Year: 1870

poor old mother was young and vigorous,
and bravely bearing the trials of sorrow
that had fallen to her lot when her heart
was wrung with anguish over the death
beds of her beloved children, and the
dark graves closed over tho dead faces.
taken suddenly away from her bosom.
and oh 1! she would be SO dear to me, and
| would be so ready and willing to defend
her, that her faults almost seemed virtues.


liked TO show mother off to the best
advantage. and sometimes when my
visitors would be dressing andre-drcssing
their scant adornment Of hair, and re-
sorting to deceptive means tomake much
hair out of little. would say, Nov sit
down and rest. mother. and let me comb
and brush you" Then | would unroll
and loosen her wealth Of brown hair. all
down her back and shoulders, and its
waves. and ,ippes. and glossiness. would
bring forth tho most cnvious and enthusi-
astic cxclamations OF delight and wonder
from the admiring visitors.


One morning early neighbor came in
very angry. saying that our horses had
been in his corn field all night, and If the
like ever happened again. he would shoot
every one of them. His anger was con
tagious, and mother rctortcd. Fix your
old fences then"


The old man said something in the
same spirit, and she replied in a like man.
ner and the little fire of anger was blaz-
| ing up into flame. had not caught
the infection at all. and coming into the
kitchen at that momcn, said. "Heigho,
good neighbors. this willnevcr do Poor
mother is not well this morning, and she
flashes up like powder. You have reason
to be provoked Mt our horses, but know
YOU will never have cause again; and
now don't let little thing make YOU angry
with us; you're too good n ncighbor to
lose casily-worth more than all the
horses in town. Don't mind poor mothers
hasty words YOU know if you were sick,
or your wife and babies. she'd bc rs much
troubled rs though il was her own family
and como putting over, with her herbs
and poultices. and.


30. know 1t Chatty, and | know
have been little too fast; that's so.
should have waited till was calm. but
came right here from the field, rs fast, and
rs mad as could come You mustn't mind
me. Mrs. Wheeler, said the man, with
eyes that wanted 10 cry. rs he stood there
so ashamed and embarrassed that he
turned his hat inside out halfa dozen
times, and twisted the rim into al sor.s
Of shapes.


"Why bless you, Nathan, I'm not a bit
mad" said mother, reaching out her
hand, but you took me so by surprise,
just said the first thing that thought of.
take fire just like dry tow; but now
couldn't hold spite at yc, fyc shot every
critter on the farm


just then the man cam in from hunting
the horses. and | made apologies, and
said he should DC well paid for damages.
etc. but Nathan went off blushing. and
saying he wouldn't take cent Of pay
he was ashamed of himself, and SAID that
his wife had his breakfast waiting for him.
and away he ran with his hat crammed
down on his head with the cotton lining
OH the outside


This little incident showed that mother
WAS kind-hcarted reasonable woman.
and began TO think my uncle Peter
Whitaker was himself to blame if he did
not find her good neighbor.


often had hard work TO keep myself
under proper restraint.


One day my mind had been dwelling
upon my school days and l fel, in mood
for writing. In the afternoon / dressed
up freshly, in my newest white dress. and
went away up stairs where could be un-
disturbed. had written two verses, and
was deeply in the enjoyment of the COM
ing poem, The Meadow Path when
heard great commotion, squalling and
fluttering among the geese, and going
down stairs the cause was apparent.


Mother met me at the gate in such an
outlandish attire that did not know her.
She wore dingy old flannel dress. her
neck bundled up with cotton shawl. and
handkerchief tied around her head, so
AS to cover her hair and cars


She said the geese were all at home,
now. and she was afraid OF rain, and
thought we'd better pick them that after
noon. l couldn't write verses only when
the poetical mood was upon me. and l
didn't know when that would be again,
and | was so sorely disappointed cried


She saw my red eyes, and divining the
reason, said, oh. you'll have to drop u
good many of your fine lady ways if you
make farmers wife,


So dressed up after the fashion of
women who pick geese. and worried
through as long an afternoon rs l ever
lived. My. head ached. and my poor arms
were bitten over with blue spots. and l
was so tired and low-spirited that / could
hardly keep from crying right before
John.


Some time in the night was awaken
ed by low moaning sound coming from
mothers loom. threw shawl over my