The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1899-07-14
A TRIAL OF SPEED.
BY CLARA AUGUSTA,

or all the mean, meachin' critters
that ever see, Mandy Perkins she
takes the cake.
She an | was girls together, an
land sake, we used to fight over our
dolls all the time, an when growed
up we used to fight our beaux. Jest
as soon as ever a feller begun for to
show me any attentions, then Mandy
Perkins she'd spunk up and do her
best to cut me out with him. An
don't deny but what it was vcy versy
with inc when she got IA young man
bcauin' her round.
When Ezry Higgins furst begun fol
to come tn our house, Mandy she'd set
onto the fence by the side of the road
in front of Gilsums MANDY was a
Gilsum afore she was mcrrled) an
she would stop him on some pretense
or other every timc he went alodg.
Once the chimbly was aare, and she
wanted him TO hist herself up onto
the ruff of the house, an turn a pail
of water down the chimbly; an once
the Gilsum pig had got out OF the pen
an was a-rootin' up the beets an cab.
bages, as if he'd took the whole con.
tract TO finish on time, an she wanted
Ezra to help run him into the barn
yard.
Another time she had a snake she
wanted him to kill, an once her Aunt
Sally had lost her specks into the
well, an Ezra was The very one to go
down on the rocks an find 'em.
But he merried me, and for quite a
spell Mandy kept quiet. After she got
hltched to SethsPerkins, she seemed
tn start out fresh. II Ezra or l had
anything, she an Seth would have
something to match 1t jest rs quick
as they could manage to git it. Ezra
hc bought dump cart one time, an
the next day Seth he bought wheel.
barrer. l got laylock gown, an
Mandy she got her green one. Ezra
he had lightnn' rod put onto the
house. an Seth lie jest covered his
barn with rods. Ezra he had him a
pair of white pantaloons, an Seth he
come to Thursday evenin' prayer
meetin that very week with pair OF
buff corduroys on. We had party
for our wooden weddin', an Seth an
Mandy they had a party over his birth
day. When our Tom was born what
did Mandy do but go an have twins
three weeks afterward, an had 'em
christencd when We had Tom chris.
tened.
An so 1t went on, year In an yeaI
out, each one OF US tryin' to git ahead
of the other. When we met, Mandy
an l was as sweet to each other a.
two jugs ofeMerlasses. That's the
way OF women, you know. They may
hate each other inside, an alters hus
an kiss each other when there's any
body round to see 'em. Why tits
don't know-it's one OF them thingl
that nobody can account for. |
"Land sake!' says Ezra, "why dom
you an Mandy Perkins let one totlle
alone? You put me In mind of,
couple Of Tom cats-rubbin' an purr
in when there's anybody lookin', an
pullin' hair an spittin' fire an brim
stone to one totl,er rs soon as you 81
out O. sight. l should think" say
lie. "tl1t you'd be kinder tired OF
after forty or fifty year Of IT,"
But, law! u man don't never under
stand such things. He amt got brain
enough to see into the ins an outs 0
these women diniculties. 'Tain't t
be expected that he should.
Mandy she's alters braggin' OF no,
she gifts ahead Of me, an I've heern q
1t, too. You know there's allcrs folk
enough ready to tell you anythinI
that anybody says about you tina
amt In your praise. But somehow
they don't seem to take 80 much pain
to Let you know when anything goOt
is said Ut you.
An,I'd made up my mind that whe'
the right opportunity como Id le
| Mandy psrklns 80 that sho couldn'
alloro ~ W tnside track Of me.
Wtll. last spring old Elder Jlmpso
|ever ~ Hdss. a eos : slow foveR q