The weekly ledger., 1857-09-19
Something More of Sut Lovegood-His
Shirt

The first one l met was Sut (after crossing
the Hiwassee,) } weaving along in his usual
rambling uncertain gait His appearance at
once satisfied me that something was wrong
He has been sick, whipped in a free fight, or
was just out-growing one of bis big drunks
But upon this point was soon enlightened,
said |:
Why, Sut what's wrong"
Heaps wrong; durn my skin eff | haint
most dead Lite off on that ar boss, George,
an take horn, while | take two, Shaking
that everlasting flask of his at me, an plant
yerself on that ar log an I'll tell yc ef ken
but it's most beyout telling. Ireckon I'm the
darndest fool out en- Utaw 'cept my dad, for
he acted hoss, an haint dun that yet-alers
in sum trap that cuddent ketch n sheep I'll
drown myself sum day, see eff | DON'T just
tn stop family dispersition to make-fools
of themselves"
"How is it, Sut, have you been beat play
ing cards Or drinking-what is it ?"
"Nara one; that can't be did in these parts
but scein' its you, George, I'll tell you, but
swar I'm shamed-sick-so -sorry-and-mad
am.
Ye know | boards with Bill Carr. at his
cabin on the mountain, an pays for sich as
gets when hav money, an when | haven't
eny, why he takes one-thrd owe it outed me
in cuSsin; an she, that's his wife Belts, takes
out tother two-thirds with the batten-stick, an
the intrlst with her tung, an the intrust's
more'n the principi'l-heap more. She's the
cussedest oman | ever seed enyhow fur Jaw
an pride She can scold a blister onto a
bulls face rite on the curl in two minits She
patterns arter ev'ry fashun she hers tell on,
from bussils to briches Oh she's one of
em, an sometimes she's two or three. Well,
ye see I'd got sum homemade cotton truck
to make new shut outen, and coaxed Belts
tn make it, an about the time it wur dun
here comes lawyer johnson along an axed
for breakfast wish it had pizened him. durn
his hide, an | wonder il didn't fur she cooks
awful mixings when she trys. I'm pizen
proof myself (holding up his flask and peep
ing through it. or i'd been dead long ago
"Well. while he wur a eatin' she sped out
that his shut was stiff an nifty slick, SO she
never rested till she warmed it outen him
that preparation owe -four did it, an she
got few particulars about the proceedings
tu, outen him by 'oman's art don't know
how she did it, perhaps he docs. Arter he
left, she sot in an billed big pot owe paste
nigh unto peck owe it, an souzed in my shut
an let it soak awhile; then she tux it an
ironed it out fiat and dry, an set it onto its
aidge again the cabin in the sun. Thar it
stood as stiff as a dry hoss hide, an it ratified
like sheet owe iron, it did 1t wur pasted
togather all over. When | cum to dinner
nuther would du but must put it on. Well,
Belts an me got the thing on arter some
hard work, she pullin' at one owe the tails an
me at tother, an / got into It, Durn the ev-
erlastin' new tangled shut, | say. felt like
I'd crawled inter an old bee gum an hit, full
owe pisants; but it war like lawyer Johnson's,
an | stood it like a man, an went to work tn
bid Belts ash-hopper | worked power
fully hard an SWEET like a hoss, an when the
shut got wet il quit its hurtin. Arter got
dun, | tuck about four fingers owe red head
an crawled up intu the cabin loft tu take a
snuze.
"Wel when | walked up thot was ded,
or had The colery, for all the jints cud
muve were my ankles, wrist and knees-cud-
MT even muve my head an skasely wink my
eyes-the cussed shut wur pasted fast onto
me oil over from the pint owe the tails tu the
pint owe the broad ak collars over my years.
1t Sot as clost as poor COW das tu her hide
in March. | squirm'd an strand till got it
sorter broke at the sholders an elbows, an
then dun the durndest fool thing ever did
in these mountains | shufled my brtches