Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-08-13

drowsiness and reopened the conversation
on railroads. Presently III our doubts and
fears as to the proprieties and imProprifies
u 'n' o Wepe Ruaesy DispelIea
by the action of the three damsels, Who
ouietly arose from their positions agatnst
the wall where they had been sitting like
so many pieces of stucco all the evening,
and, retiring little out OF the bright light
of the fireplace. demurely disrooed and
scrambled into bed without so much as
goodnight TO the rest OF the company.
The old man and his wife soon followed IN
like manner After recovering from the
first shock of this most novel performances,
we wisely concluded TO acquit ourselves as
Romans while in Rome and were soon
snugly ensconced under the blankets OF
our own couch, though not until the fire
had become dimmed and our corner had
become somewhat shrouded in gloom
Travelling in the wilds OF Hampshire
county We stopped one.coid, drizztye even.
ing at the cabin OF q squntter VINO oy 1afu
work and hard knocks had succeeded in
clearing few acres Of the heavy forest, and
made himself home which in West Viz
GINA would be called quite comfortable,
and who in the meantime had raised fam
ily of fifteen children. We found the poor
fellow, as he expressed it, "in q desperate
bad FIX with the dropsy. He was swelled
in an inordinate degree, and his sufferings
were dreadful. For two years he had been
confined, and for fifteen months he had
never left the great oaken chair in which
we could hear his groans, and between
each broken sentence of his sad story, he
aOh. Lord Have Mercy"
We asked his wife "a poor, worn,
patient creature) why her hus.
hand had not been tapped, explaining that
it would surely give him great
relief. She replied that DR.. W., who lived
over. 'yon ridge" did talk some OF open.
ing on him but "be didn't have the h1.
ms" to do it with. When we suggested that
the "fxins" might be obtained at large
town not thirty miles distant, we were met
with a blank stare, as if such thing was
altogether too preposterous to think OF, and
so the poor sufferer was left unaided to
fight the dread progress OF his disease. His
little place was already mortgaged to pay
for patent medicines and doctors bills, his
agony daily increasing, and the gloom OF
death falling slowly and surely about him.
We left the sad scene to go to some other
place where we could get shelter for the
night The next house was some distance
down the stream, whose rushing MOOD we
had to stem twice before reaching the much
desired haven of rest A cabin with one
bare room, with its huge fireplace. bed,
Zine table. two chairs and the walls,
'DIackened With the smoke
of many wears. Over the bed hung the
only attempt at refinement in. all that
rough interior, in the shape OF an old color
print representing q very gaudy female
with brilliant cheeks, golden hair, deep
blue eyes and flashy red dress which
would delight the heart of Spanish bull
fighter. Underneath this work OF art, in
large type, were the words. "A Southern
Beauty" We supped on soda biscuits,
bacon and cafe noir," good deal OF noir
and not much cafe. The good hostess a
rather pleasant looking woman, apologized
for the lack of light, as she had mislatd
the grease" so we ate in silence by
the light OF the log fire. After supper we
sat watching the fire and talking to the
man" of the house. No papers, no books,
no music, no lights, nothing in the lives OF
these people but the dull, daily routine Of
the mountain farm, the rude meal, dark
ness and to bed. On retiring We were
shown up into a small loft by narrow
stairway, the man going before us with a
lighted splinter OF fatty pine" and stand.
ing with 1t at the head of the stairs until
we had become familiar enough with the
gloom to distinguish the bed from the pile
of corn which occupied the opposite corner.
The rain came down in a ceaseless clatter
upon the roof, and, as we lay with our faces
nearly touching the beams, many stray
drop found its way through the loosely.
| fastened shingles, falling with loud spat
upon the floor beside US, and we fell asleep
wondering how long our dry corner would
remain untouched by the raging element.