The sun., 1899-05-14

Masculine Curiosity vauquid,e,i and Hum
bled Before FeminLn., ssnln.

| bst on tne DhcK plaZzer Snes lin pens when
all OF sudden see George Oim round the
house lookin' kindly tuckered out and no.
ticed he he'd q letter. 'Pearsd like he was
| mighty took up with that lette r. fur he walked
| middlin slow and seemed to be tryn' them
new X-rays onto II. Howso never. when he
| cum up even with the lilac bush he looked up
at me kindly hankerln' fur nss to inquire some
question bout that thare ls ter. but know'd
| George Simpson EN- from swaddlin' clothes as
1t were. and maintained II noble. dign fed as
| pect OF demeanor meanwhile shellLn' peas as
though that wuz my sole business on Garth.
! "George fetched up one foot onto the middle
| piazzer step. unfasterd his red bandanner
| from round his neck. fur twas IA middln
warm July day. then he took n. good bty chaw
OF tobacco. and sez to myself. Now, George
| Simpson. you're ready fur bWkness' You see
was acquainted with him fro m way bnck and
| know'd he'd give me that thsre letter when
he got good and ready an not afore. and
1 sez firmly to myself, Marthy. pos
sess thy soul in patience l may say
right here. before i eXpat tiate any further
that my brother George is awful queer. Some
| folks outside the family vould even call him
| cranky. but sakes alive. h e's my own flesh and
| blood, and as grandpap isod to say. Blood's
thicker than water But that particular July
| mornin' he'd to keep a thinkn' continually
that he was blood relative in order to contain
myself fur inwardly l was fairly rampant
| alter that thare letter.
| George was still X-raMng that thare letter.
| but ! quailed not: neither moved an eve.
| winker.
| Nav sez he. L wonder who this herelet-
| ter can he from Sez he. turnin' 1t over cau-
| tious like and peerin' at it closer. Near as l
kin make out. it's from the fur West. And
| seZ he. looks like q female handwritin'. Yes
| seZ he. kindly speculative. looks likotstylish
writin', kindly 'rstO smtic va know
| Il wuZ shelling p,sas purity nigh us hard as
could. and they wuz rattlin' round in the tin
| pan somewhat like grapeshot on the battle
| field. and he'd my thoughts aud opinions OF
George Simpson. but degned not n glance
| and showed no unwomanly curiosity l could
see he was beginning to respect ny silence
| and when see him stoop and fasttn up one OF
| his knee patches with a safety u,n-he will
keep his patches on with safety pins. that bein
| one Of his oddities--I he was beginnln to
| back down. and l knew he couldn't hold out
| much longer. So held my head high and
maintained cam. nnruffled exterior
| though my inner man wuz seethin' with
vulgar flames OF curiosity. like Vesuvius
| OF old, George fixed the patches on
| both his knees. and could zee plain enough
| he was enjoyin' himself. / Eattled my peas
round at a terrible rate. for could hear the
teakettle singin. and knowd twas high time
| them peas WIZ bilen. George wanted to know
| the contents OF that thare epfstle worse than
| did, but thare he stood and turned It over and
| over. held it up to the July sunshine. hctted It
| in the palm or his right hand. squinted up his
| right eye and looked at it and then sauinted
| up t'other eye and gared at It. and sez to
| myself. seq i. George Simpson. you've got
purity nigh the end Of your rope. You better
| haul in
| wall. he opened his mouth ard thinks I,
he's goln' to hand over the letter. but II you'll
believe It, my cognitattons was ,miphronious.
That tormented son OF Adam sez. mildly. while
| he tucked in a powerful big hunk OF terbaccer,
| sez he:
"'Marthy. what.be you Roin' tersio with that
| pesky mare out in the medder?
| Il had finished up my peas by this time and
wuz scrapIn' new potaters like all possessed
| see my continued silence had begun to irr-
tate George. fur he set down. and swinging one
leg over the other. begun trottin' his right foot
at a purity good jog. and. sez he. in high
raspinR tone:
~ don't want no more mare on my medder'
| Then. as he see me, sisti:l there parently
serene. he says louder and more emphatic, L
tell you Marthy Matthews. that hoss has
greved me to death. and henceforth you can
talk anything You like to me exceptin' horse
ology'
| As he said them last words he fetched his
fist down so near my sorest corn that he'd TO
exert all my equanamity to keep from jumpin'
I was gittin' slightly riled at the idear OF my
talking horseology when hadn't said word
on ology or any OF the sciences for nigh onto
half an hour. but sez to my soul. .Marthy
Matthew'S let patience hev her perfect work
II stepped in and put on the peas and then
resumed my seat with the air OF Psyche or
any OF them Greclan Roddesses. and scrapod
my potaters In golden silence; our potaters
wuz extra big. uncommon big. George took
of his straw hat. wiped his forehead with his
bandanner. and sez he. striking of on another
course:
Women folks is awful queer critters.
Blamed II body knows what to say to 'em:
always shown' so much curiosity and pokin'
their noses in other folkss business. I've al
WAYS had grudRe agin' the Lord. Marthy. fur
invontin' womin.'
Il felt after that remark that what could
have said would have broke the backs OF all
the words In the dictionary. and the force OF Il
put into writin' would turn the palest ink black
as night, but there set scrapin my last and
biggest potater.
"Sez George. lookin' at the letter which he
held onto with death-l like grip. Do you know.
Marthy. I've changed my bed so she heads the
north. SOS kin get the electric currents in a
PERPENDICULAR horizontal position. I've heard
tell lately that it's more healthier to be struck
that way
"I opened not my mouth neither did blink.
but sez / to nv soul. The Lord Almighty
knows all the electric currents from Dan to
Barshebie couldn't change George SIMPSONS
contrariness.' I riz at this pint and put my
potaters fur dinner. and then set down and.
foldin' my hands looked OF in the distance
beyond the syrnga bush. even as far as the
dim blue hills. sweet smile OF placid content
ment curving my lips. George gin me one
look and see ISwas fur up on the mountain
beyond and above letters and men and such
earthly things and moreover. as It was hard
onto noon. he felt the pnngs OF hunger gnawin'
at his vitals. and then he smelt>them marrow
fat peas n-cookin'. and he hove Geep sigh
and seq he:
"Murthy. I'll do the square thing as always
lay out to do. and reaching over he put that
thare letter right onto my folded hands.
II stirred not. but nv thonghts wore dwell