Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-02-05
BAOkwoODs CHRISTMAS IN MIS-
SOURI,.

cause auO the autnOF Hldy Us uSe
BA0KwooDs CHRISTMAS IN MIS-
SOURI,.
1t used to be the saving in the
army "When a soldier is riding a
boss, aud the hoss plays, the soldier
is played"
When my mule played out after an
sll-day's ride through a Missouri
snow-storm I dropped off into snow
a foot deep and more coming, and felt
q bit discouraged.
1t was a back county. il there are
any back counties In that state, and
the settlers had located their cabins
Just six miles apart to = rod. When
1 set out to walk and pull tbs mule
TO boot he looked up at the sky ,arsund
at the woods, and keeled over in dis
pair. l was trudging along in the
snow over my boot-tops, thinking
how much easier it was to drown
than to freeze to death, when the
sound of a fiddle reached me between
the snowfakes, and l discovered that
I had reached a six-mile cabin.
"Come in, old boss - sang out q
vOlC0 40 L AVl okoiAAot ~ uOoA
When l opened it l was in a room
about sixteen feet square-:he only
one in the house. The big fire place
gave light, and the furniture was
homemade. A gaunt, leng-haired
pioneer sat OH a shake-dewn bed,
playing the fiddle; a gaant. slim wo-
man was dancing In the center of the
floor, and several children were scat
tered around as spectators.
"Keep it up, ole woman-deven.
ing stranger ; be through in a mint;
tind chesr-go in for,al yer worth,
Mary" called the fiddler, as l shut
the o behind me.
As I walked to the fire, one of the
children wheeled up q block Of weed,
aud the father remarked:
Powerful storm outside stranger
keep them feet gwins, old lady
you children wipe off your mouths
aud sing with mo:
was forty miles from Pike,
And the road was full of snow,
And the wind was getting ready
Fur to hump itself and blow.
"Faster now-change of-kick high
er-up with them hoofs-round with
ye-hoe FER down-ladies change
l JtldSo - 0u6CA uO
1 was made at home.
"Wall, now, but this seems to be
the hand of Providence" said the old
ye are, showed in, aud here we are
chuck fnll of pervishsus aud happi-
ness, and tomorrow is Christmas.
Stranger, I'll slow ye NOR high
steps, more hoots and yells, more
music and feastin', aud dancin', and
gettin' up stairs tomorrow than ye
ever saw in all yer born days! Ole
woman, if this hain't the Lords do.
iu's then I'm a petrifed reptile, and
never got religion"
"Ben, yer right !" added the wife
as she poured out another cup o
burut-eorn coffee. "We is a hos-pit.
able family. When we can't whooI
'er up for a stranger on Thanksgiving
or Christmas or New Years, nobody
else need try"
After supper one of the boys took
the fiddle and the rest of the family
limuered UP tor Christmas. Whel
this process was ended it was time tt
20 to bed, and the old MAI said
"Now, then, ye kin see that WI
hain't billin' rich. Here's two beds
aud nine of US. Me and the old wo,
man take one, you 'tother, and if tn,
children can't keep warm afore th,
irel'll liven their blood with a CAD
Git right into bed. stranger, aud i
the children git 10 fightin' in III,
night heave yer boots at em y
Ii the children got into q row
didn't hear them. It7didn't seem a
if l had slept an hour, when IN,
pieneer shook me by the shoulder ant
called outs: >
"Say. stranger, daylight has arroye
and Christmas am here. Git up ant
prepar' TO jine in the festivities.''
The now was four feet deep ant
still coming, but the prospect de
lighted my hest, who cracked hi
heels together and exclaimed
s'If this amt divine Providence
billed Down, then l don't like cool
aud ORR You children stop quar-
reling! Thomas Jefferson, did yo,
forget to say yer prayers? If 20,
did. IIl wollop ye like blazes z"
We had coon meat, corn dodgers
apple sauce and coffee for breakfast
Seats we're found for the pioneer ant
myself, and the mother and the chill
dren stood up. There was a long ant
embarrassing pause after We were al
ready, and finally the man said:
"Stranger, [ was givin' we a chanc,
to throw yerself on a blessin', but v,
didn't tumble. Old woman, reel OF
sunthln' purity"
She closed her eyes and uttered tn,
folio wing as if she hai repeated it +
thousand times "Now l lay me dowl
to sleep, and bless this meat, anC
bread, aud sass. We are thankful TO
what we've got, and not jealous o
our bstters. Keep us in good health
make coons plenty. and cause US t,
escape the itch and measely. Amen =
When the table had been cleared
away the pioneer and wife held
consultation in a corner, and when i
ended the man approached and ask
ed: stranger, are We wiilin' to hell
us make this a whoopin' old day 2"
t Eyes"
Good! As a family we are 80 pc
cent. Oh a rough and tumble. IN
: about twice yer size and heft, and i
wouldn't be a far chow, but the oil
woman is a pretty even match, ali
she's just achin' to lay ye Oh We
e back !"
t "But 1 never wrestled with a We
man in my life.".
well it's a good time to bagir
d She's wiry and quick, and she'll la
t We if she can. Stand right up, strane
e er, and do yer level best, to oblig
IL me-"
9 | obliged. The situation was ne,
y and novel, and in twenty seconds
was thrown over one of the shake
downs with a smash that Jared t:
house. The woman cracked her hee