National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-04-20
R;u Burson's Ball Story.

One evening a crowd of young people
oouarcgated at Bill Burton's rancho, and when
tbe first quatlrille was over he took stand in
front of the FIRE, and, parting his coat tails in
comfortable manner, remarked:
"Tbat wJs purity neat dancing; you all know
,he step and handle yer hoofS purity peert, but
some of you young folks can't hold er candle to
some old uns I've seed an that kinder reminds
me of old Widow 3Iarkins 1 knowed back in
Georgy when wus boy"
'"Ob tell us about her, Uncle BILL exclaimed
chorus of voices.
wall. she wus Their al-fredest activest old
beifer I ever knowed. She lived up m the Peach
Branch settlement, nigh TO Bill Browns an wus
kin-auut or suthini-rO Their Millers from Albany.
When knowed her she was crawlin' OH to eighty
wears old but she wus tougher n eF pecan sap
ling an the way that ERE old critter knocked
dust that June day wus er caution 10 er mustang
colt"
WAS she scared, Uncle Billy?' inquired the
crowd.
Wall now guess she wus kinder skeert. You
see one day had jes' cum outer the field from
plowin and turned old Job in therlot. Durn that
old mule he had ies busted new pair of traces to
flinders tryin' to kick er parcel of humble bees
ofern his hind legs. He was alters gcttin in yal-
Ter Jackets nest or Suthin else an his ole
camp-m eetin' wur comm on bout erwcek arter
that As l WIS gOin' on to say, wus huntin'
round er stable gettin up er set of gear, when
/ heered the derndest yellin an or belIwin up
Their lane an it 'peaTed TO me it wUs eumin closer
all the time so elm on the fence an gin TO look.
Their fust think seed wuz er big cloud er dust an
the next thing my eyes lit on wus Bill Browns Ole
brndle bull jos er rippin an rearin' an er liin'
This tail an er chasin' ole Widow Harkins fur
szerything she wuz worth. Thar wus Their bull
with his head down an tail up, an thar wus ole
Widow Harkins, with her balmoral histed,
ies' er clatterin' down the lane like
er couple of race horses. / warn't
much pious in those day, an gettin'
kinder excited, tux off my hat an yelled Sling
out yer best hoof; go it, old GAL till you make Their
gap in the ealf-pen, an thar you're safe When
hollercd TO her it braced her up. She puckered
her mouth like Their butt end of 'cr persimmon,
hised her balmoral er little higher an Itell yer
ii fairly made me sweat to see Their way that ole
citizen did climb over dirt. She sOrter looked
back over one shoulder an saw that bull about
ten feet behind her, an still er cummin' 'er rip
pin an reaTin But, feelin she was safe she Jest
pulled her balmoral over her head, an the ole bull
stood still, astonished, an went of kindern kit
ten would Jest like to see some of you quadrille
dancers try TO take the rag off Widow Harkins"
You, Bill" shouted his wife, in dismay. lie
stopped dead short, and there was pause-a long,
dreary paUse-until one of the young men looked
out of the window and said he thought it would
rain before morning. The young ladies said they
thought il would, too and old Bill Burton went
down to the cow pen TO see if the calves had been
turned ont and never came back in the parlor
again that night