The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-12-14
THE PINE BARREN.
mr. TIM AUTHOR or "Annrpr uAsrtNaa.

cotton plantations In the hickory and oak
country, and ite wheat and ont regona fur
Their north. hut here ia the pine barren. Tall
trees with tuftei topa and atraIght brown
coated trunks, tower alurt. high against that
cleaning blue aky az rich in Southern iuts.
so lovely when sunset gathers tn" glnrios Of
departing day about tho weatoin horizon,
here ID a wide plain. FREQ from intrusive I'm
dergruwth covered by dark brown pine loay"p
and occasionally intoraectnd hy sandy roada,
alintlng white amid the unhrubnn monotony
of the pillarad fornRt
There IA q log cabin. thia ~ simply hult nf
pine lngs piled VI W n Ru1lrinnt holght and
covered with Rhnglns ppIt from III" aRme
trees. lta chimneyR aro framed w clay ia
the ruheat fashion, and " hrapts III glazed
windows nor paint or ANY Kind. VA nuora
are Of lnduratad clay, covered with
gravel and sand II ia surrounded
with fence compoacd Tof raila
split from the pine tree nlan In garden ~
chard and field arc. IN Hike manner, protected
from the inroaiB Of ntruders, aud yard of
aand embraced tho lnwly dwelling. Scrub
oaks, af dminutiv,saiaa, grew hero aud there,
throwing a slight shadow over the eilvery
Wilderness of the cleaning sand, Outside
The cottage or "cahin" wag a RcatTnd on
which fruit, peeled and cut. was oxposed tr
TIE influence of suuIight and heat large
dog lay idly DOING bpsdc the rude door. a
huge water pail, fabricated from Cedar wood
and guiltless of paint sat quantity on a wide
shelf outside of the dwelling, and over 1t,
hung q long-uecked gourd. A epuuiug wheel
was perceptible within several benches of
ample eiae and large table, evidently In
tended (when the time ehould Gomez Ia Rus-
tain all the comforts Of dinner breakfast or
nupper, az the case might be Vet waa there
nh all Of Independence IN the whole scene
which told platnly that the piny woods poo
pie, though entirely different raaa from
ophiont planters, We're. u ignorant, still
happy people. They lived IA their fathers
had lived before them. on their own land,
and were AZ liberty ~ pulRun amy
avooation W which they felt inclined, whether
II were 10 till the ground, hunt IN the forest
of the near river swamp Or apply themselves
Id the making " rough baskets. huckets or
brppmR. They we're born IN the pine wooda
there they lived AMI died, y race totally dill
ferent from negro slaves on the plantations,
ElayiRh operatives in Northern factories, and
European peasants. VINO rent their humble
homes ON the lands OF great pIorrietors.
Your ptney woods man had no rcepoct FOR
wealth. He desplacd luxury and rejected in
novation Of every kind
But we were talking OF the house he called
his home, aud into this we see him entering
with self graduation as he laid two fat squir-
rels ON the before mentioned table. took OF
his straw hat and swallowed a large draught
from the above mentioned pail before his door.
Peg, cried he where air you. my oman:
what air you don'2'
Peg, SO summoned. made her appearance
and said;
"Rll Sykes, what ails you? Now, have
seed some Of the newspapers, and tor all |
can reckon we are goin to Ett "A king. was
alters oman 10 ask YOU TO do the right
thing, Bill Sykes. wa air To git king Well
here'a one what won't own him and Of you
does, BILL III not consider you no man, MUD
that
Nov. Peg" said the stoical dwciler of the
pine barren, NOV, pcg, jist hear mo- | has
no sovereign but my own state she are my
sovereign, and et any other comes rldtn
along this way II will be hard, but the rifle
hangia' UP dar will teach htm q tremendous
Lesson. Whar did you Rtt stch onaccuuntahin
tantenla In your hrad2 What tor air YOU "A
talkin 10 me about newspapers when know
Rooi enough You air not larnnd and never
could read BOOK or newspaper IN nil your
born days. Who has been y friKhtonin you
about kings They air \ fool what done that.
Iist tell me who they be-
Its one stranger what they calls lsham
Mundy, to he shure, and no other, responded
1e9. somewhat inundated by her husbands
T0proaches.
well, we'll you jist tell him this from me
that he air not 10 be a comiu' here andfrght-
enin you with hone OF hts nonsense The
American people has long ago done thnkin'
kings OF eonsiderment, and has nothin' to do
wild them. | think. Peg old Gen. Sumpter
and Gen. Marion, and the whole lot OF them.
would spring upright out OF their graves,
Gen. Washington at their head, IL they heard
tell of sich a thing. Newspapers, taught |
don't mind them any more than does Il whitr
of my pipe" Aud here the irate Bin, opening
his lips sent forth stream OF tobacco smoke
which curled around his head, diirusing an
unpleasant odor.
3 .'Whar's Jakey' said he, with stern cmpha-
is. Il hope he aint been henrtn' any Of this
stuff"
Jake" responded Peg, "ar in the water
melon patch yonder, ami think he be eatin'
a big one at this very time or may be he air
getherin tomatoes Tor me to stew what air !
good with hriied squirrels and fresh corn
pone."
Now, mind me. peg don't YOU 50 talkn'
to that boy about nations, nor empires, nor 4
kings We air done with the likes ot that. |
my oman, and them what has got sich hum 4
hngserg III their pates had better steer clair \
of tine plney woods
Jake by this time made his appearance Il \
specimen youngster ~ the pine barren Team, /
tail III his age, WHY and agile, With saliow
complexion, sparkling Eypsy-hiack eyes and \
bold. defiant mien. HE ~, down i basket ot Il
hiackberrles, two partIidsrs ana Calahash I
full Or honey on the table aud with defer
ence took his fathers pipe, depositing II Oh
the rude mantle.
Whar have you been, Jake.
ITO the cross roads nigh tho swamp, ana
it was thar found big tree whar bees had
lodged, and took me some honey. But l was
stung oneest or twice. Them critters b,iu
Jealous OF disturbment, and not likn' to part
with the honey didn't take II ALL only some,
becausel 'twere discouraging 10 leave them
nothin after they had been a workin' SO hard
for it
You was right thar. Jake; now, how about
them partridges?"
"0h, surely, sir. sot a trap in the pea
field outside the garding and the trap fell on
three of them, but here be the two what
couldn't git away"
All jest as could wish. Now, Jake, lis
ten to me- You air CROWN a big lad and
amt got no book learn1n'. So far so good.
But want you TO get some head learnin',
what air better, and want you to git by heart