The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-04-20
A FRIEND INDEED.

ING my readers the meaning OF bhe WORD
''roder Itwould be incomprehensi.
bic TO any one outside the grazing dis
tricts Of Louisiana, for it is a Creole
noun, formed from the French verb.
''rodern 90 roam). 4 roder means a
gathering Of cattle at certain seasons of
the year, in the great prairies Of Calca-
sieu, st. Landry, and other pastoral dis
trictS of Louisiana. Every spring and
fall the owners of immense herds col
lect their cattle in .'corrals" (cowspens),
brand the calves, separate from the rest
those intended for the New Orleans
market, and drive back the balance to
the grassy, fOwery paradise of those
gulf-bordered prairies, which remain
green even in the depth of winter.
The owners of these herds do not
generally live at their ''vachelies" (cow
farms). They are usually men of
wealth, who employ ''vachers" Cow
drivers) to attend to their 81 ock, paying
them so many calves for every hundred
they brand; and thus, in time, the
yachers become proprietors themselves.
The vachers are light-hearted, cheer
ful race of beings, knowing nothing of
the outside world. They frequently re-
main for several generations in the en-
ploy of one family. Their little cot
tages, scattered at intervals over the
vast prairies, are the abOdes of thrift,
and simple enjoyments. The men,
save in their peculiar vocation (cattle
herding), are not models of industry;
but the women are untiring workers,
and the product of their loom-the fam
Gus AttakapaS cOttonade-a always
brings the highest market price
These people are descendants of the
Acadiens, preserve many of their old
customs and superstitions, and if their
speech is no longer the incomprehensi-
ble patois peculiar to those people, yet
its French is full of idioms which show
plainly the root whence they sprung.
For riding and dancing these vachers
have not their equals in any country in
the world. The roder may continue a
whole week. There is hard riding eve
~ day of that week, from day-dawn TO
dusk, and harder dancing, sometimes
all night, at the house of the principal
vacher, where the great corral for the
year may be placed The women from
all quarters flock to the spot, and the
boiling, baking, stewing, frying, for the
great supper, which winds up every
days work, is something which must
be seen TO be understood.
Among all the vachers, men and boys,
who were engaged in the fall roder of
1871, on the " Grande Prairie" there
was one specially noticeable for his
skill and daring. Louis Yves was
bright, intelligent lad of Is or 10, hand
some, 1.-THE and graceful, as the vachers
usually are. He was an Orphan
dreary thing in other countries; but
what does orphanhood mean among
that kindly, primitive people? 1t SIM
ply means that the one thus bereaved
is, by right Divine, to have the warmest
corner at any hearth in the community,
and the gentleSt treatment from every
member Of the household where he may
choose TO take up his abode. If he is
deformed, sickly, or even an idiot, who
can never he useful, the obligation is
considered still more binding. But
Louis responded with all kind of help
full acts To the care and tenderness Law
ishcd upon his childhood. @
His favorite home, however, was with
Pierre Laclede, a vacher of Mons. Sou
bise. Laclede lived ten miles from his
corral (cow pen) on Grande Prairie, in
a pine forest on the bank of Clear
Creek. 1t was a beautiful stream of
running water, which, making an alb
Iupt bend, flowed back of Laclede'S lit
tie farm. as well as front. In fact, the
house was on an island, connected by a
narrow point of land with the main
forest
The family consisted of Laclede, his
wife, and two children. The wife was
a pretty, silly little Creole, whom La
clede hal married at II, and although
the mother of two children boy of 8,
and girl Of was Just as silly and as
childish rs when her pretty face tempted
honest Pierre to commit the great folly
of his life-marrying her.
The September morning on which my
story opens dawned dark and lowering.
Pierre and Louis had been mp before
light, feeding and grooming their horses. \
- 1t viii not be fine day for the
roder," said Pierre. pointing to piled
up masses of dark clouds in the east ait
will rain-ves, it will blow and storgl
before two O'clock
Louis shrugged his shoulders. $50
lLllA'.il AAtt N'ANN Abl u bAb w ttl
neither sugar nor salt. We will have
to do double riding, though, to get the
cattle in the corral. 4 storm Scatters
them terribly
Where is the corral TO be?'' asked
Madame Laclede.
AT BaptiSte Colas's; about 10 miles
from here, you know
"Ahi and the dance tonight" she
cried. clapping her hands. - Pierre,
thou must let me 90; for, see! it has
been three months since | daneed!" /
- But. Marie, how can we take the
children? The pony Is too small TO carry
double, and Louis and | can not 90 all
the way TO Colas'S this morning. III
Take the children, indeed" with
an angry toss of her head. "AS if |, I
who 20 to dance. want them under my
heels! Aha, Pierre. thou thinkeSt to
hamper me with them. No, no, my
friend! See here, | will step across the
creek to old Aunt Johan, and she viii
come and stay with the children to-
night whilst | am away. Saddle my
pony immediately and without wait I
ing for an answer, Marie ran across the /
little rustic bridge which spanned the
creek.
Pierre'S face wore the troubled look
which Marie's words and acts had often
brought to it within later years
~ don't like leaving the children
with that woman" he said, at last. .
" She is old aud imbecile, and Marie
knows it. Why, she may burn the
house down. She may hurt them. She
may"
Don't add to thelist of mays, = said
Louis, interrupting him with a laugh. !
If YOU don't want Marie to 90, my
friend. make her stay at home, and let
ms ret off. 1t is not right TO leave the
children with old Johan. -Csmef' !
Pierre held back, his face more wOr-
ried and perplexed than ever. Louis
laughed again.
sfrsid 70 contradict his wife, and be IS