Saint Mary's beacon., 1874-07-09

= wiihoss soss ssesd and SSts:sr. f~
TIE JUDGE AND THE Gypsy.
There il scarcely person in this eouu-
try. psesume. Who does not know some
thing. practically or theoretically. about
the pleasures Of nut-gsthering. When
the season arrives il brings with il great
rejoicing. aud even the most eedsts ssd
studioss urehios will play truans 70 join .
uuttiog. party.
In the autumn Of 49,. I w.s visiting
old Major Fly st his plsntatioo in Ken
tueky. He Vas hale. hearty old school
gentleman. With % abiding love for horse.
6csh and mint juleps. and bis eldest son
Tom inherited bis fathers characteristics
to degree that vas truly remarkable.
considering the disparity o: their years.
Though the Major Was deep drinker few
men had ever seen him OF his legs. and
bone Of Toms FlyS young compositions
dare si, at . drinking bout With him till
the 'wee hours"
No 6ner stable. take it. could you End
anywhere 10 the county (shough there
might bc in the State) than Major Fly
possessed. One Of the trucst tsrfneD 10
Kentucky. be spared neither money nor
labor to collect and breed horses. some Of
which will never b forgotten in the N.
nails Of horse racing.
The plantation vss . quaint old plsee.
delightfully."- situated. and having neigh.
borhood composed Of companionable gen.
tIemcn. and many engaging aud beautiful
The immediate family Of .se major con.
sisted Of his son Tom asd daughters. Mao
mi and Mary. Add to these some dis.
,aut sel.tises whom iortsus hSd case upon
the s.ajor's bounty. md Who had for yesrs
f.',eued .. his board. 'endcring no equiv.
.lent. aud never being expected to do 50.
and you will have family Of ten Who
made the plantation house the most enter.
taining spot that one could we'll imsgiue.
The year iu question was prolific il tie
quantity Of nuts Il produced. The spot
selected vas tract Of about two hundred
acres, and hsd long been . favorite re-
sort. Every tree on !: Aecmed to bear the
Impression Of green old age, aud vet
they still yielded their fruit. Here aud
there some old monsrchs lifted their bare
dead arms in magnificent dssay. like war
worn veterans who had breasted manv 4
tempest. and died at last upon their feet.
Ii Was iu the last week Of September
that Naomi Fly proposed that all the young
bellies. aud bcaux Of the neighborhood who
were "sound in wind and limb" (she bor-
rowed the expression from her brother
Tom). should assemble at her fathers
mansion and proceed to the woods in
grand procession. Naomi Ply was q girl
who deserves moro than a passing notice.
She was black-eyed, rosy and raven.locked
Her figure was not that Of sylph: it was
rather unfemininely muscular; still she
wa. perfectly well formed. and, without
being handsome. her face was pleasing.
She had a peculiar easy gsit. aud q GER
tain hostenr which terrified some Of her
adorcrs and kept others 10 . state Of con-
slant trepidaticu. She was . perfect
horscwoman. AMI no jockey would back
the most vicious brute quicker and more
dsripgly than herself. II vas her boast
that she lived between the earth and SKY.
and vas out Of her element in . habitable
dwelling.
Mary. her younger sister. was quiet,
smali-siscd creature. rather good looking.
With bright brown eyes and hair. aud Of .
very domestic turn Of mind. The con.
trast between tbVc two Vas therefore very
marked.
Of course. Naomi Fly was the ruling
spirit Of the ttte. She laid il down a. .
rcgulatios. that no persons who called
themselves more than thirty i've should
compose the party. Nov this vas wick.
ed rxse Of Naomi, because this 10 the certain
sge at which We oil are 20 fond Of stand
ing. Thirsy-6vc il not % bad. bot forty
has m cminous sound. and We do not like
to e,'ofcss il. A. might have been expee.
ted. many sddsd their names to Nsomi's
liss Who we're approaching their grsod eli.
macseric. bot Who always counted them.
selves young enough for any vhim. I,
vas amusing to vitress the entertaiumeu,
IL afforded Naomi to listen to their lame
stories. and 70 mark their maneuverins
However. to insure harmony. nobody Who
wished to join the party wss e1c!udcd.-
Extraordinary preparations were msde fo'
the fe'e. anc 6ue morning inspired the
hcarss of the young and fair adventurcrs
That the thing night be truly rustic
the majors large tobacco wagon vas pul
Into rquisition to convey the party and
their provcnder to their destination. But
the tone ssd keeping Of the picture ws'
somewhat disturbed BY four Of the ma
j'r's '.biss Of blood briae msde 70 draw
the .c.d. The spirited creatures. vhs
.iss they gave themselves vkes they fsl
the rude harness crossing their g'ossy
bseks! h vss 10 sss resiaise. how
ever. like many Of the human Kind. they
were compelled - suffer Temporary deg
rsds,ios. and to revenge themselves Das,