The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-02-04

Sarah Haskins used to call hel
&2EEEt ~the junk shop" but her hus-
hand always spoke OF it as 1.-The, mu-
aeUm- This difference ofldefnition
was explained by the fact that Jonas
Haskfns vas d born collector, while
his wife Wassa born abol1tfonist, If
gueh n word may be applied to one
WhO had long struggled against slav-
cry To possessions.
"T donAt see the good Of all those
things clutterin' up the attic and
cOEIeetlRs dfrt,- she used TO remark.
I'm all that heap o. stuff there amt
e@e usefal zrticlas so far as I can
Gee
hws9 lots OF things in the world
fhr46 afnHt useful but we can't get
On without 'em just the same" Jonas
W0GId answer. with sagely nodding
had Rut-3his supply was never
@u1Mc1eat1yi satisfactory to silence his
WdfeE criticisms.
AS n boy Jonas had gone through
the Usual symptoms of the disease OF
coNeeefngs there were drawers full
OF minerals, shelves loaded with
stuffed and stuny birds, books of
lamp and autographs, and rows of
Pa stabbed insects His mother had
sighed OTer the accommodations Of the
boy Al his wife later complained Of
the hardfRgs OF the man. -
Instead of developing into g. min
GF1lOgiEt or an ornithologist, as his
early TASTES might have betokened,
Jonas became a hunter of auctions,
Wnere he would pick up odd pieces Of
furniture rare bits of china, and any
cHrI0u4 relics OF the past. BY pro-
beEE6GR he was q farmer, By inclina-
ton a collector, By temperament
3E2at sOEneth1ng of a miser, but In all
h8 Different capacities he combined
good nature and shreWdness.
On Wednesdays he used to address
MS wife IA Martha" for after the
week4 washing and ironing were fin
HhRd she became careful and trou-
bled about many things" to an e1-
tent That boSed i'll for animate and
man1mate objects alike Jonas
learned to secrete his particular treas
UReS just before tbs weekly clear
bgH4P a came9round-
The chief joy of the old mans
heart and the delight of his eye was
an ola mTiron which had somehow
sat ErRRtEH from its mate, and led
a NE f single uss1essness on the top
shelf OF the FaskIns garnet
IL WAS OF curious shape and design
-ETaREht iron twisted into all man
Rer OF CuEves and angles, the whole
SuFmO1nted by a sphiuxts head The
peculiar pointed head gear under
which the metallic face gazed enig-
mAdHEy into the future had led
1oUE4 HaSkizs to give his forsaken
3ndITon the name OF "the widow"
He had ransaeked the neighbor-
hood IN his endeaTors TO unearth the
ming mate, but in vain. He had
scuee picked up the single andiron
with \ lot OF miscellaneous trash and
He1|e in an old curiosity shop. and
had &EEsGRnERa publicly that he would
give twenty dollars to any enc who
%oHld supply its los companion.
This ~1aYishness was especially
HntewuFfhy BsUause, although ne was
Reputed to have neat little fortune,
RO pu6ffc charities or private indi-
V5auaR had ever been known to prof
HH ms prosperity
One day it was announced that
there vas to be a rummage sale in
tine town haH, for the benefit of the
1EldEale Orphans Home, and Jonas
and Sarah Haskins exulted in secret
the RrDsusEt
my chance to pick up some
thing HRWr~ ehuckled one
AT last i can get rid of some of
The old Uhings!" Eejufced the other.
The day before the sale was We'd
neAaaUn ominoHs fact If Jonas
had only remembered it but for once
he forget his weekly greeting of
%G0O6 morning Martha;' and his
mind being full of plans for an on
the potato patch
When Sarah saw him off for the
battle field. armed with a hoe, she
het0ok hezsef To the attic. Talk
abazf WesaIn'I / guess it amt nee
easRxY Ia go outside. O. this house to
60 sGHag pu1lin' dp1'' she ~soliloquized,
&S with discriminating fingers she Sc
1ecEed the least conspicuous of Jonas
treasures
This rubbish sale is Just what
I've bEm waiting for to get rid O.
soMg o these ant1qaes an horribles.
EueE Z can do a little collectin' my
sell thai Jonas win never notice" and
she crowned the miscellaneous pile
she bad gathered together with the
precious andiroA- To do her Justice,
she dE1 nSt realize the extent of her
husbands devotion to the curious
pIe%e CT metal work.
AS Jonas had driven of in the tin
cara she had TO be content with the
WheefharrOw. She filed it to over
Ho~zng. chuekling the while at the
pletErG she would present trundIing
the U~nWIsldIy load through country
IGEes and Village streets.
II don-t care what folks SAYS" she
reakEured herself. It'll do 'em good
IN haEe s0Es1k7n' TO. talk about. Any-
way. MS for a charity - though I
Eussz most , the trash I'm cartin'
AWAY is more blessed to give than to
receive
with this benedictIon to her sooiIs
abe gave her head a toss to EXPRESS
eo1tsNr% of public opinion, and with
EL