The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-08-26
THE NOSTRALGIA OFNANCY

knOcker with a gentle perSiStency. She
had not stood Upon that doorstep for
seVera weeks past, but that was not
due to neglect. Nancy had been away
from home. She had been visiting her
birthplace, and Miss Tweed glowed with
a generous anticipation of the pleasure
she would experience in seeing the
heart-starved old spinster tasting of
happiness to her souls satisfaction for
once in her life.
There was a flavor of personal graft
fication in Miss Tweed's emotion-the
qualification of the benefactress. To her
Nancy owed her holiday. 1t was Miss
Tweed who had furnished her with
the necessary means.
Nancy Knowles "a poor and when
in the early summer Miss Tweed had
visited her in the course Of one of her
customary rounds of merical ministry
she had found her sitting wretched and
alone, in her little Kitchen, clasping an
aching head between two fever-parched
hands and lamenting to the unrespon-
sive four walls.
May I come in?" Miss Tweed had
asked, standing IN the outer thresh-
old and ~forbearing with a nice sense
permission.
Nancy had raised her head and bent
on her visitor a look Of reproachful
welcome.
20, yes, come in, come in," she re-
sponded, sounding high the note of
complaint with her first breath. "This
be the first time you've ben anigh me
for weeks an weeks an me so dretful
poorly seems like I vas goin' to die.
But I 's'pose that amt no account an
I amt no call to find fault. Folks must
take what they en- get an be thank
full fort when they be old an failin'."
Miss Tweed took a nimble seat not
far from her aggrieved hostess and be-
gan, in faint protest and apology: I'm
deed, no, Nancy! I haven't meant to
neglect you. I've been nursing mother,
who has had the grip, and I have
scarcely been out of her rooms for
weeks. I'm so sorry you are sick. What
seems to be the matter? Won't yon
you?"
Help me? Oh, law! I s'pose there
amt ,nothin' d help this pain. An
it amt on'y the pain, either (tho' that's
considerable ugly), it's the kinder sink
in fellin' in my heart that comes out
o times an the lowness O. my srirrets.
Does your ma hev sinkin' O. the heart
an lowness O. the spirrets? Ever since
I he'd the la grippey, long in the
spring, I ben jest this way-feelin' like
in I war. O, law! how my head does
hammer! I en- see in the glass how
hagworn and pindlin' I look. Folks
don't need to asst alter my health, they
en- see for themselves how bad I be.
"Doos your ma hev a constan' achin'
in the bones? We amt never had no
rheumatic in our family. Oh, Ian, I
do ache so!
But who wouldn't get took down
in this Missile, stived-up sorter place?
Wonder everyone amt down, sick abed
with the doctor! I never see such a
town! I declare fort, I feel so ugly
times, seems like I couldn't stand it.
It jest makes me long fer my own place,
whar I was raised. My stars! But what
wouldn't I give to see the old house
again! Sometimes I low it's hat sort
Of fellin' makes me so pesky slow
pickin' up. Seems like one look round
'ud put new life inter me.
"Ah! The place I was raised is suthin'
like. Nc narrer streets there! Good,
open roads with trees an things CROWN
'long-side. An no pesterin' sidewalks
that like to break your shins stubbin'
your toes. The houses to Bethelbury
amt set in long rows like they be here.
No, indeedy! Thar they be whar folks
can feel they's livin' in the world 18th
the trees 'longside an your own strip
O. garden. o, laws O. man; but amt
it pipin' hot!
Now, to Bethelbury the days amt
never so hot's they be here. There's
alays a breeze som'ers. An the nights
is so cool you can sleep under a CON-
forter, if so be's a comforter's Agreeable
to you. I never wish for n myself.
I don't think 'em healthy. It's much's
twenty years sense I was to Bethelbury,
but I can see our bic house now, asset
in back on Turkey hill. It amt changed
a mite. Big an ramblin' and good
sized chambers, you can do more thar
sling a cat in. Back of the house is
the orchard. How us young 'uns useter
streak through that orchard! Thar was
an appletree with a nat'ral seat into 1t
we set dreadful store by. Hot summer