NUTTING.
One day, before her grandmother and aunt came, my fine mother,
Garafelina, told me that she had been invited to a nutting, but as
a nutting was so low a pastime, she had half a mind not to go. Her
mother, however, told her, she would cut such a grand show, that she
had better go; so she had consented, and was going to take me with
her. The next morning my mother was up early, and awoke me, when the
following conversation was held:--"Josey, my dear, I think you had
better have on your silk dress, as I want you to make a grand show,"
said my mother. "But," said I, "hadn't I better wear another, as I may
spoil it?" "Why, child, what can you be thinking of? don't you want to
make a show?" "Yes, mother, but I had rather take comfort than make a
show?" "Stop, do as I have bid you, and say no more about it." In the
course of an hour my mother and I had got dressed, and as we descended
to the dining-room, Garafelina's mother said to her, "My dear, the
young misses and masters have all been waiting here some time, and I
told them that you were not up yet, and so they waited." "Dear me!
how sorry I am," said my mother, in her most affected tone, "to have
given these young ladies and gentlemen the affliction of waiting for
me." "Not at all," they politely replied. We now started, and as we
got out of the door, my mother started back, and said, "Mercy on me!
haven't you any carriage or barouche for us to ride in, I shall be so
extremely and exceedingly fatigued?" However, they had not, and so we
started along; Garafelina all the time lamenting that she had not got
her "landau" with her, as she would die very soon. In an hour or so
we got to the woods, where we sat down to rest ourselves. While thus
resting, we heard a very loud screaming; and turning in the direction
of the cry, there we saw my mother, Garafelina, screeching with all her
might, "Oh save me, save me!" she cried. All the boys and girls ran to
her, and asked her what was the matter. "Oh the spider, the spider!"
she screamed, and upon looking, they found a very small spider on her
dress, and she, instead of shaking it off, began to scream lustily. I
thought my mother was very foolish to make so much ado about a little
spider, but I did not tell her so. Garafelina being rid of the spider,
began to gather the nuts, with the rest of the party. But then she tore
her dress on a bramble-bush, and had her veil torn off by the boughs,
which accidents made her so ill-humored, that they all secretly agreed
never to invite her again. As they were going home, they saw a drove of
cows before them, which made my mother run and scream like a maniac.
One of the little girls said that they were her mother's cows, and that
if they would come into the cow-yard, they could see them milked. None
of the party hesitated but Garafelina, who said that she did not want
to go into a dirty old cow-yard. Soon, however, she changed her mind,
and went. I had seen cows milked at my mother's house, (I mean Agnes
Earle's); but I enjoyed the scene before me very much. First, half of
the girls tried, and then the other half; and then half of the boys,
and then the other half. When it came Garafelina's turn, she went about
it so awkwardly, that it made them all laugh. She spattered a shower of
milk over upon her dress; the cow knocked her down; and when she got
up, she was indeed a sight! Her dress and veil were torn, and spattered
with dirt, and her dress was all covered with spots, where the milk had
been spattered upon her. When she got home, she complained of the ill
treatment she had received; and her mother said that she should never
go again to a nutting.
When I went to sleep that night, I prayed that I might be delivered
from such a mother, and be placed in the hands of a better one, who
had more sense, and who was not so ill-humored and proud. Early
next morning my mother told me sorrowfully, that her old aunt and
grandmother were coming next week, for which I was quite as sorry as my
mother, for I thought that I had enough of troubles.