The Washington herald., 1907-06-02

.
Ispeakin', he was mighty proud as any
body would "a been. and nothin' would
/ do but he must have Judge McGowan to
eat dinner at his house
/ Some Of the men objected to this, and
said the speakers ought to eat at the bar
| becue. But Harvey said that blood was
| thicker than water with him. and no
cousin o his could come To Goshen and 20
away without eatin a meal AT his house.
/ So it was fixed up that everybody else
was to eat at the barbecue. and Harvey
was TO take Judge MCGoWan over TO his
house to a family dinner-party.
Il dropped in to see Mary two or three
/ days before the speakin and when | WAS
/ leavin', 1 said. Mary. if there's anything
1 can do to help you about your dinner
party. jest let me know And she said.
{ There amt thing 10 do. Haryeys been
/ to town and bought everything he could
/ think OF in the WAY OF groceries. and
Jane AIMS comm over 10 cook the din
ner, hut thank YOU all the same
Il thought Mary looked pleased and
satisfied and I SAYS. Well with every
thing To- cook and Jane Ann To cook II.
There won't be anything lackiu about
that dinner.' And Mary laughed. and
says she. You know I'm my fathers own
child
"Old Jerry used 70 say "Tain't no visit
unless YOU waller "a bed and empty a
plate They used tell il that Aunt Maria.
the cook, never had a chance 20 clean up
the Kitchen between meals and the neigh
bors all called Jeyry's house the free
tavern. I've heard folks laugh many a
time over the children recitin' the Ten
Commandments Sunday evenins, and
Jerry would holer at 'em when they got
through and say.
The leyeuth commandment for Ken
tuckians is. BE not forgetful to entertain
strangers and never mind about EN-
turniu' out to boz angels. Plain folks Is
good enough for me-
Here I ann strayin' off from the din
ner. jest Ike I always do when / set out
10 tel any hing or go anywhere Ahram
used TO say that If ] started 20 the spring
house Ia go hy way o. the front porch
and the front yard and the back porch
and the back yard and the flower gyarden
and the vegetable gyarden 10 git there.
well the day come, and Judge Nc
GCyau made "a fine speech, and Harvey
carried him off i'm his new buggy as proud
as peacock I ricollect when I set down
20 my table that day / said to myself:
know Judge McGowan's harin' dinner
to-day thatl make him remember Ken
lucky as long as hc lives And II wasn't
tin years aftcrward that 7 heard that
truth about that dinner. Jane Ann herself
told me-. and I don't believe she ever told
anybody else Jane Ann was crippled for
"a year or more before she died, and the
neighbors had TO do a good deal of uursin'
and waitiu on her I was maxim her q
cup e. tea one day. and the kittle was
bubblin and gingin and she begun o.
laugh. and says she. JanU. do You hear
that sp8rrer chirpin' in the peach tree
there 10y the window SAYS she. q
never hear sparrer ChirpIu and "a
kittIe bHjn that / don't think 90 the
dinner Mary Andrews had the day Judge
NcGoweu spoke at the big barbecue.
Says she. Narvs dead and H1rycys
dead. and I reckon there 8iu.t any harm
i'm spe8kin OF it now And then she
told me the story I'm tsIiiu' you
"Sha said she went over that morriu
bright and early and there was Mary
sttn' ou the back porch. sewIn.. The
house was all cleaned up, and there was
big painful o. greens on the Kitchen table.
but not sign of "a company dinner amy
where I'm sight Jane Ann said Mary spoke
up as bright and pleasant as possible.
and told her t1 set down and rest herself.
and she went on seWiu'. and they talked
about this and that for a. while. and
finally Jane Ann rolled Mp her sleeves. and
SAYS she. I'm q pretty fast worker, Mis-
Andrews but a company dinner ain.t any
small matter, don't you think its time
to begin w1rkT
And Mary jest smiled and said i'm her
easy way. NO, Jane Ann. there's not
much to do II won't take long for the
greens 10 cook. and I want you 90 make
some of your good corn bread 90 go with
EN-. And then she went ON SEWN and
talkl0'. and all Jane Ann could d. was 90
set there and listen and wonder what it
all meant
Finally the clock struck eleven. and
Mary rolled up her work. and says sHa
You'd better make up your fire now
Jane Ann. and I'll set the table. Harvey
likes an early dinner
Jane Ann said she expected to rea
Mary get out the best china and silver
and the finest tahleclotb and napkins she
had. but instead o. that she put ON jest
plain. everyday things. Everything was
clean and nice but il wasn't tho way Oh
set the table for a company dinner and
nobody knew that better than Mary An
drews
Jane Ann said she saw O. ham and
plenty o. vegetables and eggs in the pam
try. and she could hardly keep her hands
off 'em. and she did smuggle some pota-
toes into the stove after she got her
greens washed and her meal scaldcd. She
said she knew s0methiu was wrong. but
all she could do was To- hold her tongue
and do her work. That was Jane AIMS
way. When Mary got through settiu'
the table. she went upstairs and put on
her best dress Trouble hadn't pulled her
down a hit and. If anything. she was
handsomer than she was the day she
married 7 reckon it was her spirit that
kept her from breakin' ana CROWN old
before her time Jane Ann said she come
her eyes sparklin' Ike a girls
and bright color in her checks. and she
had on Powered muslin dress. white
ground with sprig o. lilac an over IL. and
lace in the neck, and angel sleeves that
showed off her arms. and her hair was
twisted high mp ON her head and "a big
t1rtoise-shelI comb I'm #. Jane Ann said
SLY i''hfb as Nirlil as 81 picture, ana Jest
as she come down the stairs. Harvey
drove up with Judge McGowau and Mary
walked ont 10 give him welcome. while
Harvey put away the buggy. Nobody had
pleasanter ways that Mary Andrews. She
always had SOmethin' Ia say. and il was
always the right thing To DO said. and in
q minute her and the old judge was
iaUghin like they'd known each other all
their lives, and he had the children on his
knees trottin 'em and teIlin ON about
his little girl and boy at home
Jane Ann said her green's was about
done and she started to put on the corn .
bread. but somethin' held her back She
knew corn bread and greens wasn't fit
dinner for stranger that had been in .
vited there. but of course. she couldn't .
do anything without orders. and she was
standin' over the stove waitin' and won /
derin., when Harvey. mau-like. walked
IN 10 see how dinner was Eettin on. Jane
Ann said he looked ar tho D0f a. rrrgrug |