Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-11-08

vi Wy tu nnluuNtS ElltI Mhth
went to carry the butter down cellar
there came seven knocks on that emp
ty cider bar'l, and asI stood there
shalsin heard a whispered voice Assay
In, Hammer Gallup. git ready to be an
angel! 1t was my summons, and I've
got to 60. Nobody kin hold back ag'in
a summons. What kind of second
wife shall you marry, Samuel?"
Mr.. Gallup had paused in his labors
and was looking absently at robin In
a cherry tree.
"You needn't feel at all delikit about
talkin 1t over with me-" said Mrs Gal
lup as she dabbed at her eyes with the
apron. "I've allus s'pected you'd git
married aG'in IL l should die, and
shan't howl and squeal about 1t. Mrs.
Bebee says II her husband marries
ag'ln she'll haunt him, but you needn't
be afraid of me. I'd ruther you mar
ried ag'in. If you didn't, you'd be goin
to circuses and dogfights and candy
pulls and become as wicked as Silas
Johnson. S'pose you've kinder had
your eye out, hev'n't you, Samuel
that is, you've kinder made UP your
mind about what sort of woman
you'd marryY
Mr.. Gallup withdrew his gaze from
the robin and returned to his work of
sharpening the sickle, and Mrs. Gal
lup's nose had grown very red with the
pulling when she continued:
"There's the Widder Lapham, Sam
uel. and everybody says she's wuth
| $1,000, but wouldn't want you to mar
| ry her. She's too hity tity for a man
Of your age. While She was swingin
| in hammock she'd let the bread burn
up in the oven. She'd want you to 60
off to a picnic every day in the year,
and If you had any soft soap in the
house you'd hev to buy It. And there's
the Wilder Davis. She's a good house
keeper, Samuel, as I'll admit, but they
say she gifts streaks on. One day she'll
be laughin and gigglin all day long. and
the next day she'll be as sulky as a
mule. She kin make a pound Of tea
go as fur as l kin, but she told me
with her own, mouth that she had four
pairs Of stockin'S last year. Gould you
put up with sich extravaganza as that,
Samuel? Wouldn't you be thinkin Of
how l allus got along on two pairs a
year,?
Mr. Gallup whistled softly to himself
as he felt OF the edge Of the sickle with
his thumb. The whistle conveyed no
direct information, but was whistle
In the abstract. Mrs. Gallup looked at
the back of his neck for moment and
worked up and choked back n sob and
then said:
"Theres Phoebe Cousins, whom ev-
erybody likes, but she's an old maid
and sot in her ways. She never back
bites nor gifts mad, but she wants ev-
erything Jest so. If you come into the
house and throwed your hat down on
the floor or pulled your boots Off in the
parlor in the evenin, she'd raise the
swfulest kind Of row. guess you'll
hev to marry gal, Samuel. You are
old 'nuff to be the father of any gal
around here. but don't see no other
way. Hev you got any pertickler gal
in mind? l was thinkin of Sue Sabins
the other day. She's 20 years old and
great hand to work, and mebbe you'd
be happy with her. Her mother says
Sue likes to be petted. You've never
petted me. but mebbe you'll change
when l am gone. No, Samuel can't
remember time In 81 years when
you've pulled my ear or patted me Oh
the shoulder or poked me III the ribs
I-I"-
The remembrance that there had
been no shoulder patting or ear pulling
during all those long years brought @
fresh outburst of emotion, and for two
minutes Mrs Gallup sobbed Bitterly
Mr.. Gallup laid down the whetston'
and the sickle and picked up the papel
Of tacks and balanced it on the poin
of his finger. but he was oblivious o.
his surroundings.
IL don't complain, Samuel" sale
Mrs. Gallup when she could control he
voice again. "When I saw that 20,
was no hand to pet, let 1t so. I'm oil
and wrlnkled and scrawny. and can
look fur pettin, 1t will be differen
with gal. however. If you don't pull
her ear at least once week and cal
her angel, she'll git sulky and flnall,
, run away with tin peddler. Mrs
J Bebee was sayin that Bertha William
would make good gal wife fur you
and Mrs. Williams says that you coul'
not do better than to marry Mar.
Hawkins, but amt goin to pick OH
! nobody fur you nor find fault witt
your choice. All I'm goin to do Ia t
die and become an angel and let 70,
! do Jest as you want to. I've got jes
one leetle favor to ask"
/ The lump in her throat and the tear
in her eyes checked her speech 70
half minute, and during that tim
Mr. Gallup put the tacks down an,
lifted up the sickle again.
ITS only this Samuel. You needn'
do no weepin fur me when I'm gone
and you needn't hang over the gat
and try to look all broke up over IN
loss. You kin go right to playin check
ers as soon as the funeral is over. bu
some night. later on. when you are al
alone in the house and the cricket
are singin. want you TO remembe
that l had my good pints as we'll a
my bad. want you to remember tina
used a clothes biler with seven hole
In the bottom fur nine years withou
mendn and that hain't had n ne,