Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-11-18
Mr.. Peaslee on Signs.

Scanning the heavens anxiously,
Lysander Hyne murmured something
under his breath. Mr.. Peaslee tipped
his head alertly.
"what's that you said, Hyne?" he
asked.
81 said" Mr.. Hyne -vouchsafed
gloomily, "that twas bout what
might cal'late my luck would be.
was lottin' or going 6shin' Tomorrow,
and it's goin' to pour rain, if I'm any
judge, and | guess | be-some."
"It'. none of my business" said
Caleb mildly "but why didn't you go
fishin' to-day? Winds southwest and
the sky's overcast. d'know when
I've seen a likelier day for fish to bite.
And you amt done a lick of anything
but set round, fairs we noticed. What
Rendered YOU goin' to-day"
MIR. Hyne hesitated a moment. "Sign
want quite right" he said sheepishly.
Caleb looked at Mr. Hyne in amused
disbelief. "Sixty-five years old, if
you're a day." he commented at last,
"and you're talkin' bout signs! You put
me in mind of Aunt Lyddy Manset and
her cherry trees"
Mr.. Hyne, glad of change OF sub
ject, responded promptly. "Lyddy
Manset?" he said, with a question in
his tone.
"She's been dead more'n forty
years." Mr.. Peaslee remarked absent
ly, "but | guess you've noticed that
splendid line Of cherry tres along the
wall on the Manset pIace-where
Ben Siddall lives now.
oval, | sot out them cherry trees
pile Of years ago-and she b'lieved
in signs, same's you do.
aunt Lyddy'd been plaguin' me to
set out some cherry trees for her, so
one day in the spring dug up five or
six thrifty little trees and wropped the
roots in wet moss so they wouldn't
dry up, and lugged 'em over. was
callatin' to set 'em right out, and have
the job off'n my hands that day, but
hadn't reckoned with Aunt Lyddy's
signs.
"She let on to be dretful tickled over
'em, but when | begun to hunt around
after pick and shovel, she says, you
know s well S | do that there ain't
any surer way Of stuntin' an apple tree
or cherry tree than to plant 1t when
the moons wanin'. Now s'she, the
moon shifts to-morrer, and can't you
just as well put it of day or two and
do it them she says, kind Of wish!ul
So poked little fun at her and went
home 'thout settin' out the trees.
"Three-four days after that | took s
pick and shovel from my place and
started over there again, and wner
Aunt Lyddy saw me turn into the yard
she come to the door all in a huttcr.
""Taint possible, is it, s'she, all
worked up, that you'd think of settin
out them trees to-day?'
81 s'pose my looks must have shown
her that ! didn't understand, for she
spoke out real sharp for her.
why s'she, it's Friday and I'D
ruther not have 'em spt out at all than
to have it done to-day she says, look
in bout ready to cry.
"Wal," Caleb continued, at didn't
make any real difference to me, so |
put il off again and went home
Work kind of piled up on me onexpect-
ed for a few days after that, and |
didn't get chance to go over again.
And then one night she run over, look
in dretful worried. Seems she had
an old-maid cousin over in Amherst
that had been took sick with some kind
of fever, and Aunt Lyddy held it to be
her duty to get there as quick as she
could TO nurse her. But she couldn't
go 'thout feelin' that I'd set out them
trees. So promised her would, and
of she put TO nurse her cousin.
AS told you, my work was crowd
in me by that time, so didn't have
the time | ought o've had; but when
I'd get few minutes I'd run over
there and dig hole and plant n tree
and b'fOrc long had EN- all in TIE
ground and CROWN nice as any trees
YOU ever laid eye on. Some OF EN-
was planted on the wane Of the mooa
and some of EN- on Friday. jest as
could ketch time, but was careful
10 plant one or two of 'em when the
moon was CROWN and not on Friday.
"Fin'ly Aunt Lyddy'S cousin got bet
ter and she come home, and when she
saw them trees she was ticklcd bout
( to death. She called me in one dav