The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-03-10

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the rat grows more familiar every night
an he finally gifts SO he comes over tC
my chair an climbs up my breeches laig
an digs his paws inter my knee SOS he
wouldn't jar off when I'd pound the
nuts.
AN then maybe in the mOrnin' this
wilder woman 'ud come drivin' over be-
hind a ole mcaly nosed mule an poster
me, askin' whether she'd better plant
| hog Gavin er sweet Gavin in the medder
land she was breakin' up on her farm,
an she'd sit down here an talk an fuss
round an declare to gracious an I'd
| fdget till she run out o. talk an chat
ter an then I'd hitch up her ole mule
an she'd go drivin' home, an then I'd
call out the rat and feed him hazelnuts
an enjoy the quiet, cause the rat didn't
make no noise.
We'll, things run along in that rut
| fer several weeks, the wldder gittin'
more familiar an | more Uneasy, an
the rat jes' stayin' where he is, en- Joy
in life an hazelnuts an provin'
mighty consolation to me. Finally
long about the june rise in the river, |
was hauliI' up some drifJWood from the
river what l had ketched in the back
water, an the wagon pin broke an a
| big water soaled Sy Camore log rolled
| off an threw me down an kctchcd me
| under it an broke my laig, besides skin
MIN me up considerable. The neigh
| Dors heard ne hollcr an came an
rolled the log often me an carried me
| up here an sent fer the doctor, but
aforc he got here that dadfetchcd wild
der woman came sailin' IN, right in the
middle of all the misery | was a-suf
| FERN from.
"Thc wilder woman never left the
house after that at all, fer she said
I'd need some one TO tend to me, an She
would be most ticlilcd to death fer to
do it, an the doctor agreed with her,
an so l couldn't do nothin' to stop it,
BEN laid up in bed thataway with my
leg strapped to board.
Il dunno whether that laig er the
wilder disconnected me fer the next
lew days, continued the Old man; but
90 know That thus female was power
80 - ~''A
| IT. she mad brought nelghbOr girl
over with her Tor company, an she'n
the girl ulster sleep IN the room Jinin
this one, where the wilder said she
could hear me If l got thirsty durin' the
night an wanted drink; but l ulster
stand the thirst ruther than have her
cone IN wayIayn me when couldn't
| | nS1pT keen nlIIpt From
the time she d git up an make the fire
fer breakfast she'd scold the dogs fer
tracHn' up the kitchen floor, an turn
the cat out fer the night, an go to bed.
She d palaver an talk an fuss round,
an Id squirm an kick the kivers round
with my well foot till the doctors said
II didn't keep still my laig would grow
as crooked as the Wess ni2ger's was,
what got broke by the niger fallin
over salt barl on steamboat. He
ulster lean over the side of the bed fer
10 play dlce on the floor with the other
hlgSerS VINO q Visit HIM.
one night the wilder woman was
sittin' by the bed thar by me an knit
tin socks fer winter, an a-clatterin' =,
when this neighbor girl got to foOin'
round an found ole meal sack full
oV ha|elnuts, an acourse she had fer
|" MI hcr apron an come IN to show
MISS 9lIe what she had discovered.
Fer the lands sakes, Mandy,Whered
you git EN-: says the wilder, when
she sees UNI. Hrdclous Goshen. but
theJ IS Jes what l want. l have heered
many an many time that hazelnut lie
IS Jest the very best thing fer to make
things heal right up, SCI she. l IL SIT
r1ght down here an crack UNI, an in
the morning I'll make some lie fer Mr..
Barnes Whatll fetch his limb all right
IN Jllly, SEE she. An she got iron
ofen the Shell an Hoped down in a
chair an begun crackin' nuts an a CAB
bin.
she was chatterin' along when |
notices the rat stick his head outen the
hole an look round. Hazel heered the
crackn' ov the nuts, an he was shore
hungry fer some ov EN- an had come
out to investigate. | knowed what'd
happen so l Jes stuffed corner OF the
KlVNer IN my mouth to keep from lat-