St. Landry democrat., 1879-03-29
Kansas Yarns.
rjCorresnondcnce Selalia Democrat, |

Topeka, Feb. 25.-We felt the loss of
our friend, the OctOgenarian, but his
| place was well supplied by the man Of
sixty, who gave us the history of a par
ty he went to forty years ago.
"The story OF my old friend" said he,
" reminds me of a party | attended in
Howard county forty-four years ago. |
| didn't go in my sllirt-tall, for they wore
pants then, but | was barcfooted. My
selves down from an upper window
with a pillow line. 1t was the first time
that | evcr danced. Being excited by
the dance, | was bold enough to ask one
| OF the girls to let me go home with her.
1t had been raining like fury and was
| then past midnight. Well, | went with
my girl, and my brother went with her
sister. Before we got to their house,
we came to Il branch that was swollen
with the recent rain. The branch was
wide but not deep. The girls were going
to pull off their shoes and stockings and
wade it, but we would not hear to it.
We agreed to carry them across. The
oldest one, Jennie, got on my back,
Couch it makes me scringe to think of
it now and | took her by the legs. She
vas really heavier than | was, but |
| stood like a little man and staggered
across the creek under her immense
weight. She squealed and kicked and
laughed until slu almost threw me
down. But | got her safely over and
went home with her. The girls insisted
on our staying all night, but we were
afraid that We would not wake uD in
time the next morning but they begged
and promised to wake us up before day.
We went to bed, and when | woke in
the morning, the sun vas streaming
through a hole in the log house. knew
the jig was up then. We went home and
creDt around to the stable and camein the
back way. We made up to tell my
father that we had stayed at my brother
Matthew's, but unfortunately my father
had sent over there to inquire about us,
and the messengers had returned with
no tldlngs. My father came in with
bis brow clothed in anger and | knew
that somebody was going to catch it.
He asked me where | stayed all night.
At Brother Matthew's | said. He grab
bed the broom and gave me a whaek
over the head. "That's a story, sir.
!wllack) | sent over there (whack) and
Matthew (Wlackl says you have not
been there (Whack, whack whack,) Suf-
terlng from the punishment, | answer
ed, Father, We staid at the Widow
Wards The old man gave me a look,
sat the broom down and turned sadly
away: He saw in the son a chip Oft the
old block"
Then the mar of forty was called on
for a story, and as the subject of parties,
and especially the old fashioned parties,
your correspondent told the following
story OF his experience in going to a
party
Il will tell you about a party that 7
won To IN hnRHn 1rJ1r Aax-
twenty-five years ago. | rode a big
mare my father owned, named Bet. Old
Bet had a tail that almost dragged the
ground. 1t was the biggest and longest
tau that ever saw OH anything of the
horse kind. | remember that tail we'll,
for it once got full OF cookie burrs, and
1t took a Whole day to get them out.
was going on that night to a party in
what was called the "Hills.h There
Wasa barren waste of hilly country until
you goti in near The Charlton river, where
there were some settlers. Well, | went
Ivy old man S%pencer's, after Sallie Spen-
Ger. The old Oma objected to her
going, but Sallie insisted. She was an
Authenticated girl, a little freckled,
quite pretty, and as full of tricks as a
pet monkey. As final resort Sallie's
mother, told her that she should not
re y L w iht WE'LL Sdlu Nil
lie, " | don't care !; I can ride behind
Willis" OF course | consented. and she
got ready and we mounted. We cot
along very well until we came to the
steepest and longest hill on our road.
We almost slid over the old mares head
In going down the hill, and when we
attempted to ascend the hill on the 3D.
poslte side, Sallie assured me, amid much
laughter and screaming, that she was
sliding Of behind. | turned old Bet
crossways of the road and told Sallie
to hand ME old Bets tail. She did as
directed, pulling the long and sweep
ing appendage ver her shoulder and
handing the end to me. l took it over
my shoulder and held it with my left
hand ; with my right hand | held on to
the name. Sallie slid back into the bend
OF the old mares tail, and we went up
the hill, laughing and rejoicing. As we
came back that night We repeated the
performance, and | landed Sallie at
a young fly"
During all Of our story telling the par
ties around our little group in the car
had joined in the fun and laughed when
the laugh come in, except one man. He
sat on the opposite side of the car with
his hight side to us, and never smiled.
| wondered that, when others seemed to
laugh and enjoy themselves, this sphinx
did not even smile. / thought that he
must be deaf and dumb.
After awhile I got a view of the'other
side OF his face and discovered that the
right side was pa,alg-ed. 1t was as mo-
tloDless and exp~ressionless as an old
shoe. He had been laughing on the
other side all the time, and had enjoyed
himself as we'll as the rest of u.s." His
mouth was drawn away around under
his right ear and when he did turn loose
the laugh played up and down the left
side OF. his face, ran around his ear,
climbed up the side of his head and
shook itself in liquid merry rippies from
the ends OF his hair. 1t was a %left-hand-
ed, single barrelled laughter, but when
he did laugh he laughed all Overcome
side.