The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-04-09
MR.. sLOCUM."

the children pranced into the kitchen
one rainy afternoon. where Cynthia
Williams, my grandmother housekeep-
err, stood by table making biscuit for
tea. She was perfect mine of inter-
csting anecdotes and experiences, and
when we made our yearly visit at grand
mothers country home, her stories
were our greatest delight.
"Cynthia," began, " grandmother
says we can't go out. and we don't know
what to do"
''lf you'l II tell us story" said Madge.
coaxingly, "Tll never play tag over the
flowerlbeds again"
..Nor Ir' :. Nor IT, said the others.
Lor SUI, childrunr' said Cynthia,
beaming at us, 81 know yer didn't
mean no harm-chicks will be chicks;
they don know no BETTER
- But won't you tell us story-one
of your wild Indian scalping kind?"
said Tom, giving savage whoop, and
attempting to scalp little Mays fiaxen
locks with the biscuit cutter.
q told yer all about Injuns knows
on and more too" said Cynthia, putting
the last pan of biscuit in the oven and
giving the door a satisfied slam; but
if We re mind to wait mint, I'll set
down and hev talk with her jist as soon
as these biscuits is baked"
We were " a mind" and in short
time the biscuits came out, done to a
turn, and Cynthia, seating herself in
the big calico.covered rocking-chair sa-
cred to the kitchen, took little May on
her lap.
"Wul, childrun," said she, "did
ever tell yer bout Mr.. Slocum?"
No, we had never heard about MIR.
Slocum who was he?
That's the funny part, said Gym
thia; . he wuz an old white mule, an
he wuz reel good old mule, too; he
he'd worked faithful fer us so many
years, father couldn't bear to sell ina.
So he list -pensioned i'm of, an he had
a reel comfortable old age"
Cynthia. why did he have such a
queer name?'
"Wul," said Cynthia, settling her
self more comfortably In the rocker,
:. the way of it wuz this, my father
bought him of old Deacon Scran's folks
an folks sed tibet old Deacon Scran
wuz list as queer as he could be, an
namin' his mule MIR. Slocum' want
the queerest thing he done, nuther.
Wul, when my father got i'm he didn't
change his name. cause he sed 'twa'n't
lucky to keep changin' the names o.
things. Wot their names wuz in the
fust place, that they wuz, an never
mind how much yer change the name,
the thing wuz alters jist the same. An
fer my part wuz properglad he didn't
change it, cause it sarved me good
turn onct;" and Cynthia chuckled GRIM
ly.
20, what was itp tell us about it"
said Tom.
..Wul, yer see it wuz nigh onto twen-
ty years ago, bout war times, fore l
come to keep house fer yer grandma.
My father and mother lived up in
Massachusetts, an l lived long with
'em. All my brothers and sisters had
left hum, an the time of the great cat
tie show, father an mother wanted ter
go. Yer see we only he'd one boss
sides the mule, an tibet same boss he'd
run away a spell afore, and he wasn't
fit for wimin ter drive. So father took
me one day, an mother the next.
"Wul, strange as yer may think,
they he'd never left me lone afore,
though wuz goin' on sixteen an wuz
pretty tall fer my age; but the place
wux thinly settled, an the nearest
house wuz half mile off, an the times
wuz kinder unsettled while the fitin' an
draftir' wuz goin' on But put on a
brave face, an told mother she could
go, wuzn't afeared. Mother felt kim
der anxious bout leavin' me; but final
ly she made up her mind to go, an
next mornin' bout sunrise she an
father got ready, cause it wuz pretty
long drive, an mother wanted to hev
plenty o. time ter examine the butter
an bedquilts. As they wuz drivin' off,
father called back, en- SEE he:
"sCynthy, if yer feel lonesum, Mr..
Slocum IL keep yer company laughed
and nodded to him, but couldn't help
thinkin' poor dunn cretur wasn't much
company.
"Arter they'd gone 1 worked aroun'
the house spell, an it did
seem awful lonesum toward noon.
So thought I'd go out an feed the ere
turs, an fist as wuz a-liftin' my SUM-
bunnit down from the peg, heerd q
knock at the door, an you'd better be-
lieve my heart stood still fer a mint.
Then plucked up courage, an seq / to
myself. : It's some o. the neighbors,
though knew it wuzn't. as they'd all
gone ter the show. But put on q bold
face an marched rite up terthe door an
opened it; an there stood the dredful-
est lookin' man, all rags an tatters and
dirt.
"'Good-mornin', ma'am, seq he; is
you the only one to hump
"Ididn't speak fer minit-my heart
wuz a-beatin' so-an' sea to myself,
What shall ! sayp ! am the only one
'ceptin' the pig. an the COW, an MIR.
Slocumr An then, fist like ightnin'
what my father sed bout Mr.. Slocum's
keepin' me company flashed through
my mind; an seq /. jist IS bold as brass,
Mr.. Slocumss out ter the barn-WOuld