Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1856-11-12
LEFT HANDED.


/ WIS., Iidrg mot on Q plesslre excursiou)
ilroup SoutaU essern Tennessee, during the VEN
Is =, bat III has nothing 10 do with the STOW.
l was ricilg, as l sAij, trough that coultry.
when met dirt eating toy ON q mule, who was
attempting TO force sad mule on end tvr GER
tain lole briiee, TO cross which Il mule mildly
but firmly declined As spon as was in speaking
distance tie boy cc)sted me with:
Hsllol mister wont you lend haod to get this
dirned crtter across the branch, for I'm afraid I
cant get u Wolverine, befure night, and dad
wants all the boys to get to our house before din
ner, Tor two candidates are goin' to SPEAK and
and then l think hill will be raised-:or all the
gals IN our beat are invited to come to night; and
now stranger, you can go on just six miles and
stop at the house with top on it-f0r that's
where dad lives, and stay till come back, and
after tell the old folks how you helped me 10 get
Nance (the mule) across the branch, may be you
wont be welcome
Supposing some fun was on the taps, and not
liking to miss it, stopped at the house with
top on il, was welcomed by the cwner, and intro
duced, as a stranger, to Sal and Betsy, and told
that the black eyed man was Squire Watson, from
-5orough, and the man with blue eyes was
Col. Parsons, from willie, opposite candidates
for the same seat in the next Legislature.
While the crowd was collecting l had some op.
portunity to converse with the candidates, and
learned that there was about six hundred voters in
the county, and that three hundred were expected
at my old hosts--whose name was McLemore-I
ask his pardon for rot mentioning it seoner-that
evening. | found that Col. Watson was 9 tall
ented young lawyer, but too difident for the field
as candidate; yet there was something in bis
eye that showed his Satanic Majesty lurking
thereabout. Parsons was not his inferior in tai.
ent, had face as hard as brickbat, and was
withal clever fellow and fiddler.
At one o'clock the crowd had collected, and
Parsons led off in fine style; never made bobb!e,
and went straight through; and his friends and in
fact the whole crowd, shouted "hurrah for blue
eyel" He closed his speech under thunders of
applause.
Watson, timid and trembling, arose; and with
great difficulty could keep his Adams apple down
so his voice could get out; but he soon warmed
up as he got on the right TRAIL and never heard
speech 50 torn to pieces IS was ParsonsS the
tide OF popular opinion ran stronger against Par
than it had in his favor and the shout was for
the black eyed boy-loud and unanimous
Supper was the next thing on the bills. and after
doing justice to the meal the chairs tables, BEDS
&c. were carried into the yard, al the boys and
gals took the floor for reel--cotlnlon had never
| reached their ears. Parsons volunteered his SER
vices as orchestra, which was accepted. Parsons
was left handed unfortunately, and as q matter of
| course had to use his bow with that hand.
1t was eleven o'clock ct night, the dancing was
| getting as they said, in good way, the whisky
circulating freely, when that tickle stream Of pepu
| lar opiuon changed its course and set directly
| against Watson.
Parsons was playing some of his best reels
in bis hest style, and ever and anon, as some turn
in the tune pleased dancer he would yell out, 60
| it blue eyes, and hurrsh for blue eyes.
| Watson saw something must be done or he was
| lost He took m a 0ozan n the harral N drink
with him while the dancing was still going round,
and after taking drink round, he whispered that
he hated that Parsons should treat them 1.-THE crowd
so; says he, just look at the id rascal playing
the fidde with bis left hand. Parsons could not
use his right at all) Now that's too bsd-for il
be was in -borough he would play with his
right hand, and play twice as well.
1t took like wild fire, and soon this dozen whis.
| pered it to two dozen more and after the reel one
| of the party told him that he must play with his
| right hand
| Parsons protested that he could not, and the
sovereign swore in his turn that he had seen him
| play right handed and that he would whip him il
he did not play So the girls refused to dance, and
| everything in confusion, and everybody
wanted a chance at Parsons, because he would
not play 80 they desired. Parsons knew the
crowd, and took the first opportunity to decamp;
then went up shouts for black eyes, and the meet
| ing adjourned; and two days after the night re.
| ferred to, hand bills were posted Throughout
county, declaring Mr. Parsons inten ton not to be
a candidate at the ensuing election.
When Watson took his seat in the next Legis
lature, he was heard to say:
What hard oath that was; and what q great
| fire little spark kudeth; for If l had not told
| lie about Parsons left handed fddling, l would
have been where he is and that's no whsr. I"
| | left early the next morning.