Daily Republican., 1880-12-31
AnACKwOOO's sKErOH.
a Christians DaS In . Cabin In tho
Wlid west.
DY o. D. LHwIs, IN. oUAD.)

bY o. b. LhWIhI n euAD'J
II used 70 be the saying In the army:
"When soldier Is riding . hcss, and
the hoss plays, the soldier is played"
When my mule played out after an
all-dsy's ride though Missouri snow
storm dropped OF into snow . loot
deep and more coming, and felt o bit
discouraged.
II vas In Q bask county, II there are
any back counties in tnat State, ana
the settlers had located their cabins
just six miles apart " . rod. When |
80. out to walk and pull the mule to
bost he looked up at the sky, around
at the woods, aad keclsd over In de.
spair. l was nudging along In tEe
snow ever my kost tops, thinking how
nash easter II vas 10 drown thaA 70
II o. 10 to death, when the sound Of .
Addls reached me between the snow
lakes, and l discovered tAat had
feashed . six-mile cabin.
"Coms iu, old hossl" sang ont q
vsics al | fell against the door.
When l opened Il l Was in o Teom
about sixteen feet square--the only one
In the honse. The big hrs place gave
light, and the furniturs was home
made. A giant, long-haiEed pioneer
sat on o shake down bed, playing the
addle; . gAHnt, slim woman was
dancing In the centre Of the foor, and
several children were scattered aEoand
as spectators.
keep 1t up, ole woman-'deveniug,
stranger; be through In q mint; fna
oh ohser-po in for all her worth
Mary % called the fiddler, 40 l shut
the door behind me.
As / walked 10 tho fre one Of the
children wheeled up block Of wood,
and tho father remarked:
"Powerful storm outside, stranger
keep them feet gwine, old lady--you
children wipe Of yer mo4ths and sing
with me-"
ssIwas forty miles from Pike,
And the road Was tai Of snow,
End he wind was gettin' ready,
Far 70 hAMP lsSeII ahd ploH.
"Passsr now--ohange oG-kiok high
er--up with them hosts--rouna with
ye-hos 'er down--laaiss change
that's all--straHgsr, hoSdy !"
Iwss made At honG.
"Wall. now, but this seems TO be
the hand OF Prov!denss," said the old
man a. ! dEew Up to the table. "Hers
| 70 are, snowed In, and here we sre
chuck full Of pervishuns and happ!-
ness, AMI Tomorrow III Christmas.
Strange, I'll chow ye more high steps,
more lOOts and yells, more music aad
fsas,in', and danein', and gittin' up
stars to-morreF than ye ever saw IN
al. yer born dsysl Ole woman, II this
Lain't ths Lords doin's, then I'm a
petTiaed reptile, and never got re-
ligioni"
"Ben, yer sightl" added the wife,
rs she poured out another cup o!
burnt-sorn coffee.
! "We Is q hOspisabls family. When
We san's whoep'er up far stranger on
Thanksgiving or Christmas or New
YEARS., nobody else need try"
After supper one Of the boys took
the fiddle and the rest of the family
Numbered up for Christmas. When
this process was ended 1t was time to
40 to he'd, and tho cid man said:
"Now, then, ye kin see that we
Ihsin't bilin' rich. Here's two beds
and zine Of us. Ne and the old wo-
man take one, you take pother, and II
the children sAn't keep warm sfore the
Hrs I'll liven thsir blood with gad.
Gi. right into bed, stranger, and II
the children git to Ryhtin in the night
hsave yOpr bosia st 'em !"
| II the children set into 3 row |
ldid'nt hear them. It didn't seem As II
I had slept an hour, when the pioneer
shook me by she shoulder, Hod called
out:
"Bay, stranger daylight has arrcve,
and Christmas am here. Git mp, aud
prepare to jine in the tsstivilies."
The snow was foNT feet deep and
still coming, bat the prospect delighted
my hos. who cracked his heels together
and exclaimed:
"If this hain't divine Providence
billed down, then | don't like coon and
corn. You children, stop that quarrel
lllpRl Thomas jefferson, did you for
gss to say yer prayers II you did,
I'll wsllop " like blazesi !"
Wo had coon t0eGt, corn dodgers, ap-
ple sass and coffee for breakfast.
Seats were found for the pioneer and
myself, and the mother and children
stood up. Thsrs was a long and aenl-
batrasslng pause after We were all
READY, and finally The man said:
"slranger, was given yer chance
10 throw ysrself on o blessin', but ys
didn't tumble. Ole woman, reel OIL
sunthin' purity"
She olossd her eyes ard uLte2ea The
| following 40 II she hsd repeated 1t a
thousand times. "Now lay me down
| to sleep, and bless this meat and bread
and sass. We are thankful for what
we've got, and not Jealous Of our bet
tsrs. Keep US in gsod health, make
coons plenty, and cause us to escape
the Itch and measles. Amen!"
When the table had been cleared
away the pioneer and wife held COZ
snltatiou In q corner, and when II end
ed the man approached and asked
"styanger, are ye willin' to help Us
make this a whoopin' old day"
"Yes."
"Goodl As q family we are 30 per
cent. on q rough and tumble. I'm
| about twice yer eize and hets' and IT
vouldn't he o far show, but the Old
woman is a pretty even match, ana
shs's lust achin to lay yeon yer back"
"But never wrestled With q woman
in nv life"
IN IAr