The National tribune., 1904-01-07

"If am TO have anything left have
got to hurry home" declared Maria, as she
| laid down Mandy,s letter. "That child will
break me upcin business. / never thought
to put away my little trinkets. and she
seems to have been making ducks aud
brakes of my things. could shake her
good She's lost the beads that Grandma
wore when she was girl. and she
give them to Ma and Ma let me have
| them when che, thought / was big enough
to take care of them. It is one of Mandy'x
original productions, sure enough Listen
and I'll read it to you." and so she be-
gan:
: Dear Maria and my new brother-in-law
Long Shorty, and 81 and Annabel:
I'm so glad there amt no more of
You cause then the most of my letter would
be beginning. l hate writin' letters, but
Ma says it is my duty and guess that is
why / hate to do it. don't like doing
duty things; do you?
was. SO glad when Ma and Pa got
home l cried. and Ma she cried and Pa
ne bowed his nose and that is his way of
cryin' most of the time. Ma she was afful
| tired and most scandalized to deth about
the house. The hens | set in the Kitchen
had come off and you know little chickens
do make an afful muss. and there was
littl chester White pig that the mother
pig tried to kill and I brung it in. and it
was in the wood box. Things was sum
cluttered up, cause / tried to sew carpet
rags one day, Ma left them for me to do
and went off and forgot to put them away
| and the hen and pig and iittl chickens
scratched them into aful snarl. You
remember that long-legged BOBBY that used
to cum shinin round you before you saw
Shorty. Well he got married the other
day to Cindy White her folks live out OF,
ho Stld hcS Coz ft.ot .no h
fence and iron gate. and she used to
wear red calliker dress to the spellin
bees. Ma she brung nae a purity dress
when she come 1t is just the color of the
bfuebells that grow in the damp phases
down by the lake, and has a little bit of
laine and am to have it made real long
to my shoe tops with seven tucks in the
skirt and a garabaldy waist with blue
| ribbon run on the sleeves won't it be pref
ty. Pa he has gone over to Campbells
today to get Ma a settin of Turkey eggs
Ma she says that you had scrumptus
weddin wish had been to it you ought
| to have waited till could have been there
| Cindy White was married in blue
delaine trimmed with white satin bands it
was afful pretty saw her at church. Say
Maria / am glad you didn't marry that
gander his neck could be tied in a knot
and then he'd be taller than your Shorty.
ON school is let out and am afful glad
but Ma she does make me work dreadful
/ have herd that CROWN girls ottent to be
made to w6Ek Very hard as It. stunts the
groth l wis1rt you'd write to Ma and tell
her about it, Philander Pillsbury he
comes to our house a lot now MAJ says it is
| to get square meal he diddnt get a very
nice wife Iethink she likes to CAD. Shes
| to her Masa now oyer i'm, Skunks- holier
l1ssf Say Maria bwhan yau come home yoi
bring me a round comb them new zones
| that have teeth just on the sidess / wish.
IL could have new pare of high top shoes
with red toSsals on the front. Pa he says
I am gettinf giddie and must be cuTbed but
went to the Front. Say Marin what IS the
Front, Him and Ma they talk about the
IhergpitaI where 81 and Shorty and the 9TH
Ter boys was and about the camp and the
boys that was sick and shot and what q
horrid place it must have been but they
was afful kind to you girls and Ma wasn't
they. Say Maria l need new cloak
seem as amt never had none nohow and
| I want a black ssifkvelvut one like my
sunday School teacher has got She mar
ried Jim Barton that affui rich old bach
You know the one that used TO sit. on the
| front porch with you and make eyes at
youo while you was a firth just 'affui
with Sim Miller and he diddnt have a sim
| ri sent of money neither don't know what
made you like Sim because Jim Barton
| he aIwais brung me candy and hlckry
tnuts and Sim never brung nothin. His
wife is real pretty and she wares the incest
clothes (I means Jims wife does Sim he
faint got married) and she has d bright
| blue silk Poplin that would stand its lone
land Ide like to have one like that too.
Ma says to tell you the Home News
but l don't know none the old WALLER cat
has got FIVE kittens and old Bose hes
dead he cut his fool self on an old ak
Irun on it when he was chasin one OF my
cats and it served him right don't you think
80. @ say most forgot that CIndy White
and her man are going to live In the mousse
/ where Annabels mother lived shes goirg
| to have the postofiis pa says and can live
| in the top rooms which is very nice dOui
YOU think So mean Annabeis smofner.
/ Saw Maria do they ware undeysieeves
| ON girls like me in Washington tde Ike
]. to have some but Ma she THINKS "9u.u
Ibe fosterin oyerweening pride but l don't
know what overweening means ana MA
She list says or hush when askt her.
asSay Annabel did you ever tell 81 ABOUT
/ that taller head of "a Josh Brown tnat
used to be sittin to you while 81 was in ID
the war before you got MARRIED 20 MN wei wen
he was over to see rs the other night ano g
no askt more fool questions about you II
Won was happy and if you was as
nrettv as ever and he asked me
TO get him lock of your hair he said ne
never would love anybody but you ana !
Of hisself when you was married w0-
i man inst as fast as could be and that
i YOU c,iddent ever be anything to him any
more. felt very sorry for him ana 1t
4 made NV heart real sad TO see him CRY
hut law he is such softly / am glad that
Iyou married 81 insted OF him Annabel ana
4 I told him that you could b nofhing nuf
La sister to him and 81 wuddent LEFT him
carry . lock Of his wife'e hair round in
his pocket. mean Jcshes pocket anu
:ssc shorty NE told me how the boys
make rings out OF lorreI roots ana Iput
IIfti pcaces ef silver in theEa and tnsy
arc real pretty and i want you 20 brius
lyour, it'll AistFr one or ycp Will have
EfynIlkae now tod hear me. And want yQd
u fn kriax NE l160ae buttons Tor my nemry
4 sfrinr youI ak4sa1Si both
iSay MRfi9hI lostAone on your skatea
tse Won mint S1ring me q pair ready Tor
[next Wint3fnOtah Grinstead says j am an
i a6nI coed kkAtsr and ! want 80 kesD u
4 nrActis Mere your blue be-ds TO the
lsine;ns .sohOd IN 70 Smith Peterse3 hoHse
the other night and we got to rIayine
I bind mans bun and Smith he cau4htt q.
! foot Il, the rug and fell over on ne and
81 went spYawl0ng of coene and the post Of
.sS-N-T.-y" thn hnnf2z AYYd