Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-04-02

$0lgger-QrlVer ways long enough LEI
one mornin,. If you don't like it you
q can look for another man."
y Aunt Deel and I began to laugh at
this good-natured, make-believe scold-
4 ing of Uncle Peabody and the emo
tional strain was over. They led me
into the house, where delightful sur
prise awaited me, for the rooms had
been decorated with balsam boughs
and sweet ferns. A glowing mass of
violets, framed in moss. occupied the
center of the table. The house was
filled with the odors Of the forest,
which. as they knew, were dear to me.
had written that they might expect
me some time before noon, but ]
begged them not to meet me in Can.
ton, as I wished to walk home after
my long ride. So they were ready for
me.
remember how they felt the cloth
on my back and how proudly they sur
veyed 1t.
Couldn't buy them goods round
these parts" said Uncle Peabody.
''Nor nothin' like 'em-no. sir"
'Feels leetle bit like the butternut
trousers" said Aunt Deel as she felt
. my coat.
"Ayes. but them butternut trousers
amt what they used to be when they
was young and limber," Uncle Peabody
remarked. "Seems SO they was get
tin kind o. wrinkled an baldheaded-
like. specially where I set down."
"Ayes! Wal I guess a man can't
grow old without his pants CROWN
old, toO-ayes!" said Aunt Deel.
III yer legs are in 'em ev'ry Sunday
they ketch it Of ye." my uncle an.
swered. "Long sermons are hard on
pants, seems to me-"
"An' the longer the legs the harder
the sermons-in them little seats over
t the schoolhouse- Aunt Deel
added by way Of justifying his COM
plant '"There wouldn't be so much
wear in ten-mile walk-no!''
The chicken pie was baking and the
strawberries were ready for the short
cake.
i've been wallerin' since the dew
was of gittin' them berries an vi.
lets-ayes!" said Aunt Deel, now busy
with her work at the stove.
Aunt, you look as young as ever" I
remarked.
She slapped my arm and said with
mock severity:
stop thatl W'yi You know better
-ayesi''
How vigorously she stirred the IRE
then.
II can't return the complimentary
soul how you've changed-ayes |" she
remarked.
II hope you amt fit no more, Bart.
can't bear to think o. you flyin' at
folks an poundin' Of 'em. Don't seem
eight-no, 1t don't!"
"Why, Aunt Deel, what In the world
do you meanY asked.
"Its Purvis' brain that does the
poundin', I guess" said my uncle.
tits kind O. got the habit. It's reg
lar beetle brain. To hear him talk
ye'd think he an you could clean out
the hull Mexican nation-barrin' acct
dents. Why, anybody would suppose
that yer enemies go to climbin' trees
as soon as they see We comm an that.
you pull the trees up by the roots to
git at EN-"
"A certain amount Of such deviltry
Is necessary to the comfort Of Mr..
Purvis," l remarked. IF there is no
body else to take the responsibility
for 1t he assumes it himself. His mag
tnation has an intense craving for
blood and violence. It's that type Of
American who, egged on by the slave
power, is hurryins us into trouble
with Mexico"
Purvis came in presently with a
look in his face which betrayed his
knowledge of the fact that all the cob
webs spun by his fancy were now to
be brushed away. Still he enjoyed
them while they lasted and there was
q kind Of tacit claim in his manner
that they were subjects regarding
which no honest man could be expect.
ed to tell the truth.
As we ate our dinner they told me
that an escaped slave had come into
a neighboriing county and excited the
people with stories Of the auction
block and of negroes driven like yoked
oxen on plantations in South Carolina,
whence he had escaped on steam
boat.
II b'lieve I'm goin' to vote for abo.
lition," said Uncle Peabody. II won
der what Sile Wright will say to that. "
Hell probably advise against it; the
time isn't ripe for SO great change
was my answer. HE thinks that the
whole matter should be left to the gla.
cial action Of times forces"
Indeed I had spoken the view Of
the sounder men Of the North. The
subject filed them with dread alarm
But the attitude of Uncle Peabody
was significant. The sentiment in "a,
vor of change was growing. It was
now to be reckoned with, for the abo
lition party was said to hold the bal
ance Of power in New York and New
England and was behaving Itself like
q bull in china shop.
After dinner / tried to put on some
Of my old clothes, but found that my
Alkedness had SO expanded that they
would not coyet 1t, SO hitched my
white mare on the spring wagon anG
drove to the village for my trunk.
Every week day after that I worked
In the fields until the senator arrived
In Canfnn ahnuf the middle of AuRIlsf