Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1883-11-03


eye than to look across a neighbors
field of dark night, and see through |
the tree tops quivering light at de-
serted sorghum camp. Hundreds of
nights while my pro tenn mother-in-law
was winding into ball her spun truck,
and my wife patching the children's
clothes, have | stole softly out, took my
seat on the gate post to inhale the at
moSphere heavily charged with scorch-
ed sorghum and listen to the hilarity
OF the neighbor boys and girls seated
around a camp, licking sorghum from
cedar shingles. One of the happiest
events of my life occurred at sor-
ghum camp, and that camp tonight
looms up before my eyes with perfect
surge of memory. 1t was the first
meeting between Hannah Jane and
myself in the year 1859, and | want to
lay that precious meeting tenderly
away in memory's vault, where it will
be treasured as though it was sa-
cred relic. We took cedar single,
covered it over thick with sorghum,
put corn cob across the middle of the
shingle and then began race of lick
ing to see who could lick syrup up to
that corn cob first. Now if you know
Of anything sweeter than that in the
catalogue of courtship, you will please
hit me in the hack with u forty ton
pile driver and tell me what it is.
Nothing will dry up the tears and hush
the sObs of a crying child like plate
of sorghum, while nothing else will
make mother-in,law rise of morn>
ing full of smiles, shaking the trill on
the borders of her cap quicker than for
her son.in-law to tell her to rise, he
has just bought Two fresh barrels Of
sorghum. In olden times boys play
ed the French harp to the girl whose
affections they hoped to reach through
the medium of vocalization, but now
the dudes of this age can take a pint
of sorghum and plug of chewing wax
and win the affections of girl just as
easy as a duck can shed rain water
from its back. Sorghum will make
your children caper over the house like
excited frogs in dry pond. 1t will
, make plough boys whistle and milk
maids sing; husbands jolly; and wives
as soft as sleeping flowers; mother.in
laws as docile as moon light nights, and
8 it will even wreathe in honeyed smiles
the besoured lips of an eighty year ole
maid. Husbands one word to you 4
you wish your wives to breathe ovel
your tables the essence of homage anC
alteration, keep them in sorghum. L
embalms home in glorious summer
days; all sunshine and, no briny tears
Two big barrels OF sorghum rolled I'm
; der your wife's best bed will make he
:. look as lovely through the windows o
" her contented mind as did Juliet to tn
enraptured eyes of Romeo. Her eye
r will ever be as full as the moon, clea
=, as the sun and as strong as an army Q
- floating banners. Husbands you ma
-, hang your wives around with sparklin
= diamonds as big as hazel nuts; 20
r may hang tin dippers and spring boz
: nets on every nail in the house ; 20
= may decorate their heads with yello,
y tucking combs as big as hay rake; 20
" may desolve precious pearls for ther
- to drink as past time beverage, BIT
" deprive them of sorghum and you wi
y. embarress and depress them beyond d.
:, scriptiOn. They will pine away an
. fall off like yellow leaves from sal
- less mulberry in October.
RATLER.
- P. 81 always thought that sea
- ed lizard running down the sides of
~ white oak fence rail in the hot su
y. shine made fuss; an iron clad gu
-, boat houndering about on sand b
. in search of water made more fuss, b
i, you just let slip a little plug of limbe
.t ger cheese under your pillow of mig
where her nose can have fair play {
~ that article of perfumery, and you W
~ then and there hear a fuss that will fl
w. ever eclipse in total darkness the i
~ zard and gunboat racket. R.