The Bossier banner., 1881-04-14
MIR. SLOCUM.o

Cynthiai Cynthia! won't you tell us
stoiyp'' shouted d chorus of voices as
the children pranced into the kitchen
one rainy afternoon, where Cynthis
Williams. my grandmother housekeep
er, stood by a table making biscuit fol
tea. She was a perfect mine of inter
esting anecdotes and experiences, ant
when we made our yearly visit at grand.
mothers country home. her stories
were our greatest delight.
s'Cynthia," l began. " grandmother
says we can't 60 out, and we don't know
what to do.' T.7# -a.a
"lf you'll tell US story" said Madge,
.eoaxingly, e'rll never play tag over the
fower-beds again.,
Nor Ir' :. Nor Ir' said the others.
gssLor SUI, Hchildrunr' said Cynthia,
beaming at us, q know yer didn't
mean no harm-chicks will be chicks
they don know no better.h
sBut won't you tell us q story-one
of your wild Indian scalping kind?"
said Tom, giving savage whoop, and
attempting to scalp little Nays taken
lUCho Nltus EOiStuiI sCutbCI.
II told yer all about Injuns l knows
on and more too," said Cynthia, putting
the lastTpan of biscuit in the oven and
giving the door a satisfied slam; "but
ifye're mind to wait a mint, I'll set
down and hev talk with her jist as soon
as these biscuits is baked" q
We were g a mind" and in short
time the biscuits came out, done to q
turn, and Cynthia, seating -herseH in
the big caEco-coHered rocking-chair sa-
cred to the kitchen, took little May on
her lap sV9-fc C t& II
Wul, childrun," said she, "did ]
evertell yer 'bout Mr.. Slocum?''
No, we had never heard about MIR.
Slocum-who was he? ?:.atf l.'''s'f s'as-
!. That's the funny part" said Gym
thia; " he wuz an. old white mule, an
he wuz a reel good old mule, too; he
he'd worked faithful fer us so many
years, father couldn't bear to sell i'm.
SO he Istspensioned i'm of, an he had
areeI comfortable old age.n-
"Cynthia. why did he have such a
queer name?'' '''soes lt 5kHe
.Wul," said Cynthia, settling her
sell more comfortably IN the rocker,
the way oft waz this, my father
bought him of old Deacon Scran' folks
an folks sedy thet old Deacon Soran
wrz jist as queer as he could be. an
namin' his mule MIR. Slocum' want
the queerest thing he done, nuther.
Wal, when my father got i'm he didn't t
change his name, cause he sed 'twa' n t
iucky to keep changin' the names O.
things. Wet their names wuz in the
lust place, that they wuz, an never
mind bow much yer change the name,
the thing wuz alters jist the same. An
Ter my part | wuz proper glad he didn't t
change it, cause it sarved me a good
turn encti" and Cynthia ehuckled grim
~. .eYsWrfT .gro.s
80, what was, it, tell-us about il"
said Tom. = - -
AL bul, yer see it wrz nigh onto twen-
Vyears ago, bout war times, fore |
come toskeep house fer yer grandma.
MY father and mother lived up in
massachusetts,, an l lived long with
en-. All my brothers and sisters had
isi1 mum, an the time of the great cat
sle show, father an mother wanted ter
~, h. ler see we only he'd one hoss
sides the mule, an thet same hoss he'd
run = away q spell afore, and he WASH t
NJ Tor wimin ter drive. So father took
hle one day, an mother the next.
a, Wul, strange as yer may think,
!ney he'd lneyer deft ME lone afore,
1nougn wuz goin' on sixteen an wuz
pretty tall fer my age; but the place
,waz thinly settled, an the, nearest
mousse wuz haf f mile off, an the times
wuI Kinder unsettled while the fitin' an
araitln iwuz goin' on. But | put on
orave face, an told mother she could
go' wuzn't afeared. Mother felt kin
aer u, anxious bout leavin' me; but final
y she made up her mind to 90, an
next mornin' bout sunrise she an
ialher got ready, cause it wuz pretty
,Sns ~, drlye, an mother wanted to hev
@ plenty o. time ter examine the butter
a.. sa oedquilts. As they wuz. .drivin' off,
iatner called back, en- seq he: ~
q, Cynthy, if yerfeel lonesum, Mr..
ssocum keep yer company, / laughed
ta1 sno nodded to him, but | couldn't help
sllnkin apoor dunn cretur WASH much
company.
~ After they'd goneI worked aroun'
sae. ae1 mouse a spell, an it did
ssem awful lonesum toward noon.
.s soi thought I'D go out AN, feed the Gre
sa1 tus. an ilst as | wuz a-liftin' my sum
puan puanlt down from the peg. L heerd a
liaue GaOek at the door, an you'd better be-
1Sse I've my heart stood still fer a mint.
mxsa,t a piueked up courage, an sez | to
,hhsseiisz ,h lrs some O. the neighbors.'
snoash. so knew it wuzn't, as they'd all
ssoa lo re tef the show. But | put on a bold
aaas lsee an marched rite upterthe door an
esp ps,ea II II; an there stood the dredful-
adirt .ooAih ssS man, all rags an tatters and
vo,, pood, ,mornin', ma am, sez he; SIS
'0a :. me only one to hump = .aTs9 q.
vnz .uidh speak fer minit-mv heart
sWhaso ha.oeatin so-an' | seq to myself.