River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-04-24
"There amt a LIGHT in the nons..

SIcAJ Nv SllnS LHab beLSey dOluen
had been SO proud of before penury
had robbed it of half its charms.
The ole miser won't even burn one
of Aunt Betsey's taller dips. IF he
amt gittin' stingier an stingier!
l nd druther be a pauper than SIGH
as Amasa, emmy day. Wonder what
made him git SO, ennyhow? He didn't
usen to be SO, but he wuz allus a
little near, and how it has growed
on him! | don't suppose that can
do ennything with him about that
bush. Guess i hev cum on fools
errunt, as far as that is concerned,
but l thought I'd like to come up
ennyhow an see how the place
looked, now Betsey is gone. / guess
1T viii be pretty lonesome"
Silas was still thinking out loud in
this distracted manner of his, when
he Knocked at the front door.
Come in,' said Amasa's voice, and
Silas knew from the sudden draft
that the door had been opened. Il
hain't got no light ter-night, an /
thought eff we didn't hey emmy you
wouldn't mind sittin' by the fireplace.
l think il is jest as pleasant, an it
saves ile.'
Silas laughed. 'sWhy don't you
burn some Nv Aunt Betsey's taller
dips?" he asked. II reckon that she
had about a million NV UNI made
''Oh, no." replied Amasa, there
were only few, an L am savin' on
UNI for an emergency"
why can't you light one Nv them
famous dips an celebrate my coming
up?" asked Silas.
''Taller's mighty high, an a-goin'
up every day." said Amasa, doubtful
~. Dunno but / might, seem it's
you, eff you thought you'd take the
BUSH"
Amasa went to the cupboard and
turned with bit of tallow candle
that had been made by dipping
Irvine string repeatedly into hot tai
low.
There he said, triumphantly, as
he lighted it with silver off pine
knot, that is the fust one NV them
candles that / hev burned since Bet
sey died. My, amt it bright"
Bright" reiterated Silas, con-
temptuously, winking and blinking
as though the feeble light hurt his
eyes. EFF it warn't that Aunt Bet
sey made them dips I would advise
you to melt 'em up an use 'em ter
greese your boots with
You air extravigant, Mr.. Brown.
wasteful an extravigant," said
Amasa, "you won't never be rich"
II don't want to be-" replied Silas.
"but let's get to business. What do
BUSH"
Its a mighty fine bush, all on
the south side an easy to gather,
includin' the sugar house." said
Amasa.
81 know it," replied silas, sit is a
good bush, but what do You want
for it?''
"All I can git" said Amasa, IAN it
is worth more, it is dirt cheap at
more
Come, come" said Silas. 81 know
you want all you can git, an more,
twice over, but let's stop this con-
sarned dickerinS, an git ter bust
ness; what will you take?"
WALL said Amasa, brought to the
point by the others imperative man
ner, sit is worth more, but eff you
will give me three-ffths NV the sugar
YOU can hey the bush for this sea-
son.
81 won't do it," said Silas, prompt
ly. 81 won't gin in. 1t amt worth
it, but / will take it an gin half the
sugar-half an half, that's fair, an
that is the last grain nv sugar | will
give
Amasa argued, and expostulated,
dwelling upon the merits of his bush,
and the high price that sugar was
sure to bring this season, but on
that point the deacon was set.
II amt like you, Amasa," he said,
after the other had exhausted every
argument, and his opponent still
stood firm. II make my price an
then stick to it, that's me-"
"You want ter rob me-" whined
Amasa, ''you want ter git it for
nuthin."
'.No, I don't. 1 want jest what is
fair and square, an no more. That's
the way that [ have allus done, an
/ aIlus expect to-" said Silas.
"Wall, it's too much, it is too
much" replied Amasa. 81 can't eff
ford ter let it go fer that"
"Take it or leave it, them" replied
the deacon, taking up his lantern;
sit is fair offer fairly made, an
will be stood to, but eff you don't
want ter accept it, all right"
The deacon stood with one hand
on the latch, and waited for the
miser Amasa wavered.
Its too much" he said, at last,
0but I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll
divide this way eff you want to take
the place.
"You give me three-ffths of the
sugar, an you take two-ffths, an
then L will gin you half Nv one of my
fifths. That's what / call fair an
square deal, an right ter both NV us,
but fer me ter gin you half is too
much, too pesky much, an sugar
goin' ter be so high"
s.All right said the deacon, after
minutes reflection, "I'll do it.
Shake hands on it, an call it bar
gin"
In the meager room by the feeble
light of the tallow dip, the two
shook hands upon the only fair and
square deal that Amasa Holden had