Roughing It in the Bush. Susanna Moodie
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to-morrow.”
Oh, blessed experiment! for the value of one quarter dollar I got rid of this dishonest girl for ever; rather than pay me, she never entered the house again.
About a month after this, I was busy making an apple-pie in the kitchen. A cadaverous-looking woman, very long-faced and witch-like, popped her ill-looking visage into the door, and drawled through her nose—
“Do you want to buy a rooster?”
Now, the sucking-pigs with which we had been regaled every day for three weeks at the tavern, were called roasters; and not understanding the familiar phrases of the country, I thought she had a sucking-pig to sell.
“Is it a good one?”
“I guess 'tis.”
“What do you ask for it?”
“Two Yorkers.”
“That is very cheap, if it is any weight. I don't like them under ten or twelve pounds.”
“Ten or twelve pounds! Why, woman, what do you mean? Would you expect a rooster to be bigger nor a turkey?”
We stared at each other. There was evidently some misconception on my part.
“Bring the roaster up; and if I like it, I will buy it, though I must confess that I am not very fond of roast pig.”
“Do you call this a pig?” said my she-merchant, drawing a fine game-cock from under her cloak.
I laughed heartily at my mistake, as I paid her down the money for the bonny bird. This little matter settled, I thought she would take her departure; but that rooster proved the dearest fowl to me that ever was bought.
“Do you keep backy and snuff here?” says she, sideling close up to me.
“We make no use of those articles.”
“How! Not use backy and snuff? That's oncommon.”
She paused, then added in a mysterious, confidential tone—
“I want to ask you how your tea-caddy stands?”
“It stands in the cupboard,” said I, wondering what all this might mean.
“I know that; but have you any tea to spare?”
I now began to suspect what sort of a customer the stranger was.
“Oh, you want to borrow some? I have none to spare.”
“You don't say so. Well now, that's stingy. I never asked anything of you before. I am poor, and you are rich; besides, I'm troubled so with the headache, and nothing does me any good but a cup of strong tea.”
“The money I have just given you will buy a quarter of a pound of the best.”
“I guess that isn't mine. The fowl belonged to my neighbour. She's sick; and I promised to sell it for her to buy some physic. Money!” she added, in a coaxing tone, “Where should I get money? Lord bless you! people in this country have no money; and those who come out with piles of it, soon lose it. But Emily S—— told me that you are tarnation rich, and draw your money from the old country. So I guess you can well afford to lend a neighbour a spoonful of tea.”
“Neighbour! Where do you live, and what is your name?”
“My name is Betty Fye—old Betty Fye; I live in the log shanty over the creek, at the back of your'n. The farm belongs to my eldest son. I'm a widow with twelve sons; and 'tis—— hard to scratch along.”
“Do you swear?”
“Swear! What harm? It eases one's mind when one's vexed. Everybody swears in this country. My boys all swear like Sam Hill; and I used to swear mighty big oaths till about a month ago, when the Methody parson told me that if I did not leave it off I should go to a tarnation bad place; so I dropped some of the worst of them.”
“You would do wisely to drop the rest; women never swear in my country.”
“Well, you don't say! I always heer'd they were very ignorant. Will you lend me the tea?”
The woman was such an original that I gave her what she wanted. As she was going off, she took up one of the apples I was peeling.
“I guess you have a fine orchard?”
“They say the best in the district.”
“We have no orchard to hum, and I guess you'll want sarce.”
“Sarce! What is sarce?”
“Not know what sarce is? You are clever! Sarce is apples cut up and dried, to make into pies in the winter. Now do you comprehend?”
I nodded.
“Well, I was going to say that I have no apples, and that you have a tarnation big few of them; and if you'll give me twenty bushels of your best apples, and find me with half a pound of coarse thread to string them upon, I will make you a barrel of sarce on shares—that is, give you one, and keep one for myself.”
I had plenty of apples, and I gladly accepted her offer, and Mrs. Betty Fye departed, elated with the success of her expedition.
I found to my cost, that, once admitted into the house, there was no keeping her away. She borrowed everything that she could think of, without once dreaming of restitution. I tried all ways of affronting her, but without success. Winter came, and she was still at her old pranks. Whenever I saw her coming down the lane, I used involuntarily to exclaim, “Betty Fye! Betty Fye! Fye upon Betty Fye! The Lord deliver me from Betty Fye!” The last time I was honoured with a visit from this worthy, she meant to favour me with a very large order upon my goods and chattels.
“Well, Mrs. Fye, what do you want to-day?”
“So many things that I scarce know where to begin. Ah, what a thing 'tis to be poor! First, I want you to lend me ten pounds of flour to make some Johnnie cakes.”
“I thought they were made of Indian meal?”
“Yes, yes, when you've got the meal. I'm out of it, and this is a new fixing of my own invention. Lend me the flour, woman, and I'll bring you one of the cakes to taste.”
This was said very coaxingly.
“Oh, pray don't trouble yourself. What next?” I was anxious to see how far her impudence would go, and determined to affront her if possible.
“I want you to lend me a gown, and a pair of stockings. I have to go to Oswego to see my husband's sister, and I'd like to look decent.”
“Mrs. Fye, I never lend my clothes to any one. If I lent them to you, I should never wear them again.”
“So much the better for me,” (with a knowing grin). “I guess if you won't lend me the gown, you will let me have some black slack to quilt a stuff petticoat, a quarter of a pound of tea and some sugar; and I will bring them back as soon as I can.”
“I wonder when that will be. You owe me so many things that it will cost you more than you imagine to repay me.”
“Sure you're not going to mention what's past, I can't owe you much. But I will let you off the tea and the sugar, if you will lend me a five-dollar bill.” This was too much for my patience longer to endure, and I answered sharply—
“Mrs. Fye, it surprises me that such proud people as you Americans should condescend to the meanness of borrowing from those whom you affect to despise. Besides, as you never repay us for what you pretend to borrow, I look upon it as a system of robbery. If strangers unfortunately settle among you, their good-nature is taxed to supply your domestic wants, at a ruinous expense, besides the mortification of finding that they have been deceived and tricked out of their property. If you would come honestly to me and say, 'I want these things, I am too poor to buy them myself, and would be obliged to you to give them to me,' I should then acknowledge you as