie knots
III never do no SIGH a votin'. A
woman what can't tie square knot
amt no more fit fer to vote than be
to wear bunnit." sCaleb Strong,"
says /, s'who DC you a flingin' slu's
at nowp But he was away out of
sight before my voice could reach
his ears. felt glad for the space of
a minnit that my name was Thank
full Strong, only did wish it had
been turned around, for if ever any
one had cause to be thankful for a
good disposition / had. If I'd
married Caleb when we was both
younger | think all this trouble Pm
havin' would have been saved.
Caleb laughs and says: off you had
dent married me at all it would,
sure" The facts of the case is these:
| married Caleb tor his children's
sake, mostly. He bein' a warmed
over man you can't expect much,
only Just what his first wife trained
him to; but tell you those children
of his, they think an awful sight of
me and | think an awful sight of
them. Orrilly who was married
three years ago has one little girl
just little past year old when the
twins were born. Oh! she is beau
tiful child-little Thankful is. She
is named for me. | told Caleb as
how | knew that it would be terri
BILE relief to Orrilly if we should
bring little Thankie home and keep
her a spell, SO ! did. One mornin' /
sot her in her little high chair-an
old one that Zoe and her ma both
used-and | went about my bakin'.
| tied her in careful, too, but some
way the knot gave way and she fell
out. 0, but / was scarf; land sakes.
| don't know which was hurt the
most, me or the baby. When her
grandpa came in | told him and he
said, ayes, cause you tied a granny
knot. Now III show how fer to
tie a good square knot. There, says
he, put it under so; wimmen alwers
puts it over, then it pulls right out.
Now you try" So | tried and got
it right, too. Caleb sot down and
rocked baby to sleep. 1t does beat
all how that man will leaye his work
to rock that baby. As he was a
putin of her down he said: "Poor,
purity little creature, queer you want
killed; bet you would have been yet
if it hadn'ta been for your grandpa"
A turnin' to me he said: Snow YOU
see to it, Thankful, that you tie a
square knot next time" She slept
about an hour and woke up a
laughin'. There never was another
such child, | know. I sot her up
agin' the table while l prepared the
garden sass for dinner, and | tied her
in careful, too. After | got the din
ner well under way, thought I'd
best step around and see if it was all
right-the knot business-and I'll
be blessed if that there knot hadn't
come united, near about! | looked
out of the winder to see if | could
see Caleb any where about, and I'd
cause to be gladder that my name
was Thankful than-I ever had be-
fore, for he was away off in the
south meadow. | worked like a
trupper and got good square knot
tied that no boss could have united,
and just got her back with her play
things when the men came to din
ner. | was all wash sweat and
Caleb says: "What's heated you up
so, Thankful; has little Thankie
been a cryin' so as to hinder your"
| said no, but I'd stopped to trifle
with her and then had to hurry so as
to be on time with the dinner.
''Well now," says he. ''don't do that
agin; l won't grumble if | do have
to wait as long as you have her to
care fer" So sayin' he went up to
the chair. "Well," says he, 'syou
could learn how; always know'd |
had a smart wife," / tell you was
glad that / was FIVE feet and eight
inches tall and that l was named
Thankful all the way, too. | never
did feel so good--never.
This afternoon I'd got my work
done up and was dressed up in my
spry fggered calico. Little Thankie
was a settin' by the winder a lookin'
as sweet as peach blossom, when
who should come in but Mandy
Stout. Says she, "Miss Strong, I'm
glad to git here; Pm about beat out"
''What's up now," says l. "Noth-
ing" says she, "only / have been a
helpin' George all this forenoon a
TWIN and film oat sacks, and every
time I'd tie a knot he would pull it
through and laugh and call me
granny | asked him to show me
how, but he says shan't do it; no
sister of mine that amt smart enough
to study that out amt fit to vote.
But go over to Miss Strong's, she
always helps everybody, and as
longs she believes in woman's rights
she might show you.'" "Well now,
Mandy" says |, 81 am right glad
you've come, for it is something that
everybody ought to know, and it is
just as easy as fallin' off log" So
took string and showed her in
side of five minutes, and | never seen
no gladder girl.
"Speakin' of woman's rights" she
continued, "reminds me of a talk
that | had with Miss Mechin one
day last summer. | called there on
an errant, and as soon as my bust
ness was done she said: as it true,
Miss Strong, that you believe in
woman's rights;" at is true, Miss
Mechin." sJust how fur do you be-
lieve in the doctrin's" She looked
as though she could send my ideas
all to the winds if she wanted to. |
laughed in my heart, and said: "For
myself | believe in it five feet and
eight inches, that bein' my hight and
length, fur others accordin'." II
don't believe in the doctrin' at all,
said she; s.my husband says that a