The St. Johns herald., 1899-10-21
pret going more" "


 Maybe that's so, but next weekn De our county fair, and I'd like you to see 1t. Have you ever been to one"
 admitted that my education in that respect had been neglected. For It was I who had spent the summer among the Jersey hills, and the fund of good stories with which my hostess was sup piled had often entertained me. Hop ing for one now asked, What are they like, Mrs. COnoverT
 Well, I suppose agricultural exhiDi- tions' Is the real name for lem, but we don't often say it. They generally last three or four days. And the farmers take their best bred stock, and their biggest fruits and vegetables. Then their wives send bread, and preserves, and jellies; and in the fancy tent they have patchwork quilts, and embroider- les and oil paintings. And the best or every class gets premium.
 "Moneyr queried.
 "Yes, five dollars or so, but the honor is really more than the money"
 "Will you send anything" was my next question.
 "No. I never did but once, and such time as I had then! Shall l tell you about it?'
 "Yes, please, I wish you would"
 "Well, 1t was three years ago, the first year Jimmie come to us. You know we never had any children and Ezry was bound to adopt boy. So he got Jimmie out of the orphan asylum down to Elizabeth"
 "Did you send him to the fairy asked. Mrs. Conover sometimes needed to be brought back to the main track in her storytelling. Now a shadow cross ed her placid face as she answered.
 "Yes, Jimmie went that year and ev- cry year since. But I'll go on with my story. I was lookin' over the premium list when Ezry brought it home and l asked him if he wouldn't enter that Al derney heifer. She's the COW we call Daisy now, and she was so pretty and tame. But he said no, she wasn't regis tered, and her keep would cost more than the premium. And felt real sor- ry. for I did want one of them first 1 premium cards. We was the only one of the neighbors that hadn't one.
 "Then I saw they'd added new de partment and would give five dollars for the best cake, and l made up my I mind I'd have that. And when 1 told Ezry he said, Go ahead, mother. If anybody in this county can make better
 at
 'I think MT. ConOver was right" interrupted.
 A pleased look passed oyer the face of the story teller as she continued, "A lit tle while before him and me had been over to Mahaly Stiles to stay all night And on the supper table they had some thin that looked for all the world like q water melon, but when you came tC eat it was cake. So told Ezry I wa: going to send for Mahaly's receipt, and make that. He said 1t was too late, fol that was Wednesday, and the fair open ed the next Tuesday. But told hin if it went out the next morning I could get an answer Friday or Saturday a the latest, and I'd bake my cake Mon day after I did the washing.
 .'So wrote the letter and sent Jim mic off to mail 1t, and Friday nigh Hooked for the answer. But Jimmi, came home empty handed. Saturday afternoon drove old Billy into the vii lage for the things. Isgot almonds, anC red sugar, and green sugar. On the way home stopped to the postOffice. SusaI Shell, the same as has it now, had then. ! And she said there was nothing sh could give me. I was awful disap 7 pointed, but I thought the. letter woul' come Monday mornin'. So I got up a 4 o'clock so as to get my washin' out But Jimmie didn't bring it up from tha ' mail either.
 Ut was strange" I commented, a Mrs. Conover paused to take anothe . pair of socks from the pile she wa alarming.
 . "Are you getting tired? We'll I'll b , through soon." ! Not at all. Please. go on." q That night after supper, Jimmi . came in with a dirty postal card in hi q hand screamin' 'auntie. I've got 1t. Py ) got it.
 "We had him say 'auntie' and 'unelt because, as told Ezry, if God had eve . meant us to be called father and mothe he'd have given us some children of ou
 own.
 "I asked Jimmie what he'd got an he said the letter. He said he though
 I felt so bad that he run over to th postoffice himself after supper and SI Q | = hs-, &I,Iu hod Ynxz zIx