The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-11-15

| the adjacent ccuntFT, 1t was particu-
larlv stipulated that there were to be no
| drives as it was haying time. and the
horses were constantly in demand
mIf It was in the beginnin' or in the
fag-end of the season." said Farmer
Hiogins Eve mought manage it. but
iest when the crap Is in the grass, we
can't tbink of it, yen see, not for any
money"
| But he did think oft and not for very
much money eithefs However Violet
mansgad It, we went bnmping along the
rocky roads in tie very heart of many a
brilliant afternoon, dhe children that
smuggled along nesting with me in the
fragrant hay in the body OF the wagon,
while Violet was psfched high on the
ront seat 10y she side of Mr. Higgins,
chatting with him 9alse earnestly, with
q pretty air of interest IN her shining
eyes. 1t would sulte hays spoiled my
ride to sit on that broad seat, with not
even a leathern strapto my back, with
Farmer Higgins iP,sassa close proximity.
He wore stocking mksxSto be sure, and
a., az little !. lie, ,Bec5s-,I l - saII::1 5:
! him---a mixtuFc IA barn yard, oi
| tobacco, of peupiSabR, and the rank
weeds he had been moving down. Then
he was far from assimilating in person to
! wondrous beauty of the place and the
| season. His hands were covered with
| warts and lrcckles, the muscles OF his
arms stood out like whip cords, and the
hairs thereon were many inches long.
| He was extremely yellow ana lRntern-
| iawed, and had that shuffling,. depreca
| tory mark Of q hon naqkad man
"To think of this beautiful bit OF
| EARTH" said Violet, during our first
week, "holding but lhe one man-and
such a mani He's ugly, he's stingy,
he's grasping, he's brutal, hos timid."
"He's simply an animal" | said.
f'There are animals and animals, said
Violet. "Some are capable of cultiva-
tion."
And now, at the end of s. fortnight,
she was content TO ride close by his side
for hours at time.
"Les's take turns, vi" / said at last,
With a bCrst OF generosity and selfre-
proach. I'll bear the agony of the front
seat next time"
'No, Lide," she replied don't thiEk
of it. He wouldn't 90, and we should
have to stay at home. | don't mind it.
/ don't indeed"
looked at her earnestly, and a sud
den CLINT of her Inocking eyes was like
revelation 10 me. fell back agnast.
"You don't mean to say, Violet" | be-
gan, "that you--yon-h -have-ahem -
, have gained any influence over this per-
son-that you are making yourself agre,
able to him in any wsy ?''
q should be sorry TO be impolite or
rude to any body" shereplied, demurely.
" He's a human creature, Ljde-in the
rough, TO be sure, bur with hidden capa-
bilities. We never can tell what dia-
mond is until the polishing process bs-
gins. In the mean time tho experiment
is interesting"
Interestingr' Irepeated, and fell
back in my chair. L was as plain as a
pipe-ste.n. She wasearrying on mild
Irritation with this weak rustic
"The elevation of the human race"
continued Vi, 'hss always been q hobby
of mine Just think OF it, Lide Mr..
Higgins has consented TO have a suit Of
clothes--a whole suir. Not made to or
der, nor, indeed, reasy-made, and | re-
gret to add that bis faith in friendly
tailoress ind--~---tiIa "a bslieYe that his
BLACK pantalo9ns eax % tlIFned but he
Is willing to leave it in the hands of
Betsy Crouch, the tailoress who lives at
DeertoWn, and goes cut to work for two
and-sixpence day and her board. We
are going after Betsy to-day, and the
ride will be glorious one; there's
waterfall by the way, you lucky woman,
and we dip into a stlip Of woodland, a |
twilight of solemn and mysterious ytr> |
dure and we emerge again upon a semb- |
lsge of green fragrant with those wild 4!
raspherries that meltin your mouth and |
ravish your nostrils It's q sacrifice on
my part, for from little hints OF Farmer |
Higgins, / fear me much this capable |
Betsy Is an old flame 0. MS. He has proc
pitiated his wife's favor by promising to |
bring her two bottles Of the Spinal Reno |
vator for her poor back. But whore is |
the consolation for my lacerated heart if |
this Betsy Crouch shouid stir the dregs |
of his old passion?" Here Violet put |
back her head and laughed till the tears
hung on her long lashes. Aud what |
could do but go to Deertown? ? l made |
up my mind that Vioht needed keeper |
as much as any lunatie and resolved that |
10 spot on earth coull be made into a |
comfortable asylum for the quality of |
such mania.
We brought Betsy back with US, and |
as | looked at her tsir, fat and forty |
charms, | wondered how Mr.. Higgins |
could have SO bungled his matrimonial !
venture But Betsy told me as we jelted |
along, that poor AIn. Higgins had a |
fairish bit OF money and a nice strip OF /
the adjoining land, and / could plainly |
imagine how a sour face, q weak back |
and scolding tongue were 10 hindran- |
ces to the bargain.
she's been failing awful this year or
so back" said Betsy, "aud John Hig- |
gins can jolt the dayligbts cut OF US all,
but no spinal renoyst9r wont do her no |
good. He must be powerful anxious to
get home. am all in Jelly.
knew his anxiety was chiefly begot |
by Violets love OF fast driving, but we |
did indeed find the poor woman tuckered |
out, as she said, when we reached home. |
La spite of the spinal reHoyator she grew /
worse day by day, and on Saturday she |
took to her bed. Betsy had to put by |
her shears and attend to the house, and |
though the scrubbing and securing were |
somewhst abated, there was wondrous |
improvement in tks-domestic atmos-
phere. All the plAksyever wanted to
make it paradise OF homely comfort |
and cheer, was peace from biting tom |
que, and that was quiet enough in one
of the upstairs rooms, where the help
less woman lay many weary day, at
tended by Betsy and Mr. Higgins, who
took the nursing in turn, ard bore IL
with cheerful resignation Instead of
the sour face OF the farmers wife, there
shone now at the head of the table the
rosy one of Betsy Crouch and every
day it grew more and more rubicund.
what with tasting the domestic wines
and hearty partaking OF the numerous
good things about the place. The tailor
ing for the present was held in allowance.
as Betsy said 'stheFe was no knowing
what mought happen, and the pantaloon
stuff being OF purplish- gray, could do Tor
the bows in case of any sudden orderiug
of Providence, while she could turn
John Higgins black ones, and make 'er,
e'n-a' most as good as new"
ssThis "orderin' Of Providence" began
to take 90 practical shape in the minds
of these simple people that found to nv
CONSERVATION they We're even fore -stai-
ling the awful capabilities of the future
in q way that shocked my less frank and
more fastidious taste. Mir. Higgins grew
more and more solemn every day, but
kept his stockings on and always wore :
collar. And there was a remarkable
speculation in his eyes when they rested
upon Violet that frightened her as well