The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-06
Copyright. 1914, by Harper & Brothers.

are constantly clearfn' up new ground an, as fer the bother O keepin' the fire goin', a child could attend to it. though body has to make quick runs in an out, hoIdin' the breath, to nut chips on declare I'd rather see the smoke oozin' out betwixk the shingles of smokehouse than any sight ever looked att
 q know your hams must be deli cious, butt
 They are as sweet as sugar on the tongue sAbner went closer to the porch as he interrupted her. Two chairsyi in the shade behind the honey suckIe vines looked inviting.
 Take a seat and rest, MT. Daniel, g Mrs. Hillhouse now bethought herself to say, and as he accepted and dofed his hat sle went on: About the hams. Old fashioned eatables do seem to be passing out of use. Folks buy so many fancy things put up in cans here late ly. I'll think over your meat and let you know. I noticed in the Clarion not long ago that you took trip away. Where did you go? She had seated herself by him and was dtVesting her thin hands of the cotton gloves she wore while doing garden work.
 "Oh, I went eyerywhar, it seems to me"-te was laying his hat carefully on the floor at his side--trsnorth, west an south: stopped quite awhile in Au- gusta. By the way, that's a pretty town, Sister Hillhouse-got the widest, shadiest avenues you ever laid eyes on. The big, fine houses, set away back on wide lawns as green an level as billiard table, with grass clipped as close as a convict's hair; an roses! Oh, my! Joe Hillhouse's wife, Jane, yore sfster-in-law, has oceans of /em both summer am winter. I used to go to school with Joe over in GiImer, an he made me put up overnight at his new mansion I felt little like a yahoo at that fine table, with all them glitterin' dishes an silver contrap- tions. Jane is a wonderful up to date woman, jest the wife fer risin' man like Joe.''
 'tI never thought she was anything extra Mrs. Hillhouse said frigtdly, mot in education anyway. She never had half as many advantages as girl that had. Her pa was just a poor circuit rider, while my father owned the finest river bottom plantation thar
 ..Jane's maxim up for lost time, reckon. Abner seemed unconscious of the fact that he was interrupting her. up here in this God forsaken section she had no sort O show fer her nat uraI talents, but down thar in that swift town she is feelfn' 'er oats. It is pretty sight to see Jane in a fluffy yaIIer silk dress, cut low at the neck, an her arms white an plump at the H.<n<5 <oT.1a or7o them nigger gals to tote forward this an that toothsome dish. Joe's maxim money like a dam broke loose. He's got big. growth business, an he spends freely N5
 'sYes, he's doing weIl,'' Mrs. HiIlhouse declared, with animation that crept from her flushed cheeks to her eyes. s'He wants partner too. He has writ ten John to come down am take an tn- terest. Joe says we needn't have any rent to pay, that there is plenty of room for us all in his big house. Yes, he's crazy to have us come"
 'eYou don't tell meY' Abner exclaim- ed in well assumed astonishment. tAn' whatfa pity, too, fer John certainly is tied here hands am feet. UnIoadin' n piece q property like q newspaper on it's last legs ain't nc little undertakfn', I'm here to state"
 Wed have no trouble at aIl," Mrs. Hnlhouse answered. tsIn fact, two young men here in Darley are now Dor rowing the money with the hope that we will decide to se1l''
 'Oh, them feIlersr' Abner said, in tone of sympathetic dismay- "Wen, if your sole hope lies in that direction Pm sorry to say you will meet with disap pointment- They came to me after befn' turned down eyerywhar else. I couldn't lend money to- crack brains like them an told lem so.''
 Mrs. Hillhouse's features fell into anxious gravity. 1t was as'if she could think of nothing to say at the moment. "It is that way all through, Sister Hill- house." Abner said Aconsolingsy as he took up his hat and fitted it over his knee. Thar is always some wall or other risin' betwixt us an the pIJims O Hfe-that is fer some of us-you am me an John, for instance, but Jane am Joe have drifted at high tide into a patch O clover-especialIy Jane. If yore husband jest could git in with his brother down thar now you'd eclipse Jane mighty soon, fer you know what's what. You are dyfn, of the dry rot in this measIy old town"
 You say those young men can't get up the moneyY' the woman faltered.
 "No, they can't make the riff1e,'' said Abner colloquially, .but you must pay Jane visit anyway. She'd be glad to see you, I know, fer she was me, an I'm nothin' but a scrub You ort to see her chicken house. It is in great lot fenced off with wire nettin'. Her fine hens lay eggs that fetch dollar dozen for hatctin' purposes. It's a pretty sight The water is good in Au- gusta, too-fne pure freestone, as soft to wash with as rain water full O. sal soda.
 What life you are missin', Sister Hillhouse! You could do like Jane says she is goin' to do-spend the winter thar when all the New York million aires are at the hotels playin' golf an L. |