St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-11-22

place. he raised the old house story
higher and shingled the roof; painted
the barn an fences, an made everything
as neat and snowy as a new harness.
Some one asked him what he was
doing so much fixing up for, as there
was plenty of room in the old house for
him an mother, but David, he sort o.
smiled, as he does, an said as how it
was the first time in his life he'd been
allowed to du as he was a min tn, he
thought he'd go the hull fgger. But
sence then he's never spent a copper on
the place, though he's alters KEEP it
tidy.
Woodbury., you know, who lives in
that fiat-topped house down the road a
piece yonder, is Dayid's full brother,
but he amt mite like David. It amt
fair to David to speak on 'em both in
the same breath. Woodbury. took all
the old mans cranks and meanness, an
he's shattered too, SOS faint safe t.
have him around; leastways / dom t
want him near me. He's an odd critter,
Woodbury. is, an is up to all sorts o.
capers, but there's a good deal of Gus
sedness into him, too He was born
and raised here, an everybody knows
him, but that don't help him q bit
He's eternally cuttin' up didos, an
scarin' the women folks, an most every
body wishes he was somewhere else.
Two years ago he ripped out the hull
insides of his house, maxim one room
upstairs an one room down, an not
even buttry or partition anywhere, an
he chopped up the doors for fireWood.
He says he done it because he wanted
more air within, an as long as it is his
own house I 'spose he could do as he
was a min to; but the trick didn't give
him very good name.
Then again he hauled lot O. brush
an piled it up in the road, an sot it on
fire at midnight, an scared folks most
out o. their wits. Everybody run out to
see what the fuss was, an there sat
Woodbury., smokin' his pipe by the
roadside, an askin' each one that came
up if he thought it Id be fair weather
come day time,
He's a Widower, Woodbury. is, an he
has a boy suthin' like twelve years old,
who's as big loon as he is, an goin'
to be more so. Las winter he stripped
the boy stark naked there want
rag on him-an' put him in a bar'l o.
the strongest brine you ever see.
The boy yelled like fury when the salt
began to eat into his hide, an the
neighbors all run in to see what Wood
bury was up ter, an twas well they
did, for he was just a headin' of the
bari up, an the boyd been dead as
a red herrin' in few minutes. Wood
bury, he said he was fearin' he'd run
short O. pork that winter, an as the boy
want no good anyhow, he thought
he'd pickle him. But this didn't seem
to take with the selectmen, an they had
sent up to the county farm
where they want no fear o. runnin'
short O. pork. But he come back again
this spring, an has sence been Twin
over yonder with the boy, just as if
nothin' hadn't happened. People is sort
O. skeared of him, as they don't know
when he's agoin' to break out next.
But David, he amt mite like him,
as his queerness all runs to gettin mar
ried, though he's now past ffty-tWo
years old. The girls has had lots O
fun with David, an amt done nothin'
but make game of him. He never done
any visitin' till two winters age; so
when he came to a house where any
women folks was, an single at that,
they knoWed he was courtin an begun
to fool with him to Wunst. He's had
so many setbacks that he's sort o. used
to EN-, you know.
But last winter he had a snubbin' that
he amt quite got over, an / calkerlate
be never will Every body in three
counties knows it, an a woman must
be mighty fond o gettin' married who
will take up with man that has gone
through with what David has.
1t all came about in this way One
Sabbath day at meetin', last winter,
Horace's wife says to David, says she:
David, we've got some company at
our house. !"
ITO be sure, said David.
''Woman company says Horace's
wife. 'The girls an boys has got home
rom school at Ex'ter, and they've
brought a friend with 'em, a school
ma am says she.
81 want ter know" says David.
Eyes, an she's just the match for
7ou," says Horace's wife. mot too
roung. nor too old, but just young an
I'D enough, an they say she's a great
letch where she lives, David" says
he, an if you're still of mind to
marry, you kin come around Saturday
hight an I'll make you acquainted with |
Ter, an you and she kin do some
parkin' in the best parlor."
Il want ter know says David.
So, on Saturday night, David fixed
himself up in his Sunday best, as pretty
IS a ripe pumpkin, and he moseyed over
o Horace's house to see the woman
company from Ex'ter. He was intro
Iuced. IN, fer q while all the folks was |