Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-04-07


would bend his brawny back to transfer
q peck Of cornmeal from barrel be-
longing to Ex-Governor Strong into
soiled bag belonging to one Of ex-Gov-
ernor Strong's slaves. More than 100
times Charlie, presiding over the molas-
ses barrel and the tobacco box, would
supplement the necessaries Of life, dis
pensed by his father and Seth, with the
only two luxuries craved by the docile
and unpampered horde.
Even then Liza could hear the field
hands defiling heavily past her win
dows, shod in their clumsy red brogans,
q stolid, patient gang, quite content to
bask with folded arms against the long,
sunny wall Of the log smokehouse,
while Eben and the boys scampered
through their breakfast swallowing
their coffee in those dreadfully audible
aulps which Liza found so trying.
There was the weeks accumulation
Of disabled plows and decrepit wagons
to be braced into renewed usefulness at
the blacksmith's shop SO very close to
her windows that she could feel the hot
breath Of the furnace when she sat by
her work table. 1t was the labored
breathing Of the huge bellows that had
aroused her to consciousness OF the
day, and all day long the quick, clangor-
GUS blows of the blacksmith hammer
would be falling with equal force upon
the anvil and upon her own quivering
nerves
There was the weekly scrubbing OF
the rough boarded galleries and the car
petless floors to be endured. with an all
day pervasion of soapsuds, moist slat-
terms and sloppy discomfort generally.
For one decorous day the house would
be free of red clay imprints Of heavy
boots and exult in Sabbath day clean
illness which was it's only approach to
godliness
She would make herself get up pres
emily and assume her share Of the days
sordid duties, with surface complais-
ance that easily passed muster for con-
tent with the uncritical members Of her
home circle.
With q clumsy belief in the efficacy
Of work as sovereign remedy for all OF
a girls crotchety fancies Eben had laid
certain we'll defined obligations upon
his daughter soon after her return from
school.
OF course he and Becky had gone in
to consultation concerning the sort OF
work to be expected of Liza.
"Sissy mayse we'll take holt and do
her sheer, Becky. Too much time to
NOPE in amt gwine to make her forgit
her fine times at school nor her fine
Balt'mo' frien g no quicker. And sittin
bout twiddlin her thum's amt goin to
make her any mo- in love with the
quarters nor the niggers. If we spilled
her by sendin her otter school, the quick
er we onspile her the better for her and
all concerned. Amt you agreed?'
"Our Liza won't never be anything
but lady, Eben, if I do say it. And
she amt bit set up neither. The mad
am says she could hold her own any
where's wisht the child would be
more frien'ly with Gabry's mother 1t
sorter frets the old lady"
Grant you all that, Becky, but as
our girl is mos likely to halter hold
her own right here along OF you ana me
and the boys think you'll agree with
me that the quicker she fits in the bet
ter Overseers' daughters don t find hus-
bands on every black bush.
II don't think our Liza is studyin
bout no such nonsense. But what do
you want her to do Eben? She ain t cut
out for no rough sort of work, and
don't you be tryin to put none on her
neither.
Eben turned his handsome, ford face
full upon his wife in open eyed surprise.
In their 80 years of married life be had
never known Becky to be either snap
pish or dictatorial. She was bordering
on both just at that juncture.
"You amt blamed bit fonder nor
prouder Of our girl than am, Becky.