Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-05-03
NECK OR nothing.
By JEANETTE q. wALwoRTH.
Copyright. 1887. BY the Author.l

By JEANETTE q. wALw0RTH.
copyright. 1887. BY the Author.l
CHAPTER X1.
Saturday! The dreadfulest day OF
all the dreadful seven!'
Liza drew the honeycomb bedspread
farther up about her ears and burrowed
deeIer into the pillows II only she
could shut out the sights and the sounds
that were waiting for her just outside
her bedroom door, shut them out for
ever by that feeble device of burowing
in the pillows!
The last day Of the week was always
ushercd in with frenzied energy by the
overseer' family. In Mrs. Martins Ian.
guage, Things was purity generally at
skies aud sevens from sunup till sun.
down Of Saturdays"
There was the weeks rations to be
given out to over 100 field hands. Nee
than 100 times would Eben hold alo.t
the hand scales, with their dangling
bait of shining salt pork, and anxiously
scan the indicator to make sure that no
fraction over the regulation four pounds
should pass into the keeping Of each
laborer. More than 100 times Seth
would bend his brawny hack 10 transfer
q peck of cornmeal from a barrel be-
longing 10 Ex-Governor Strong into a
soiled bag lelonging 10 one Of ex-Goy-
eruor 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 luxur;es 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,
u 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
gulps which Liza found SO trying.
There was the weeks accumulation
of disabled plows and decrepit wagons
to be braced into renewed usefulness at
the blacksiniths shop 40 very close to
her windows that she could feel the hot
breath If the furnace when she sat by
her work table II 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 ali
day pervasi"n 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 a Sabbath day clean.
illness which was it's only approach 70
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 u clumsy belief in the efficacy
OF work rs sovereign remedy for all Of
q girls crotchety fancies Eben had laid
certain well 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 10 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 mt school nor her fine
Balt mo- frien 'sno quicker And sittin
bout twiddlin her thum's amt goin to
make her any mo- in love with the
quarters nor the niggers II we spilled
her by sendin her otter school. the quick
er we onspile her the better for her and
al concerned. Amt you agreed!'
"Our Liza won't never be anything
but lady, Eben, if do say it. And
she aim 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 and me
and the boys think you'll agree with
me that the quicker she fits i'll the bet
ter. Overseers' daughters don t find hus-
bands OH every black bush.
II don't think our Liza is studyin
bout no srch nonsense. But what do
you want her to do, Eben? She amt cut
out for no rough Bort Of work, and
don't you be tryin to put none on her
neither.
Eben turned his handsome, florid face
full upon his wife i'll open eyed surprise.
In their 80 years Of married life he had
never known Becky to be either snap
pish or dicta;orial. She was bordering
OH both jus; at that juncture.
"You amt blamed bit fonder nor
prouder Of our girl than ! am, Becky. ]