Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-02-23


Come in old hoss, sang out voice
as | fell against the door.
When | opened it | was in room
about sixteen feet square-the only
one in the house. The big fireplace
gave light, and the furniture was
home made. A gaunt, longhaired pio-
neer sat Oh shake down bed, playing
the fiddle; gaunt, slim woman was
dancing in the centre of the floor, and
several children were scattered around
rs spectators.
Keep it up, ole woman-'d evening
stranger; be through in a mint; find
a cheer-go in fur all yer wuth, Maryp
called the fiddler, as | shut the door
behind me.
As | walked to the fire one of the
children wheeled up block of wood,
and the father remarked:
Powerful storm outside, stranger
keep them feet gwine, old lady-you
children wipe off your mouths and sing
with me:
Twas forty miles from Pike.
And the road was full of snow,
And the wind was gittin' ready
Fur to hump itself and blow
Faster now-change off--kick higher
up with with them hoofs-round
with ye-hoe'er down-ladies change
that's all-stranger, howdy?'
| was made at home.
Wall, now, but this seems to be the
hand of Providence, as | drew up to
the table Here ye are, showed in,
and here we are chock full of pervi-
shunS and happiness, and to-morrer is
Christmas Stranger, III show high
steps, more boots and yells. more mu-
sic and feastie' and Gancin', and gittin'
up stairs tomorrow than ye ever saw
in all yer born days! Ole woman, if
this amt the Lords doin's, then Pm u
petri6ed reptile, and never got religion.
Ben, yer right y added the wife, as
she poured out another cup of burnt
corn coffee. we is hos-pit-able tam
lily. When we can't whoop'er up fur
a stranger on Thanksgivings or Christ
mas or New Years nobody else need
try
After supper one of the boys took
the fiddle and the rest of the family
limbered up for Christmas, When
this process was ended it was time TO
90 to bed, and the old man said.
Now, then, ye kin see that we
hain't bilin' rich. Here's two beds,
and nine of US. Me and the ole
woman take one, you take t'other, and
if the children can't keep warm afore
the fire III liven their blood with D.
gad. Git right into bed, stranger, and
if the children git to fghtin' in the
night heave yer boots at 'em.'
If The children got into row |
didn't hear them. IL didn't seem as il
| had slept an hour, when the pioneer
shook me by the shoulder and called
out:
Say, stranger, daylight has arrove,
and Christmas am here. Git up and
prepare to jine in the festivities
TIE snow was four feet deep and
still coming; but the prospect delight
ed my host, who cracked his heels to-
getber and exclaimed:
IF this hain't Divine Providence
billed down, then don't like coon and
corn. You children, stop that quarrl-
ing. Thomas Jefferson, did you for
git to say yer PRAYERS? If ye did, I'll
wollop ye like blazes =
We bad had corn meat. corn dodgers,
apple sauce and coffee for breakfast.
Seats were made for the pioneer and
myself. and the mother and children
stood up. There was a long and en-
barrassing pause after we were all
ready, and finally the man said:
Stranger, | was givin' yo chance
to throw ycrsclf on a blessin', but ye
didn't tumble. Old woman, reel off
suthin purity
She closed her eyes and uttered he
following IA if she had repeated it n
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
tcrs. Keep us in good health. make
coons plenty, and cause US TO escape
the itch and measles AmenP
When the table had been cleared
away the pioneer and wife held n con.
sutation in corner, and when it end
ed the man approached and asked
Stranger are ye willln' to help US make
this whoopin' old dayp
Yes
Good As family we are 80 per
cent on rough and tumble. Pm
about twice yer size and heft, and it
wouldn't be fair show, but the old
woman is pretty even match, and
she's just achin' to lay ye on yer backp
But | never wrcstled with woman
in my life
We'll, it's good time to begin.
She's wiry and quick, and she'll lay yc
If she kin. Stand right up, stranger,
and do yer level best to oblige me
obliged. The situation was new
and novel, and in twenty seconds ! was
thrown over one of the sbake-downs
with crash that Jared the house. The
woman cracked her heels together and
crowcd Justify, the children laughed
and the pioneer helped me up with the
explanation
Stranger, she's practiced this for ten
years. and she'll down any man in this
country 'cept me. ! knowcd how it
would be. but I'm much oblccged for
your great kindness The hull family
will now swarm for their paternal dad.