Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-08-20

The NIGHSIGHTEDNESS OF AUNT PERSIS.

hadn't oughter Two KEEP -bowin' to,
an them's oughte-, ain't-till I've
ben clean discouraged time an often.
One day, after meetia', | shook hands
with the minister's wife three times
a-runnin'i But that warn't nothin' to
the dretful mistake | made with the
same minister s wife another time. 1t
makes the shivers run up n down the
spine o my back ev'ry time l think
on t. You see she does wear real
queer bunnits, Marthy Beckett, an
she's SO absent in her mind that |
guess she don't always fix herself up
jest becomin she's a real good
woman.
''Yes, she's real good woman, any.
way, Persis.
That time I'm a-speakin' of she
was a-goin' past the house in dretful
hurry, an | run out an hailed her an
asked her to come round an do my
washin' Sat day Amt it awful l
s'posed o. course twas Mis- Plimpton
that did days works out, you know.
She m the minister's wife is Jest about
of a height an do favor each other In
some ways mebbe,
"Melbe. But warnt it dretful,
Persis? Whapd she say when you
asked her?"
We'll, she was some took aback,
but she spoke up jest as pleasant.
She says, Il don't wonder you made a
mistake, Mis- Strong. l do b'lieye
I've come out without my overskirt
on, an my second-best bonnet, too.
I'd oughter be more rememb'rin' or
words to that effect. But | amt never
forgiN myself"
81 guess that's the worst thiag
about nighsightedness that l ever
hear !" Mis- Marthy' said.
"Well, it's worse enough, ! don't
never mind 50 much when the jokes
on myself An that makes me think
what an awful joke | did git onto my
self the other day"
Aunt Persis began to laugh 1t was
such an infectious, merry laugh that
Mis- Marthy' and the little bird in the
apple tree Joined In,
81 guess I'll hev to tell We, Marthy,
though | did think to keep it kinder
close bein' as folks would laugh 30, but
| do know,
"Oh, lawi do tell it, Persis, now
dol l guess l can keep secret.
"Well, l will. You recollect I'm
that scairt o tramps? An the other
looked out the kitchen winder sud-
den, an see the wust specimen accom-
in 'crost Eben Smiths eorufiold an
amin straight for my back door 1
can tell We my heart took a athumpin'
fit to split! l was scairt nigh about
to death didn't stop for no second
lookin', but hustled round lively an
buttoned all them doors an hasped all
them winders. Then / pulled down
the shades, an went into the but'fy
an locked myself inl 1t was a turri-
ble-lookin' tramp, Marthy Beckett
I'd seen him comm real fast, l thought,
an kinder wavin' his arms real crazy
or drunk. Well, stayed in the but'ry
long spell, but there wGrnt nothin'
very alarmin' come about. so / come
out an reeked out the windera There
he was, a=comin' still, though he didn't
seem to be a-footin' it very scrump-
tious. But he was a-noddln' at me
an a-wavin' harder'n ever, an my
heart come up in my throat He was
a dretful loose-i tinted tramp-didn't
seem to be fined together much. "
Aunt Persis stopped tolaugh awhile.
She wiped her eyes with the gray
wooden stocking on her needless
"Well, the long an short to it is, 1
waited for that tramp two solid hours
by the Lords ii ne, au' then / Civ
out. He was halfway 'erost the field,
still a-bowin' an a-scrapin' 1 took
fathers gold d-hea1ed walkin stick an
the hatchet an went out like dreiful
scairt David to meet him. ! couldn't
stan it mite longer. l KEEP edgin'
along as squeamish as please, try
in to look real kinder bold-till i got
in speakin' distance. an them Marthy
Beckett, mebbe that mincin', crazy
actin tramp warn't Eben Smiths'new
scarecrow Goliath wouldn't felt
special fiattered- nor little David
neither Humphl
Aunt Persis grunted. The bees had
flown home to supper. and the sun was
dipping low toward the horizon.
~ declare | must be goin' this min
ute. If it amt Almost sundown
a'realy"
With vigorous fingers Aunt persis
rolled up the gray stocking an picked
up the sunbonnet ON the floor beside
her.
"Stay to supper, do, Persis! You
amt broke bread with me this ever
so long. was calc'latin' to mix up
some batter cakes tonight"
"No, can't stop noway-not to-
night, Marlhy, thank ye. I'll come
over agin soon, mebbe.
$50 do, so do, Persis. Good bye. ="
Aunt Persis went down the steps and
then stopped.
81 s'pose you don't know how Are
thusy Flint is? amt seen her cut
wecdi1' for quite spell. s."
"Well, she's slim, that's how Are
thusy Flint is-real slim"
Good bye" Aunt Persis said
again. She crossed the street to her
little white house and went slowly in.
She went through the hall, without
stopping to the door at the end, and
looked out She could see Arethusa' S
unpainted cottage, and it looked very
lifeless and forlorn. Nothing was
stirring about it.
81 guess she's sold her hens.
amt heard 'em cacklin' an CROWN
since month or so back, An she
amt ben out weedin' lately; Marthy
says she's real slim. I've seen Mar
thy goin' over frequent with dishes
o things Marthy's areal good neigh
bor. Aunt Persis sighed and closed
the door gently There was a wooden
chair near it, q she sat down in it,
How long she sat there she never