Evansville daily journal., 1866-02-22
Ramblins Abroad. 2


Ramblins Abroad. VI
HIcKoRy SWAMP, Feb. IA, 1856. =
Mr.. Editor g
As was sayir, we did get TO Chi
cage arter all that old woman's croakin
iist in time to take the kars for Madison,
and want they nice kars though. Some
how they 'peared to be made SO jam up
an comfortable Ike that body dinn't
feel one bit afeard of runaway scrape.
Couldn't help feelin kinder disappointed
that we hadn't time to go round an see
the town. I'd been kelkerlatin all along
on the fine sights we d see thar, an then
arter all, to think of startin off without
havin time even TO get a.cup of hot cof-
fee. No wonder that old woman took
of 90 about bein behind time Reckon
Bhe knowed shed miss her breakfast, an
ef this ridin over a prairie country early
In the mornin don't give body good
appetite, they'd better be gettin skeerd
about their constitutions sure an sertin.
Well, 4 iist think now that we ort to have
been mighty thankful for beiH landed
safely in the kars with the tops Of our
heads on arter all the fuss an noise they
made at the depot thar in Chicago.
Don't know that O body ort to blame
them though. Reckon they're paid by
the job for hollerin, an folks have to
make livin somehow. r~sxs-r
IfIiest had time now, j might tell ye
lots about the big corn and punkin patch
es and comfortable lookin farm. houses
we saw between Chicago an Madison,
an how we got out TO dinner at q big
white house, with a fountain playin in
front of it. First rate dinner we lad,
tew, leagin the chieken-pie out; couldn't
| help thinkin the fowl mp in that country
want Iackin in gizzards, for my quarter
| Of pie had two in it, Don't know how
many more Id have gotfef I'd taken
/ another piece. -
| 1t was Jest about sundown when we
fust got aite of the lakes, near Madison,
an the red and yaller clouds, with the
| green trees q leanin up Rgenst them, and
j the waves of the lake all glitterin like
/ melted silver, was the purtiest site ever
| seed Idew wonder eff enybody could
feel blue or down hearted at such sun
set. The picter reminded me of the
fairy land / used to read about in the
story books, long ago, when / was q
youngster; and then the town itseH just
looked -as eft the houses had been sol
down in a beautiful grove, to stay thar
awhile until some fairy queen would
beck nc them to heave out of sight agen
| Don't it do q body good, arter a long
trip, to find somebody at tother eend OF
the road waitin TO give them q hearty
4 welcome You see, Aunt Rushe
knowed we was a comm, and thar she
On Nancy James husband were, down
at the depot, waitin for us, an nuch
Aunt Rushe telled ns we'd jist got thar
700 late to get sight of old General
| Sherman. She'd heerd him make Q
speech the day before, an he Dragged
nightly on their town, said it was the
purtiest place he ever seen except
Huntsville, Alabama. Reckon that's
sayin good deal for the place, for the
old General has travelled right smart in
his day chasin about the ehivslry :
from one town to another. We felt aw
full disappointed at not gettin to see the
brave old feller, but had to console
ourselves the best way we could, thinkin
what can't be cured must be endured.
They alters, have their big doins and
speeches up thar in the Capitol Park,
/ when the weather ia fine, an eff 20 want
to see what the Indiana folks look like,
thar s the best place to get good sight
of EN-. Mighty purity gals up thar, sure
and sartin. Do MT think they dress up
so fine as the Evansville gals, but
their riggin is more sensible-like and
becomin.
| Now, I couldn't help noticin, when |
was to town t'other day, couple of gals
walkin down street ahead Of me. One
of em had on rattlin silk gown, tFailir
ever 80 far behind her, an you ort tew
! have seen her bonaetl Ii minded me ot
our Josh's kivered wagon with the square
back, that we uste to take truck tc
market in. Shouldnt wonder eff il hadn
most as big load, tew, for the size of it
takin into consideration the checkered
ribbin and gathered silk In the back par
and the rear, and the hollyhocks il
front, mixed in here and there, will
some kind o. green fixins resemblir
young cabbage heads Tother gal had
on head riggin that was wonderful be.
! comm, an when Josh sells our tobakker
I'm goin to have one like it for sure.
J IIs was jiss the neatest little cap, al
! trimmed in black ribbon and feathers
But law, sakesl what wonderful load
the poor creetur was carryin on the bach
of her neck. Rushe Simpson, from
Hickory Swamp, was 10 town along with
me, an she said it was q new kind o
waterfall style some of the Evansville
gals had for 6xin up their har. The
gal was awful thin and pale, an had 8
kind of resigned look on her face, al
ef she thought if it did make her head
ache she must carry the hull load any
how, helm as it was the fashion
Couldn't help thinkin that the women
folks nowadays had tougher heads
than their grandmothers used to have
Iist imagine the dear old creeturs strut
tin round carryin sich load Why, Il
would have given them headache thai
all the green tea in Chiny couldn't be
gin to cure, and then ten to one eff they
! didn't wind up with spell of newrolo
gy, St. Vitus dance, or some othei
shaky fit. 4T aeI . NEAIA4W
But Mr.. Editor, this ia wanderin from
my subieek, ain'tit7 L started out 4
tell about Madison an the folks thar. a,
here I've got clare back to 'Egansgill,
agen. Now you'll just excuse me thi,
time, for "a telled yon afore, / hahn
had much sperience. in letter wrisin, al
when write you agen Ill try an 6ns
a time when I haint 40 powerful sleepy
4 .4s.5-- Cousin ToPsY.
!,