The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-06-06
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TWO STAY At HOMES.
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w ocHeu am bmucn on uSnIln away
from home, i" observed Samuel Snuffer,
biting cubic inch out of plug of Agri-
culturist's Charm which he had bor-
rowed from the man who was sitting
next him on the counter. The charm
had passed half way around the circle,
and the remaining cubic inch of it had
been restored to its owner, when Abner,
not catching the full intent of Mr..
Shutters remark, replied: "Yaas;
they's heap O. truth in that there.
Weemen is sot ag in furrin wars. Least
ways my weemen is. Now
''Do they prefer the domestic kind p
asked the drummer of notions, who was
packing up his sample case preparatory
to leaving the store.
"Not at all-not at all, said Mr..
Rickaback. ''Ye see, my missus passed
thoo SIGH terrible times back in 1850,
when | was a-bangin away at the rebels
down in the Wilderness, that when this
here Spaynish war broke out she sails
to me, sails she, 'Ye just shan GO
'Marthy, sails l. I'm veteran.
The governor O. Pennsylvania has call
fer 10, 900 men, an he don't name me,
but he means me jest the same. Be ev-
cry mortal an jest right bein wet
eran am included in that 10, 000
with that puts on me blues an
gifts down me musket an kisses the lit
tie ones all aroun an starts fer the door.
Well, sir, you uns never seen sech
time ez was raised when they see was
off to fight the Spaynyards. Mary Alice,
the eldest, jest th'owed her arms aroun
my neck an bust out with tears. The
seven others begin to bawl. Pap, pap,
you Il git shootedP
Children. l sails, sails I, your
papa's a veteran an experienced sol
der. Duty calls, an he obeys'
"Tle missus didn't see things tibet
way. She jest gets me be the collar an
sets me down in an armchair, draws me
boots, walks off with them an me mus
ket an hides EN-. She wern't goin to
have no foolin round the shanty, she
sayd.
''Marthy seemed to think tibet tibet
there settled it, but she didn know me,
fer all the evenin ez l set there be the
fire SO meeklike was a-thinkin. Scenes
wasn't to my likin. so l conceded I'd
jest let on like he'd give up all idee O.
fghtin Spaynyards. wait tell the fam
lily was asleep an then vanquish.
''At midnight sets up in bed. The
moon was shinin thoo the winder, Jest
half lightin the room, so could move
aroun without trippin over the furni-
ture. The missus was a-snorin gentle
like, an overhead in the attic l could
hear soft sniffin jest like thrasher
engine when the men has shet down for
dinner. 1t was the children asleep.
climbs out over the footboard an looks
aroun for me boots. There they was
stickin out under the missus' pillow.
Known l couldn't git EN- without
wakin her, | conceded to vanquish bare
foot. But they was one thing ag in this,
and tibet was tibet the door was locked
an some IN he'd took the key. 1 tried
the winder, but tibet he'd been nailed
shet Then gifts mad tibet there kind
O. quietlike mad when ye boils up in
side an hes to keep yer mouth shet. It's
the meanest kind O. mad too. 1t seemed
like there was smile a-playin aroun
the missus' face, an tibet made me sour
er an ever an kinder spurred me on.
"Well, sirs, ez stood there in the
middle O. the room thinkin what I'd do
next and wonderin whether I hadn't
better jist slip back to bed, me eye
ketched sight O. an old conf table that
filled a hole in the wall where the
daubin he'd fell out from atween the
lawgs Thet put me in mind O a scheme
tibet wasn't long in kerryin out, fer
the hole was pretty good sized an I'm a
small man an wiry. In less'n no time
the conf table was outer tibet hole, an
was in it. I staid in it, too, for jist
as me head an arms an shoulders got
out o doors felt a sharp prickin in
me side. pushed back an a great big
splinter jagged me- tried to go on
for d, an it jagged me again, SO bad
most yelled. So staid right there
one-half outen the house an the other
half in. Seemed like time begin to
move awful slow then, an it 'peared a
whole day fore the moon went from
the top O. the old lone pine tree in
grandaddy's chestnut, which is jest 30
feet. Then me feet an legs was bakin
over the stove an the cold Apryl winds
was whistlin down me neck.
81 took to countin jest to pass time,
an | low | must counted $4,000, 900
sfore heard Footsteps up the road. "A
man come outen the woods an inter the
moonlit clearin. where l could see he
was ole Hen Bingle. whistled agin
an called softlike to him. He sneaked
up to the gate an looked agin.
" Hen, help, whispers.
" who is you a-growin outen the
side O. Alb Rickaback $ shantyT he calls,
kinder hoarse and scared With that
he pints musket at me very threat
enin.
''Hen Bingle, sails l. Don't you
dast shoot It's me, Alb Rickaback, an
want you to pull me out I'm goin to
war.
''Then it dawned ON him what was
up to. an he come over an looks at me.
l seen he he'd on his blues. too, an 1
knowd ez he had given his woman the |
sneak an was off to fight Spanyards.
He wanted to laugh, but l told him it |
We're no time fer sech foolin, but jest
to break off that splinter an pull me
loose.
s'Now, Hens an obligin, patriotic
kind O. Teller, an tho. as he say d, he
hadn't much time to waste, ez his wo-
man was likely to wake up any minute
an find him gone, he reached up an
broke off the splinter. But / fit the
hole so tight / couldn't bulge, an he
sayd he'd pull me out. So he gifts upon
the wall O. the well which was jist be
low me an grabs me be both hands
an drawed. I'd moved about an inch,
when he kicked out wildlike an hung to
me like ton o. hay an gasped an
groaned. thought tibet yank he'd dis !
tinted me all over, an yells. Let got
" Don't You dast let gol' he sails.
lookin up at me kind q agonizin.
s'Then I see that neither me nor Hen
Bingle was ever goin to fight Spayn-
yards, fer he'd stepped off the wall an
was hangin down into. the well.