Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1877-08-22

est LOT uNt llltlcS tltullHu, TIC WAS upl
only beginning to be held rcSpecta
BILE, but also TO acquire a certain mca
sure of selfreSpect, Notwithstanding
his low origin, his regular weekly
sprees, his stumbling knowledge of
reading, and his total Ignorance of
writing. y rough, unscloolcd. in
temperate, backwoodiSh place was
Somerville; such n place as You
might expect to find in n t!inly
settled region which fifty years be.
fore had not been settled at all: n
place which had not yet acquired
eXtravagantly fine notions as to what
constitutes morality and gentility;
lust the place for prosperous
! Cracker to Try to grow into 81 gen.
ttcman Of the old school"
On a day pregnant with future
adventure for Old John Raddie he
WIS rnelipgg up aaHl .lle44ftt his
I tavern. his bIoodshot blue eyes moist
| with whisky, his great cushions of
checks glowing like Il pair of sunsets.
five or six drops OF pcrSplrution
rolling down his broad, red forehead
his iron gray hair towzlcd toward
all points OF the universe, his thread
bare wooleu broad arim in one hand.
and IL stout canvas bag in The otter.
Shaking his bag and Violently gin
Cling its metallic contents, La was
delivering something like Il stump
---Apercli To three gaHHt, sre,it. elu>S.
roads politicians. who. sitting III Il
row on u wooden bench under the
caves. listened to him with a "mccch.
ing" Whcediing grin, KNOWN. that
his pcroration would be, "tonc in.
boys, an Ticker
'IIcs on bender. amt lac" vhjS.
pcrcd a barciootrd, Sallow, yclloN-
haired urchn to a solemn. wilted,
grizzlcd negro, who was leaning
out of one OF the bathroom windows.
".Allays gifts his money .bag ont when
he's ora bender, don't hc! continued
Strawhead; md received anNowliSh,
asserting wink of a hlcared eye iA
response. Although life is short,
; and many great mysteries remain
tunconSidcrcd and unrevealed, we
must consume one moment in stat.
: ing that Old Sol vas famous il som
cryilc for his dextcrty in winklng.
perceivine cigar stump OH the
! ground. which had been swept ont
/ of the bar.room, Strawhead picked
it up with his naked toes. and attcmp.
ted TO transfer it slyiy to his pockets,
with the intention of smoking tt at
some convenient opportunity. But
seeing that the gaze of Old Sol was
upon him, he asked, with an handle
grin, "kucn't 1 hCv this! and Oh
tanning n favorable nod, departed
on joyful canter.
. Such was the scene at Radllc'S
, when its tate reached it. There was
r a rumble of wheels -eti the wooden
bridge over the Saluda, and all pres
r cnt exclaimed, "Thc stagc.7 Soon u
| long yellow wagon, with leather cur.
. tains and rafting doors, rolled up
t to the taverM behind two gannt,
5 mnG .Splashcd horses. The driver,
{ enarly .Ilm Dalirby, who had whip.
ped more men. and been whipped
uttener than any other being known
/ to Somcrvillc, 'lcaped to the ground
and m;fde straight for the bar room.
| Old Sol opened the finger stained
, duor ut the stagC, and bowed ObSc.
= quioHsly to the only passenger. lie
: was y tall, wcll.drcsSed, handsome
B. youth of ninetecn or twenty, whom
$ John Raddle at once recognized as
: Il "high.tO gentleman"
D.. Mornin', stranger lie said, max.
c lug such rude reverence as born
Cracker owed to Il scion of planter
/ dom. "iIey a room, stranger
: AYES. think | may as we'll take
: a ROOM" answered the younystcr,
G after moment of meditation. III
!, think | bad better stay over night
S with you.'
;. best room in the house, stranger,
| declared old John. II Allays keep
i it for your style. Yere, Sol, take the
q gcntleman's trunk up TO No. l. An,
), Sol, see efevcrything is straiGh. thar,
2 An, Sol, call Luce to see IF every
!. thing is straight tlar-tor, by!
1 You wont know" "
+ Followed by the guest, the negro
!, Timped up stairs with the trunk,
S dropped it in the best front chamber,
4 and shufllcd away to summon Luce
a But he had hardly reached the top
of the stairway ere he met the girl
l. ascending, hurried M by the impa
9 tient John Raddle.
# Luce, or Lucy, the only daughter
r, ct old John, was his trusted house
d keener the cold Mnmnnr htinn sick