American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-07
GRANDMOTHER'S BED-FELL0W


BY MRS. 8. VI. WALSH.
COME, now I've just thought of story
true, every word of it-'.just as true as
preaching" as you children say, and Pm
sure that'e the kind of story good chill
dren love best
do wish we could iust sit around a
good, roaring wood fire, in the open fire.
place, instead of being gathered aroupd
this little open-work "hole in the floor"
then there would be some relish to the
talk about the times when your great
grandmother was young.
Yes, she was young girl, about as old
as Jessie, guess, when one time she went
to spend the night with a friend about her
own age.
The old folks were away, and in the lit
tie lonely log -hOuse these two young girls
just in their teens-spent the long wister
evening by the glowing, cracking fire,
with never a thought of fear, talking, as
girls will talk, about all sorts of nOnsen-
steal little things. shouldn't wonder If
they even discussed the fashions, and
consulted each other about the style of the
next 'petticOat and short-gOwn" to be
made; and am very certain that they did
not sit and talk with idle fingers, but doubt
less a good stout wooden stocking-of yarn
carded and spun by their own thrifty
hands-dangled from the needles, and
grew apace as their busy tongues kept go.
ing. Perhaps the wind whistled and
mOaned around the house just as it does
tonight; but how dismal it must have
sounded through the tops of the great for
est trees amid which stood the lonely log
house; and even if they heard an occa-
sional howl of wolf not far away, or the
barking OF a fox skulking around the
chicken-roosts, the sounds were familiar
ones, and these backwoods girls noticed
lint bon ri n o.
the jingling horse-car bell, or the whistle
of the passing locomotive.
And when the tall old clock struck nine
they covered up the remains of their now
dying fire, which was their only way of
preserving it for morning, said their pray
ers, blew out the Pickering tallow-candle,
and quickly jumped into the great, moth
erly feather-bed, and snuggled under the
warm blankets and bedquilts that were
never wanting in those thrifty days.
But they were no sooner settled COM
fortably in bed than both were startled by
a rattle, rattle, rattle that chilled their
Young blood and made their hearts stand
still with terror.
"Oh, hark? What's that?" whispered
one to another, as they Rugged each other
closer, ard shook with cold and fright.
Then they lifted their heads from the
pillow and listened intently, and it came
again-rattle, rattle, rattle; and these
girls knew the sound perfectly well, and
perhaps by daylight, on the open noun
tain side, it would scarcely have fright
ened them, for well-aimed stone or two
has been the death of many a rattlesnake.
But now, where was he? They could
not step out of bed lest they should put a
bare foot right on the horrid reptile; they
had no matches in those days, and no way
10 get a light but from the covered en-
beers on the hearth. So all they could do
was to lie as still as possible and wait for
the morning; and sure never was morning
longer in coming.
The BOOSTERS crowed while yet 1t was
dark, bringing no comfort to these poor
girls who lay cramped up in bed, scarce
daring to move hand or foot lest they
should come in contact with the mortal
foe who lay in close coils very near, as
they knew by that Ominous rattle, rattle,
rattle that every now and then
struck terror to their hearts, and chilled
their bodies through with an icy cold
ness.
At last, when it seemed they could en-
dure no longer, daylight sent its first
DOW, and anxiously surveying the floor,
and making sure beyond doubt that his
snakeship was not there, how Joyfully
they sprang from bed and stretched their
cramped limbs.
Starting up the fire and hurrying on
their clothes was the work of but few
minutes, and then began the search for
the enemy of their peace. Cautiously
stripping off the bed-clothes, one covering
after another, right under the last quilt,
next the sheet. lay Mr.. Rattlesnake, one
huge bunch of ugliness, with his ven
omous head peering out from the midst
of his horrid coiled-up body and if those
poor girls, whose charming bed-fellow he
had made himself, had been so unfortu-
nate as to stretch down a foot from their
cramped position all that long, dreadful
night, without doubt his repose would
have been disturbed, and he would have
repaid the indignity in the manner that
has made his family so notorious through
all their generations.
So this was grandmother's bed-fellow,
once on a time.
How would you have liked it Chris
tidn Union.