The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-01-06
Christmas Day in a CABIN in ore
of the Back Counties OF
Missouri.


all-day's ride through a Missouri sloN
storm | dropped of into 4 FOO
deep and o coming, aud felt a bi'
discouraged.
II was in 4 back countg, II there are
any back counties in that State. and
the settlers had located their cabins
just six miles apart 70 : rod. When !
set out to walk and pull the mule u
boot he looked up 1T the sky, around
at the woods, and keeled over in des
pair. | was :rudging along in the
snow over my b~oot-tops. thinking how
much easier it was TO drown than -
freeze to death. when the sound or d
fiddle reached me between the snow
fakes. aud | discovered that | had
reached asiX-mile cabin.
Come in, old hoss,' sang u s
voice as | fell agains- the door.
When / opened It WAS in q room
about sixteen feet square the only one
in the house. The big fireplace gave
llght. and the furniture was homemade.
A gaunt .oug-haire1 pioneer sat on a
shake-down bed, playing the fiddle, a
glunt slim woman was dancing in the
centre Of the floor, and several children
were scattered around as spectators.
Keep it UP. ole mountaineering
stranger; be throughin a mint; find .
cheer-go in for all yer worth Mary
called the fiddler, as | shut the door
behind me.
As | walked to the irc one of the
children wheeled up l block Of wood,
and the father remarked:
Powerful storm outside, stranger
keep them feet gwine, old lady-you
! children wipe off your yer mouths and
sing with me:
L wos forty miles from Pike,
And the road was full Of snow,
And the wind vas gettin' ready
Fur to hump itself and blow.
Easter now-change oif-kick high
er-up with them hoofs-round with
ve-hoe 'er Gown-ladies chanre-that :
all-stranger, bowdy.'
was made at home.
wall. now. but this sacms 20 be the
hand of Providence said the old man
as | drew up 10 the table. Here ye
are, showed in, and here we are chuck
full of peryishuns and happiness, and
to-morrer is Christmas. IIl show ye
more high steps, more boots and yells,
more hi!s,0 ~" ias'ii ! tRao'n,
Anu gun up S'a - 'onIoil9l tnaH Ee
ever s"" IL an ~ ooII u'5s. VI
then I'm a petrytied reptile. and never
got religion"
Zen, yer rightl" ADDED the wife, as
she poured out another cup Of burnt
toIH Wv - "
ta'Hliy. We eau | "i"op q W
LoF . stlaheCI ~ l"Ns9Nln :
OhiiStnias % NC" leu , nooooJ else
het' Try. os4ho Lo-. .
Atl95 suPp5I one % tIq oo5 tGpA
tno u"l.0 az :, Ehs = W. w. ~
't4eu " ~ on. 'nsn 'iN9
~'A|Ce9s vas en"9o = "ae - y ~ ~
pea, apu ,,e o'U nai S0'u;
Now 'heI, sehtu So 'na' w n"-H |
oiilh flcn. mere ; TWO PEGS anu nine
o Us. Ae ano ne olu "oDntn eaHe
on, soa - 49, 80 ~, ator ~, ~ ~ ~
I,n - 49, 49, - - -
III @ e g. -
ii2nt lh'o oeu' o1iuneeI, al" l. ~
G"lluien -. - So, -, - 'Ho n'o"''
he4te ~ 80 . - r5:5.,.
l ~ =. - -
ie"I 'ncth. l. u'"A 49, a. i l I"I
slept an noII' "ieh sne P'2"GeI si'oh
= - ~ -
- s - - .5
'l' I'm. n"9 :" ~ as.;u ~ ""0
PiTp'i ~ J'ne u
hne sno" was .1ui ioe1 oeeP ~"
slI,' soih'Hs' ~ ele iIIrso 49,
80 10y a - ,rcI.in n''iN'' -
.sIf ~ ha;n,t divine prov;dorco
Ill 49, tLaa 49, I'll 1850
odnn - W. M. ia - a. thot 1o o,ar 49,
T Tp'I' Tbnma lac ','p ala ~ To1 14 fnrad.
arm $3.50 If ~ AL ET
- sI{ Eoua LIKE ~ S0o %" viii
W. ~
We l.au oo2I 49, 10 90 aoISels'
%|p.c go -. ~ nan"an"ni
.nrS@lf a,Ithn mo+hnr and chi,dran
$50 rEnro 80 la,~an1 amhar.
$1,000 g. 49, - III -
i"SS'e5 faosI S'
"Du nn'li5 t"G LIZ" 80, > oh.roo
80 80 ""5or hI.n, Lnt -
Ii5n,t ,n,arIc GId woman roai II
80 - - ;, Wv"
Ht' - uu ~
fonn"nao - rha - ronaotad - 49," =
.Lnuaa go. ssNau II oadarr
- - anI hioss ~, noa.ond hroaI
= 9''eP, = w 80 .haaIf"I 49,
anu s"s va VA III naIana - Tu%'
49, H. K"en ne in 5000 he.itb moke
80 49, al 80 - - So
~ ;1cb anj mnasIos lmo, =, ~
WIZ 80 taLIo had haan c,oo,a1
n;onoor o,d nr;ra I'D
80 80 onI 49, rG,a