The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-03-30
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kept the foot, partly becuz thar want
no man fer the place, and partly becuz
l was tew stable ter squeeze in any
whar else. Seem as Sister Angy is
sech leetle mite, though, 1 guess she
kin easy make room fer me t'other
side O. her"
Abe could only bow his thanks as he
| put his gift down on the table and
| took the prominent place assigned to
him. The others seated, there was
solemn moment Of waiting with bowed
heads. Aunt Nancy's trembling voice
arose voice which had jealousy
guarded the right of saying grace at
table in the Old Ladies' home for
twenty years-not, however, in the Gus
tomary words of Thanksgiving, but In
a peremptory brother Abel"
Abraham looked up. Could she pos
sibly mean that he was to establish
himself as the head of the household
by repeating grace? Brother Abel"
she called upon him again. "Yew've
askt a blessin' fer one woman fer
many year; supposin' yew ask 1t
fer thirty"
Amid the amaZement of the other
sisters, Abe mumbled, and muttered,
and murmured-no one knew what
words; but all understood the over
whelming gratitude behind his inco-
herency, and all joined heartily in the
| Amen. Then, while Mrs. Homan, the
cook Of the week, went busting out
into the kitchen, Aunt Nancy felt that
1t devolved upon her to explain her
action. 1t would never do, she thought,
for her to gain a reputation for self
placement and sweetness Of DISPOSE
ton at her time of life.
Son, l want yew to understand one
thing naow at the start Yew treat
US right, an we'll treat you right.
That's all we ask O. yew. Miss Ellie,
| pass the radishes."
I'll do my BEST" Abe fastened to
assure her. "Hy-guy, that coffee smells
| some kind O. good, don't it? Between
| the smell O. the stuff an the looks
O. my cup. it'll be so temptin' that I'll
wish had the neck of a giraffe, an
could taste it all the way deown.
| Angy, l be afraid we'll git the govt
| alvin SO high. Look at this here
cream!"
Smiling, joking, his lips insisting
| upon joking to cover the natural feel
| ing of embarrassment incident to this
| first meal among the sisters, but with
his voice breaking now and again with
emotion, while from time to time he
had to steal his handkerchief to his
old eyes, Abe passed successfully
| through the-to him-elaborate break
| fast. And Angy sat in rapt silence,
| but with her face shining so that her
quiet was the stiffness of eloquence.
Once Abe startled them all by rising
| stealthily from the table and Selling
the mornings newspaper, which lay
upon the buffet
| II knowed it," caviled Lazy Daisy
soto voce to no one in particular.
''He couldn't wait for the news till
he was through eatin'!" But Abe had
folded the paper into stout weapon,
and, creeping toward the window, de-
spatched by a quick, adroit movement
| screen.
81 hate the very sight o. them air
| pesky critters" he explained half
apologetically "Thar, thar's another
| one," and slaughtered that
My, but yew kin get 'em, can't
yew?" spoke Miss Abigail admiringly
Them tew be the very ones I tried
as fy-ketcher yew be a-goin' ter be
with farm ter me. Set deown an
| try some O. this here strawberry pre-
sarve"
| But Abe protested that he could not
eat another bite unless he should get
up and run around the house to
"joggle deown" what he had already
swallowed. He leaned back in his
chair and surveyed the family: on
his right, generous-hearted Blossy,
who had been smiling approval and en-
couragemeut at him all through the re-
past; at his left, and just beyond
Angy, Miss Abigail indulging in what
remained on the dishes now that she
| discovered the others to have finished;
the head of the board; and all the
other sisters "betwixt an between"
| He caught Mrs. Romans eye where
she stood in the doorway leading into
the kitchen, and remarked pleasantly:
MA am, yew oughter set up a pan
cake shop in York. Yew could make
a fortune at it. l hain't had sech a
meal O. vittles sence l turned fifty
year o. age"
/ A flattered smile overspread Mrs.
Homan's visage, and the other sisters,
noting 1t, wondered how long it would
! be before she showed her claws In
Abraham's presence
"Hy-guy, Angy," Abe went on, "yew
can't believe nothin' yew hear, kin
yer? Why, folks have told me that
yew ladies' What yew hittin' my
| foot fer, mother? Folks have told
me-" twinkle of amusement in his
eye at the absurdity, that yew fight
among yerselves like cats an dogs,
when, law! / never see sech a clever
lot o. women gathered tergether in
/. all my life. An believe-mother. /
hain't a-sayin' nothin'! l jest want
! ter let 'em know what I think on 'em.
I believe that thar must be three hun
derd hearts in this here place std o.
| thirty. But dew yew know, gals, folks
outside even go so fur s ter say that
yew throw plates at one another!"
There was moments silence; then
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