Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-04-07
LAW VERSUS LOVE.

Mr.. POpkins was "A bachelor. !
mention this fact with all due rev.
erence for the name-and sympathy
for the condition. lie was we'll to.
do in the world, if owning "a fine
farm and being plaintiff in a law
snit is any criterion. Aside from
Mr.. Popkin's misfortune in being
a bachelor, he had one fault-a gen.
eral aversion TO female society and
particular aversion to Miss Sallie
Hopkins, the defendant in the
above named lawsuit.
Now, he it known, that though
Miss Sallie's name was put down
on the list of o. Ms (oid maids),
she was the roundest, contest, dim.
ple.cheeked spiuster that ever lived
in Lincoln. She had the softest
brown eyes, with a trick of looking
down and peeping under the lashes,
perfectly bewildering, and her hair
waved and shone in such a manner
that susceptible lady like you and
ne would have felt an irresistible
desire 10 have sole ownership of
the "nut brown locks"
BIT, however fascinating Miss
Sallie was to the sex in general, as
| have said, between her and Mr..
POpkins there was deadly feud,
and the cause of all the trouble
was meadow, spreading far and
wide and unconscious, between
Miss Sallie's and Mr.. Popkins'
farms.
Now, the truth Of the matter was
this: The meadow Justly belonged
to Mr.. Popkins, but instead of go.
ing to Miss Sallie and frankly stat.
ing the case, he must serve a pro.
cess of law. Miss Salle flew all to
pieces, and declared that she would
maintain her rights at any cost.
From the manner in which it end.
ed, one could see that had Mr.. Pop.
kins gone to her himself, she would
have relinquished it gracefully; but
woman has mortal terror of
being forced to do anything. Tie a
string round her neck, feed her
sugar.plums, and yOn can lead her
to the jumping off place, but under.
take to drive her, and for obstinacy
she will beat Mark Twain's mule all
to pieces.
When Miss Sallie met Mr.. Pop.
kinS on the street her nose was de.
cidedly "retrousse,' and Mr.. Pop.
kins looked like all automaton Car.
diff giant. The neighbors were
forced to take part in this case, for
when invitations were issued for
the regular tea.parties, those who
invited Mr.. Popkins were obliged
to omit Miss Sallie, and rice rersd.
In the meantime the lawsuit
dragged its slow length along from
session to session., from term to
term, until it was as familiar as A
B G. But fate had taken in hand
the destiny of these two individ-
uals, and soon brought matters to
a most satisfactory conclusion,
though the unconscious mediator
was rather a burlesque on the high
er tragedy daily enacted.
There lived close to these belliger.
ents a good nstured old man, near
ly as deaf as a post, who had the
greatest faculty for laundering on
unfortunate facts of any individual
known either in ancient or modern
history. He never heard anything
correctly, and it was an utter i'm.
possibility to try to explain, and if
you attempted it you would find
yourself floundering in q perfect
slough of despair.
Miss Sallie and Mr.. Popkins had
received notice that their case
would come up for the final hearing
in Harrow on Tuesday Of next
week. Miss Sallie concluded to
take the stage; Uncle Ben Dropper,
] oBr deaf friend. had hnaineaa n lii