The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-06
NANNY HOWELL'S
wi GRATEFUL SNAKE.
How NANNY Once Walked On the
Wall and Hunted . Rather
With 4 Paste Pot.

| ME and my old woman" says Nanny
Howell Of Westmoreland county. Pa, was
sleepin jest as peaceful one night last
summer. when, round about m idnight
l should Judge, was wakened by a
sound like running sewing machine.
| Look here, old woman l says, being
half awake and my eyes still glued together
what you up at this hour sewing for? Amt
they enough working hours In the day for
you to finish that dress for next Freshly
J tery?'
Eth, what's the matter, Manny-got
the nightmare again' l hears my wife
saying, and wake up all at once and find
her settin' up in bed by my side.
IL thought says-when with that
there was that whirring noise ag'in.
| 'Rattler!' I shouts.
| Now, I've got bull pup that would
rather fight rattler than chase cats any
day. The pup sleeps outside and hadn't
any thought of seein' him tackle this par
iicular RATHER. because the door was shut
and locked But hardly finished shoutin
'Rattlerr when kersplintes. PUNK! in
through the southwest windows jumps the
1 ~
| the floor.
1T was dark az pitch-no moon or stars
shining-but from the growls Of the pup
and the rattle Of the snake I knowed they
was at it, tryin' for a hold. And there
me and the old woman was in bed. she
| scared half to death and l not KNOWN
what to do.
Il don't know how long the scuffle on
the floor kept up. but at last says
Mary Ann. I'm goin' to git up and
help that bull pup. He's stood by me
through thick and thin and now I'm goin'
to stick to him.
with that Mary Ann grabs me by the
arm.
''Oh. Nanny she cries, don't do that!
Whatll I do IL am a widder-and the
snake might bite you In the dark
That's So, I says. Where's the
matches''
! THE other side Of the room, along
side the lamp on the WALL she says, an
the snakes somewhere in between
| There 7 was. not KNOWN what to do.
| except that ! wanted burned hard to help
that bull pup. thought and thought for
maybe ten minutes and had just about
| made up my mind to jump on the floor and
take my chances when all at once recol-
lected that the old woman had been in town
buyin' things in the afternoon.
Mary Ann! shouts, for she was way
under the cover. head and all, by his time.
didn't you buy some stiokum to mend
that busted china when you was In town
to-day?'
"'Yes, Nanny she whispers, just peek
ing out.
Where might IL be?' demands.
"The old woman dives under tho covers
again. Pretty soon she reaches out q
hand to me.
Here, Nanny, here it u.s. she says.
1T cost a. cents. and didn't want to break
it. 80 stuffed it under the edge Of the
bed. What are you goin' to do with It,.
Nanny she says, plaintive like.
Il yanked the cork out with my teeth
and poured lot Of the stickum In my hands.
Then hauled my feet out from under the
covers and smeared the stickum over EN-
good and thick. Next I smeared some
on my hands and arms clean up to the
elbows and then threw the empty bottle
in the direction Of the scuffiin'.
Now says to the old woman, I'm
goin' to git light
with that. before she had time to grab
me, put my hands on the walls as far UP
as could reach. They stuck beautiful
'Hurray" ! shouted. Keep 1t up,
Growler-1'm comm and I planted my
/ moved my hands further up the wall,
one at time and advanced my feet the
same way, the stickum holdin' like the grip
O. death all the time.
Before knew it was up to the ceilin'
and walkin' acrost it. with my back to the
reached the wall which held the lamp tho
old woman sung out:
Where are you. Nanny? Oh. l know
I'm going to he widderr
No, Mary Ann says !. I'm not goin
| to give you chance to marry Jim Brown
just yit;' And with that l started down
the wall head first, and next second ran
kerplunck into the lamp and knocked of
the chimney
"'Oh,' means the old woman when the
crash comes, the rattler's bit him--and
I'm poor lone wilder woman-oh-oh, OH"
Then ! finds the match box on the of
side Of the lamp and strikes one and lights
the lamp.
Hey. old woman says. clnging to
the side Of the wall like fly, and with nv
head raised up and lookin' at her, I'm
| not
On, LOrdV she means, takln one look
Tn a poor lone wilder woman-there's
his sperit goin' up to be an angel" And with
that she dives under the bedclothes and
weeps all to herself.
II looked around for the bull pup and
the RATHER, and there they was, right in
the centre Of the floor, fighting like all
possessed. The reptiles tail was goin' az
fast az lightnin. his head shootin' out at
the dog twict as fast. and the dog lodging
just az fast and all the time trying for the
prettiest snake fight ever saw, and was
the bull pup give whine. With that |
started to jump to the floor; but. by gosh
I'd been clingin' in one place so long that
l stuck fast. and when / got loose I left
lot OF skin behind and fell to the floor in
while l was scrambhn' to my feet and
reachin' for a chair the old woman pops
her head out from under the covers and
looks over at the lamp.
His sperit's gone clean up she says,
and I'm lone widder woman Then
she starts blubberin' agin.
We'll. that's about all. except t. say
that / had misjudged that pups whine
He wasn't weakenin' at all-had just stuck
q splinter In his hind on foot. Fact Is,
he was getting warmed up, for before |
could raise the chair to hit the reptile he
grabbed the RATHER by the back and it was
all over before you could say Jack Robinson
All over. that is, except the measuring
and making the old woman believe / was
Nanny Howell instead Of his spirit And
both waa tough jobs, | tell you. for the
snake measured S feet II 9-IT inches, and