Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-10-04
3..fi.Sf.&.|.@.43,!.s..3.3.H4l..f..ii.
Observation-Disclosures
CHAPTER III.
NAV nI,n

(S~ darning her husbands socks.
(Ss& "Ye didna expec' to see me
the day." she said, shaking hands and
taking the chair which Jess vacated.
But Pm glad to see you, Aunt Wal
lace. How ore the dodgers getting on?"
Jess spoke. hurrledly. Her thoughts
had not been entirely with the socks.
:.The ludgers is gett1p' on fine" said
Mrs, Wallace sourly. ''but they're get
tin AFT the morns mornin', AM, hs We
see, Pm no. whit We wud ca con-
sumed WI grief. Hoo are ye gettin'
ON yerser, lass?"
"First rate"
"Mphh!. l see ye're at the darnin'."
Its got to be done, Aunt Wallace"
THAT'S whit yell be sayin' fifty year
efter this, If ye're spared, but yell no.
say it as cheery-like. Ma"
Jess laughed, not altogether freely.
"After all, it's not such an awful bust
ness" she remarked.
'"There's nnethin' awfu' but boat
capsizin' or railway collision" re-
turned Mrs. Wallace austerely. "As
We say, the darnin' O yer mans socks
is no. an awful business, an 1t keeps We
cot o. mischief. It's better fur We nor
fleein' abootean' crackin' WI yer nee
bours." D
1t occurred to Jess to offer the old
lady n few undarned. socks to take
home with her, but she. refrained.
"Deed, aye went on Mrs. Wallace.
"Pm gled we've aye plenty to dae.
There's plenty clatterin' tongues in
Kinlochan wi'oot addin' to them. AS
l wis comm. alang the road the moo
u seen Mistress Fouls leanin' over the
hedge ha'ein' crack wi Mistress
McGreegor. an We wud haze thocht the
ftwa O. them wis tryin' fur prize fur
the yin that cud get DOT the maist
words In meenit. wisht We had
heard the gabblin'. Jess, fur it wis jlst
gabblins an paethin' else"
Were they quayrellng!"
ma, M. If they had been quarrelin',
there MIGHT haze been some excuse. I'm
kin o. quick WI ma tongue masel'
when I'm pit cot. But the twa of them
wis jist ha'ein' bit crack ABBOTT nae.
thin in particular, an when folks START
to crack about naethin there's naethin
can stope them. Ma"
(which deserved the prize, d. you
think? 2" Jess asked for the sake Of say.
ing something.
"Aweel, l wudna like to say, but ]
doots Mistress Fouls wud win in the
end, fur Mistress McGreegor's that
stoot an gets DOT O. breith efter an
'oor or twa. It's practice, that keeps
her up, fur her an Mistress Fouls are
aye ut 1t. never come alang the road
wi'oot hearin' them, an I'm shair 1
hope yell never be like either o. them,
ma, lass"
II hope not, Aunt Wallace" said the
niece, with a'smile.
But ye're name the waur o. bit
warmth. Ye never Ken whit's -afore We.
I've seen mony quate young yin like
yersel' turn Until haverin' buddy jist
frae sheer want O plenty to dac. So
it's n fur yer guild if yer mans sair on
his socks" Here Mrs. Wallace picked
up one of the articles in question and
examined it critically.
"I'm afraid I'm not very neat darn
err" said Jess, partly irritated and part
ly amused.
II wud be tellin' lee If I said We
wis.," retorted her aunt s"Maybe we've
heard tell o. the mani Gamma mind
whether he wis saint or q eediot-
that gaed aff on.a pilgrimage WI peas
in his shoes Eh?"
Mrs. Houston laughed good naturcd
ly. "1'ye heard that he Boiled the peas
first. aunt"
'dphm! suppose ye're intendin' ful
to bile yer mans socks? Fla, ha, la
Tits, lassie; I'm no. meanin.to hurt yel
feelin's. Yer darnin' isna jist as bat
as a that. See. Gie's yer needle ful
a meenit." And the old woman pro
ceeded to give fhe young one a shor,
object lesson in darning.
II don't know how you do it, Aun
Wallace! cried Jess at last, her Sigh
resentment giving PLACE to honest ad
miration. You could hardly tell ii
was n darn"
"Havers!' muttered Mrs. Wallace
trying not to look pleased. But W
see hoo It's done, chi"
The young woman nodded.
Ma, guidman used to say he pre-
ferred the darns to the rest O. the sock
He wis an unco blether, wis ma guild.
man, when lie wis leeyin'," said Mrs
Wallace, smiling little less coldly
than her wont. AYE, aye. He wis aye
peyin' compliments or maxim com,
plants. Yelkhardly mind yer Uncle
Wallace, JESSE" -
'.Not very we'll"
"Ah' We. Gamma be eXpectit to mind
him. But fur man he wisna bad-na,
he wisna bad. In fac, l MIGHT say l
never kent a better man. An, efterra'
his complaihin' MIGHT haze been waur.
an his compliments cudna haze been
better. Ye see, he aye peyed COM
pliment jist afore. he made complaint,
so I.wis aye ready for the complaint,
an jist never. heedit. There's naethin'
cures mans complaints quicker nor
peyin' nae attention to them. Yer
uncle never complained twice about the
same thing. He aye had somethin'
new, an that KEEP him frae gettin' tire
some. Deed, aye, he wisna bad fur
u man. Has yer ain man begoon to
complain YETI"
Jess laughed and shook her head.
"Aweel, there's time enough yet, but
when he begins dinna fash yerser.
Moo an then We can gle him saft
answer like whit l used to gle whites
to yer uncle. l mind yinst he sleP in i
the mornin' an cam doom late to his
breakfast.
"'Whit KEEP We? says 1. Oh says
lie, smilin' That swcet-like, I cudna
help turnin' over an ha'ein' anithel
wee bit dream ABBOTT We, ma dear.
That wis the compliment, Jess, an
kent fine there wis mair to come
This hams hauf cauld,' he says, luk1n,
at me across the table. That wis the
complaint. We see. 'WeeI,' says l.
wroot loosin' ma temper, If We dinna
eat it quick it'll be quite cauld.' Hc
never spoke ABBOT ham again. AM
rs wis s;Uin', a saft answers worth
tryin' moo an then"
Mrs, Wallace paused for few