The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-05-30
GOLDEN RULE AT MISERY FLAT.


s>----- *
GOLDEN RULE AT MISERY FLAT
"Do, Lowry, git down off that stool
and quit rummaging in that burey
drawer" trE
Lowry, from her perch on the stool
only turned her sloe-black eyes toward
the cot whereon lay the invalid who's,
family querulous tones arrested her at
tentiOn, and answered:
"'Pears like you're crosser'nl usual
Mandy. | ant a-rummaging; I'm
huntin' for piece of that striped tick
in to set patch in Mikes overalls. "a
We'll, do git down and shut tina
drawer" persisted the sick woman
"there amt speck of that there tickin
left" lta 4t4Ll
"There is, too" interrupted the girl
holding up a large scrap, and here i
is, so there. And what's more, here's
lot of new calico. Sakes! where die
you raise so much?''
The woman's eyes frightened and hel
tones cheered perceptibly as she an
swered hurriedly,
"Well, shut the drawer and git away
from there, and I'll give you one o.
them pieces for new dress. You car
take your choice, the layloek an greer
or the speckled pink. Do git down
Right there by that window, too, and
most time for Mike TO be a-comin'. Hell
be pizen mad to see you rummaging in
them drawers. Likely as not he'll hi
you"
For answer the girl tiptoed up and
peered out of the window.
"Hem," she said coolly, Hs there he
comes now. Well, his grub's all ready. 2
Then she turned toward the woman
and held up first the lilac and green and
then the pink print.
81 like the pink sight the best, y
she added, concluding dryly- enough
"and I'd like to see Mike or any other
man a-hitting of me-"
At that moment Mike himself entered
the door. His not ill-natured Irish face
clouded as he observed Lowry coolly
replacing the prints in the drawer, and
he stepped hastily forward as if to ar
rest her farther progress. A signifi
cant glace from his wife caused him tC
turn toward the cot instead of the bureau
"Never mind it, whispered his wife
soothiugly, "she ha'n'tspied out moth
in. She's only pokin' after a bit o
stuff to patch your overalls. II you hart
up likely as not she'll Suspect something
/ wish in my soul we'd never taken ;
hand in it," ..-----
And Mandy buried her face in her pill
low and began to cry. t
YOU'D better take your quinine
Mandy" said Lowizy. "You've beer
a-gapin' and a-stretehin' all mornin'
and now you're bawlin'. Your ager'i
comm on, sure. There's your dinner
Mike, on the fire. Lift it yourself, cam
you? | want to dose Mandy an ii1
these yer overalls fore | eat. p"
Mike lifted his dinner and ate it in
silence, while Mandy took her dose anC
Lowizy's nimble fingers piled the needl,
upon the torn overalls. When Mike haC
finished his repast she looked up from
her work and said: .,lii Ut.
"I'm going over to ,BiXlerville pretty
soon to get Miss Naylor to cut out my
new calico. You better not go over the
slough. Mandy II need you round home
There's them late peas to brush. They'r
sprawlin' terrible. And there's thai
hanging shelf in the kitchen-why doni
you tinker that up? And besure you
don't forgit TO bring the dug-out ovel
to the shore for me along about sun
down. I'll be there, | reckon, long fore
you will. Want me TO call the Doctor
for MandyP" -
"Doctorin' does small good,n an.
swered Mike gloomily. "Misery Flats
no Iasce for white man to live in. L
chap could ever get hold of a claim
over yoncer on the hill-but there's nc
use tryin'; fever IN ager and harC
luck for ever m ever'n take the go ou
of any man. lid Il.
sob, you're blue to-day, Mike, ;
laughed the girl. al dunno what:
got you and Mandy here lately After
the cotton's baled and sold you'll ehirI
up. Misery Flat cotton beats the hill
crop all to nothin'"
Yes" said Mike, bit more hearth
ly; "an' if we just could get a cabir
and few acres on the hill where WE
could liUe, I'd work the Flat plantation
and ask no odds of any man. Bur
there's no use"
"A-grumbling," interrupted the girl
cheerily. "Bymeby you'll raStle out o
this, and get your home t'o:her side OF
the slough. That is, if you don't fumC
yourself into the ager again. There
there's your oyeralls. Now I'm go
ing" ~ $3.50 -
Missouri Flat is one of the many
islands that dot the Mississippi Rirel
between Cairo and New Orleans. Riy.
er pilots know it by its proper number
its local name, Missouri Flat, being civ
en- to it by the small colony of humble
folk from the State of Missouri, who, il
the hope of lettering. their condition
had settled on the island which, like
many others, was luxuTiantly fertile
p 'aducing, at small expenditure of la
Dor, abundant crops of the finest cotton
as well as and svegetsbles.--A A.
usual, where such exuberance of vege.
table life is found, there is also found
malaria, and the unfortunate settlers or
Missouri Flat came, in time, to deem the
name flung st their island in the ironi
cal speech Of passing boattnen no mis-.
homer.
Misery Flat, indeed, it proved to
many of them.
Nike Flynn, a bright young man Of
Irish parentage, with his young wife, 8
rosy, healthfal- Missouri lgirl, had eomt
with the small cbiosy 90 'the island full
of the hopeful enthusiasm of youth, and
had set about the work of cultivatine
the soil and building up an honest home
with commenashle zeal. Before they
had been q twelyelnonth on The ISLAND
they found ont that wealth could only