New-York tribune., 1880-01-18


minute L caught the cry, an we was of
AGAIN, on o pretty fair road just then, aa
goln Tor all we had to lose. Mile on mile we
went, an ever an on we hearn them beasts
glttln' nearer an nearer, an ever an on /
knew my horse was gOln' what he couldn't
keep on at. AT last they come in sight, an
my poor horse was most crazy with fear an
Trouble an e'en about spent He kept on, an
got out my pistols and turned in the sad
die. They were getting close. 1t was moon
llght, an j saw the moon shine on the whites
o. their eyes, an saw their ugly black shadows
chasln' after 'em. Thar was one big feller in
front KEEP my eye on, an as he gained on us,
took aim an fired, an he stumbled clean over
hiself an fell dead. ! gave 'em the t0ther
an they halted for a little; an just then
saw ahead the place | was maxim fOr--an old
deserted cabin that stood by the side of the
road. | cheered up my horse an he hearn
me hike human, an on he drove, an
on them fellers come after us, an one
jumped on my horses flank; | dealed
him one lick with my whip that
Knocked him off just in time, an' ! rode at
the door O that cabin an busted 1t In, an
dashed inside, horse an all. As | Jumped
ofin the horse an flung myself back TO try
an bolt the door, | hcarn a great ugh!
Ugh." an up from the floor O the cabin rose
ag'inst me a big Injun that had been asleep
| thar! Lucky for me, he was friendly one,
an as sharps brier, too. He understood III
a minute, an helped me bar the door, not n
minute too soon neither; an we made the
i
staid there safe all night. slept, too. like
baby, in spite of ali their howiing noises an
next day the lnjun an ne set of together,
an | got on all straight after that, an home
agin. safe, too, yOu see"
| The old lady, who had been listening
calmly all through, without one sparkle III
her eye or one movement III her char, now
took her pipe from her mouth, and said aO
| ruplly, she always did:
"Slas, 81 Miss Alexanders them lOcusts |
| had picked up fGT her last time lie wind blew
so hard Ward you put 'em r
The old man got up and hobbed out at the
door.
"Ma's remembered you said you hadn't had
none since you were little girl, and she wants
you to have some now,' Miss Sarah gently
explained.
''Why, Mrs Gray, how kind in you !" said.
Il had forgotten that told you, but remem-
Der now, you SAID there was locust tree down
the road. and l told you of those locusls
tasted once in Central Park, when | was
little girl, didn't 7 1 wonder if they will taste
Just as those did now I
And | remembered
For you know old friend, haven't eaten
Mulbe' Ties since the ignorant JOY
OF any thing sweet III tlc mouth could sweeten
All tils bitter wore 10 boy"
The widow now came ina plain-faced,
gOod-natUred woman, wearing Bismarck
brown dress and % false front " of hair very
much the same color. She greeted me heartily,
and presented me big white plate, with
raised blue figures on it, piled with clean, long
brown locustS, looking like gigantic wthered
pea-hulls. | broke one open and tasted the
) sweet fibTOus brown Inning, with the attentive
eyes of the old woman upon me. II was the
well-remembered, pungent taste. ! Thanked
the old mother over again.
Pa, he gethers em to make beer the
widow said. He amt getlered many this
wear, tho. lie amt gethered 10 persmmOns
yet. neither. He's 'mazin fond of persimmOn
beeT."
1.-The old mans gttin' feeble" abruptly de-
clared his wife and Telapsed INTO silence.
He amt tOllered the plough none Tor two
wear nOwn observed the widow, IN confirm
atory voice. Z" He just does keep the gyarden
gOm'."
He reGntered as she spoke with basket in
his hand, which he brought TO me.
"Ilere's some grOun peas for you Miss |
Alexanders," he said, setting them down by
me. 81 done fust rate III grOun peas this |
year. These is just fresh dug, an want you |
should eat some.
MAY be Miss Alexanders likes hern roasted |
the widow SAID. "Some folks does. | boil |
'em foI the old folks reg'lar. How do you Ike |
youInW
~ thiuk they're better roasted / said, |
thankfully, for the prospect Of eating freshly |
dug, damp peanuts out OF pohteness was
rather "A distressing one. And, by the way, !
talking of your garden,. Mr.. Gray, how did |
your cabbages turn outT"
an last" the old man said, crossing his knees |
and putting up his hand usual. But l
tried an old charm on 'em, an it acted fust |
rate" .
How was that, Mr.. Gray q / asked.
"Wel, you know the worms was Ill 'em bad; |
an so set out an dug out nine OF the worms,
like the charm goes, an put EN- IN a bag an |
hung em up Oh d nail III the chInibley mere, /
to pehish (perlshG an, they told me that WheI
;hese nine should pehish. all the rest would |
pehish too; an tried 1t; an shore. enough, |
they did. The very last one OF 'em was |
cleaned out p
"Yes, they was, Miss Alexanders, for a Ger
tain fact,n the widow added.
"Well. | am glad of it, for the sake OF the |
cabbage" | SAID, "though it does seem ut
tie uncommon, doesn't itT
Uncommon things Is common as others, |
sometimes abruptly calculated the oracle by |
the freside.
that's so," said, meeklY. "Mr Gray, |
did you, ever see ghostY T.
"Well, | can tell you what PVe seen as was |
pretty like it," the old man said, with a de-
mure twinkle in his eye. cit was when was
n young nan sprucln' up an | had been out |
pretty late. My way home laid by a grave,
yard. Thar ID been talk o ghOst-seeln round
thar, but twas the nigh path home, an con
cIuded to Try IT, for twas betwlxt midnight |
and aybreak. an L was hurryin along;
knowed every one that was buried In mat
graveyard, an as | come along KEEP dudyn'
to see if thar was any IN tliar a. IdeveT dohe
any harm 10, an | couldn't find any as hdd, |
am | thought az I'd never done them no harm
they wouidn't do me none, an pushed along. !
The moon was pretty nigh down an IL was a |
lonesome way, am for all | was so bold, 1t
seemed TO ME Is if every now and then my bat !
would lift right clean up ofl'n my head, an Id |
take hold an pull it down.
"Ail of a sudden, just by the graveyard, l
thought / saw eperit! Twar white an thin,
and slivered in the wind. My har rose up, an
stood still. But thought ID never done 1t no
harm, an | Try an face 1t. The moon was
nretly finally gone down now, but not quite.
| ycntured a little nearer, an kept "A veDtur-
in' till | come close up. An what do You
think vy ghost was' 1t was only an old post
thar with little sprouts grown up around IL,
am the leaves shakin' an dazzIln' III the