Show r ft A A A f 1 1 th the surprise par party ty vir VP W 11 they e have been havin bavin surprise sur prize ze parys round here all winter and the children f have urged me to go to em cm but I 1 eld back 1 I dont believe in em cm rez aez I 1 and I 1 vont go but finely they got their father on their side sea he it wont hurt u samantha to go for once aez I 1 josiah allen alien the place for old folks is to hum and I 1 dont believe I 1 in surprise sur prize parties any way 1 I think they are perfect ces it stands to reason if u want to see ure friends u can invite em cm and if anybody is too poor to ta make a cake or 2 fr cr a pan of cookies they are too poor ti go into company at all aez I 1 1 I 1 aint proud ner never auz called so ut at I 1 dont want tom dick and harry hat I 1 never spoke to in my life feel s if they are arc free to break into my house any time they please aez I 1 it v make me perfectly wild to think heres here auz a whole brov ov people lia blo to rush in on us at any an minute and I 1 won wont t break in into other immens houst houses s and eez I 1 hev he u forgot how some ov 0 ern em carried arrles to old pee dicks and two or three had to be barred up and laid on to miss spare bed aez I 1 hev he u forgot how they broke miss 11 iss bob bets dorler lamp all to smash round ketchen each other hev he u forget these incidences insi dences aez I 1 in cold tones 0 it is fun aez thomas jefferson 1 I o sh s should h tild love to see you sou and old deacon beaco n bobbet wank wink em slyly sll let em wink at me if the thep dare I 1 sternly let me ketch em at it I 1 dont believe on surprise sur prize parties says sas I 1 in firm ack acke cent ente no more do I 1 eez josiah but bu t the children are so set on our goin spon n we go for once no livin imn women cound do better by bv children than u have by b mine but I 1 dont sup suppo po e u feel exactly as I 1 do about pleasing em it haldt catteral nat teral you ou should there be knew he had got me me if ever a women tried to do her duty b bv another children it is ie samantha allen alien maiden name auz smith josiah knows it he be knowd jest est how to start me wall there faint no use I 1 went to the very ven next party which auz to be held 2 miles beyond janesville jonesville Jones Mlle ville they the had had em so fast they the had used up all the nearer places they the had heard ov this family famil that had bad a big house hous and the women had been to the same house i with bete betsy bobbet 2 or 3 times and she had met her in a store a year before and had been introduced to her so she said she felt perfectly free to go and as she auz the leader it auz decided on they went in two loads but josiah and I 1 went in a cutter alone we got started ahead ov the loads and when we got to the house we see it was lighted up real pleasant and a little cutter stood by the door we went up to the door vid knocked and a motherly lookin woman with a bunch ov catnip in her hand opened the door good evenin aez 1 I but she seemed to be a little deaf and answer ansbe ri see as we stepped in a door partly open a room full ov good many got here aez I 1 a little louder yes a real good doctor aez she what in the world I 1 began to say in wild amaze no eez she its a boy I 1 turned right round and laid hold on josiah aez I 1 start this minute josiah jobiah allen alien for the door I 1 laid hold ov dv him and got him to the door and we never spoke another word till we auz on the sleigh and had turned round then aez I 1 bebby u will hear to me nother another time josiah allen alien 1 Y ON ITS A BOY 1 I wish u be so aggravates aggra vaten aez he jest then we met the first load where tirzah and thomas jefferson auz and we told em to turn round and go back for they had other company and have us uis we went back most to janesville jonesville Jones lUe ville when we met the other load who had topped over in the snow as we brov out most to the fence to go by em josiah told em the same as he had the other load 1 I dont care for company aez betsy bobbet awn up out of the snow with a buffalo skin on her back which made her look wild 1 I dont care tor for company did they say we come no wa sex josiah they say 11 so well then girls and boys aez she clambering clam berin into the sleigh lets ge gc on CM they went and how they got 4 aling I 1 faint never enquired and they dont seem tree free to talk about it L but they hey kept on havin em betsy bobbit as I 1 hav sed red auz the ohe leader and she led em once into a house where they auz makin preparations for a funeral and once into a house where they had the small pox they had all been bated so they got off better than they ort to some how tirza and thom thomas jefferson Jefre got sick of em e m and left off goin gain and az for josiah though we he say much I 1 knew his mind one mite about 2 weeks after this abis one monday nite I 1 had had an awful oafs days work and we had been up all ah the alta alt before with josiah who chad had the legay in his back we one ov us ua slept a wink the adte stud and tirzah and aad thomas J had r cs c 4 b r gone to bed early earli it had been a d day ay and I 1 hang out my cioce and so many ov em auz hung up round the kitchen on lines and nails that josiah and me looked as aa if awe we auz settin in a calaco tent and what gove the room a more gloomy and melan kolly cast I 1 found wun when I 1 went ito to lite lix lamp at nite that the kerosene fuz all gone and bein out ov candles I 1 made for the first time in ln life what they aril a which s a button tied up in a rat rag and put in a saucer ov lard u set fire to the rag and it makes maits a lite which is better than no lite at all as a slut is better than no woman at all in that way I 1 suppose it derived its name but it faint a dadlin lite bothin like so gay and festive as gas 1 I beet beef out with work and batchen wa thought though I 1 would soak my feet before I 1 went 2 bed and so I 1 put some water in the mop pail aan an set by the side ov the stove with my feet into it the thought had come to me after I 1 had put my nite cap on josiah set behind the stove rubbin some lineament lin ament into his back he auz barefooted with his coat and vest off josiah auz jest speaden iken 2 me and aez he 1 I believe this liniment liny ment makes my back feel fee samantha I 1 do hope I 1 shall get a little rest to nite aez I 1 1 I hope so too josiah jest jeet iaz az I 1 sed these words without a minutes barnin there came a knock and the door opened at the same time and in poured what seemed to me at the time to be a hundred and 50 men women and children headed by betsy bobbet josiah so wild with horror and amazement ament that he forgot his lameness for ithe the time leaped from his hie chair and whacked backed up against the wall between the back door and the wood box I 1 rose up tip and stood in the mop pail 2 stricken with amaze and horror to get out of it for the same reason beeden not my nite rap cap which was cut sh cheeps leps head fashion we have come to surprise sur prize u aez B abtey ts y bobbet sweetly my tongue clove v to the roof ov my mouth no word I 1 could speak for I 1 auz but I 1 glanced at em with looks which I 1 suppose fiod filled em with uth awe and dread I 1 for far betsi spoke again in plaintive ack cents wont you let us you no no aez I 1 wildly for then my I 1 voice came back 1 I wont be surprised sur prized u shant surprise sur prize us u to nite we wont be surprised sur Gur prized speak josiah aez I 1 turning to him in my extremity speak tell her will we be surprised surprise sur prized prize d to nite no N no aez he in a firm r 1 rm warlike tone as he be stood backed u up p agin against st the wall no WP we wont be surprised sur prized L U see friends aez betsy to the crowd she wont let us su surprise oprise her we will go so she headed em off but sh she turned at the door and aez she in a reproachful ack acke cent ent bebby it is right to serve a old friend in this thia way I 1 have known u a long time josiah allens aliens wife 1 I have known u plenty long benun aez I 1 out of the mop pail aad a ad the door which they left open pretty hard josiah came from behind the stove hughin a chair ahead of him and walkin by the help ov it and aez he darn the parties and idars dam dont swear josia aez 1 I 1 I 1 should think u auz bad anuff off without I 1 shearin sw earin 1 I will say darn betsy bobbet samantha oh my back he groaned settin down slowly on his chair 1 I cant cadt set down nor stand up U jumped up lively anuff when they cam came e I 1 in n aez L I 1 throw that in my face will u w what hat i could I 1 du and there is a pin sticking into my shoulder do get it out samantha it has been there ever sense they came only I 1 faint sensed it till now wall aez I 1 in a kinder soothing tone as I 1 drew it out ov his shoulder deT it must have hurt him awfully had he not been 2 crazed with fear 2 feel it aez I 1 less be thankful we are as well off as we be betsy might have insisted on ill rub ure shoulders shoulder rs with liniment liny ment agin and I 1 guess ure back will feel better do u suppose be mad josiah 1 I dont know nor I 1 dont care aez ez he but I 1 hope so and truly his wish came to te pass tor for betsy bobbet faint spoke to me sense the rest saem seem to care but she was awful mad which shows that it makes a difference with her who does doea the same thing for with a disappointment here they went that night right from here to surprise sur prize the edster 0 of the gimlet and it come straight to me ce I 1 leettie iss tine heedick told miss gownley G and miss goreley told me he turned ern em out of doors and abet the door in their faces the way it was his hig hired girl had bad left him that very day and one of his twins was taken sick with the colic he had just got the sick baby to sleep and laid it in the cradle by the fire and he had give the other one some playthings and set her down on the carpet and he was the supper dishes with his hia sleeves rolled up and a pink bib apron on that belonged to his late wife he was waa just finishing his dishes when he be heard beard an awful screaming scream in from the w well ell babe and wildly wringing out his dishcloth be rushed out with it still in his hands and found that she had swallowed a side thimble he fetched her up and her on the back and the thimble flew out half way aar across the r room c M she screamed and held her breath areat h and the sick one awakened by the th e tumult t um ul t sot got up in the cradle and begun to scream jest jes t then the door burst open and in came the surprise sur prize party headed b by Y betsy bobbet they say half balf C crazed ed as he auz that he told em it they leave eave that minute he would prosecute cute em some of em was mad about it but betsy bobbet want L tor for in the next reeks gimlet the verses ve came out |