The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-03-16
MILLY'S RETURN.

Uncle Ben Simms stood by his barn
door, intent on fixing broken harness
He did not hear my footstep or see me
until 1 was close upon him. GOOD
morning, uncle" said I knew how
friendly he was to every stranger and
did not fear his not answering me or
asking annoying questions about me.
"Mornin, stranger. Fine mornin thisl
From YorkP''
Eyes, sir; just this morning. At
what time does the train-I mean the
next one-leave the station going back?"
"'Bout this afternoon. / wuz jist
tryin to fix up this ole harness, SOS to
meet the 1 o'clock train. It's jist about
played out. Lowed 'twould last as long
as me an the ole lady did, but seems
like it's jist fallin all to pieces all at
once. You see, stranger, and a glad
smile lit up his bearded, wrinkled face,
you see, Milly's comm home today
Milly-that's my darter-been gone
nigh on nine years She wuz our only
child, all we ever had, 'cept Andy. He's
been with us since he wuz years old.
Andy's a good boy, sir; a good boy as
you ever seed, and most anybody'll tell
you the same
Yes, she wrote me card. l got it
here in my blouse pocket Mas just
wild fer joy. An, stranger, yer ought ter
see the good things she's got cooked
Mas wonderful good cook. There
amt woman in the country round
that can beat her. She's been trapesing
round fixing up good things ever since
Andy bro't this card. Yes, it'll lift
mighty heavy load from this ole heart
IT Milly comes today, and it'll make me
ten years younger. These has been nine
OF the most miserable long years ole
Uncle Ben Simms ever put through
with.
You see, stranger, it wuz this a
way" And Uncle Ben wiped his eyes
on his checked blouse sleeve and let the
old harness down carefully. 'Dick
Plummer, he us't often to come out here
In the summer fer visit, ever since he
war the same age as when we took
Andy to raise. He an Andy us't to have
SIGH times a-fishin an swimmin an hunt
In. He warn't a bad chap, an 1 didn't
mind his visits to our place-sorter liked
to see him an Andy together But when
he growed up AN begin to larn to be a
doctor, sorter somehow turned ag'in
him. He us't to tell bout cuttin people
to pieces an all. 1t gave me the creeps.
He us't to say 'twan't nothin to see
scholars where he studied play ball with
a mans arm. Ugh, SIGH menl In our
day it was very different, very different.
WAL, one day wuz out in the
smokehouse sharp'nin my sickle-an
want III very good humor either. I
mlnd-when Dick came out thar an
told me he wanted to marry my Milly.
mind, sir, | got SO riled l wuz fairly
beside myself, for I'd sot my heart on
her marTyin Andy, fer Andy wuz good
huff fer any girl-wouldn t hurt flea.
Andy wouldn't. Why, sir, I've seed
him pet an coax an work with our ole
black boss (he's balky most all time),
an II 'twould been me I'd come blame
near KILN him. WAL, l amt so much
that way now since Milly's gone. I've
sorter mastered my fiery temper, tween
N~A-~AAAA@] VI AOA al WdbCulu An0V.
But that mornin when Dick came
out thar an told me he wanted to marry
Mllly-l told you 1 wuz on a high
nos, as old Parson Shockley used ter
say-an l wouldn't give in an inch. he
kept a-tellin me that he loved Millv an
she loved him, but it never made anv
dlterence; wanted her to marry Andy
but they went over to Roseyille an VIM
married that afternoon.
when they came back-I can see her
now come in a-laffin-an she came mn
TO me an said, Pa, you amt mad, air
your mother she bust out a-cryin. fer
she knew would act a dern fool. fer 7
wuz IN terrible fit of temper, fer that
mornm old Dodson's boys had nigh
stripped my fine Bartlett pear trees at
the back of the lott jist pinted to the
door an told her''-his voice again
wavered and up went the checkered
shirt sleeve-"she needn't ever come
here ag' in even if she lived to be 100
years old. An mind, too, said, Some
day mebby your II want ter come back,
mebby to beg food fer yer children, but
mind, | am not grandfather to any of
your children
AN so they left, but Milly says: Pa,
dear, let me kiss mother goodby. Please.
please dol' An she looked SO pitifully to
her MAJ can see it now; / couldn't
then-but I shut the door and left the
house. / went over thar meath that
sassafras hedge an threw myself ON the
ground an tho't of what I'd done. but
couldn't help it. The very devil of
temper wuz in me, an he would crop
out at times.