The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-10-04
An Cid Minors story.

According to my memory the story
which an old miner told me at the
Grand Pacific the other day was this:
1--WE had put up the cabin that was to
be home to us away up on the Yaiier
Stone, and it was in them times away |
out ov sight ov civilization. Thar was
seven ov us, and we was all men who |
had met the world all our lives the
wrong way. l reckon thar want . !
man who he'd mt he'd the iron driv into
his soul and clincht on the tother side.
Thar want . man in the crowd that |
ever he'd plesent story for to tell:
Thar want a man as ever know q |
who ever sung. a song. We called the
place Lonesome Ledge. We didn't git !
together in any formal way, and we
niver past any resolution about how
good we were before or how aswe was
goin' to reform. Ever man jist seemed
as if he know'd t'other one he'd a
tombstun in his heart and it were sacri
ledge to 60 nigh it. All but one. He
were a young chap that we picked up
on our way out. He had hair as yalleT
as nv hands and kind ov stoop in
his shoulders as if he he'd he'd burden
put onto him afore his time. But he
had awful blue ewes that was as soft
and pleadin' in thar looks as the sky
above us. He sed his name was Brixie.
Eff he he'd emmy other we never know'd
it, and we didn't know whether Brixie
were his front name or his back name,
and we niver axed him. He were as
frail in his looks as one ov them beam
poles that used to be in the garden. Ell
thar were ennything about Lonesome
Lodge that was easy Brixie allus got it.
One evenin' we was all settin round
Lonesome Ledge, each man lookin'
| into the ire es eff he expected it was
goln to speak. Finally one seq, 'Whar's
| BrixieP' SEE he. Nobody could answer.
Ever man seemed to say in his face
Well, he's gone, and that's the way NV all
| life We all laid down on the floor. and
/ reckon we all went to sleep. Men in
| our station don't stay wake NV nights.
| Next mornin', when we woke up Brixie
were on hand, but nobody axed him
whar he'd been, and he never sed.
Well, that thing happened ever few
| nights for nigh onto three months, and
still nobody axed what it meant
nor Brixie never sed word.
One night we saw him wash his
face and comb his ha'r. He he'd
some trouble to git it to lay down,
but he got it. Then he put some bar
lie on his boots, and then he tuck his
coat and beat it agin a cedar that was
about as frail as he were. And then
he put it on apd walked away. Still
no man axed question. He were
gone the next night, and the next, and
the next, until thar wuz enough
nights to make week and enough
weeks to make month. Srill no man
axed a question. One night when
we wus all about to stretch out we
hecrd knock on the door. If bar oil
a painter or kyoot he'd walked in We
would hev thought nothin' about 1t, but
to hear q knock on the door of Lone
some Ledge were q strange thing, ant
m ade us all look at each other. W.
didn't know what to say or do. | reckol
no man in Lonesome Ledge he'd hear
knock on the door for more'n year
But finally one ov the boys got up, and
.. shakin' as Of he he'd the ager, he seq
why don't you come in, thar's tn
latch string on the outside, seq he. Tn
door opened and thar were Brixie, ant
by his side thar were a shy-lookiu
: thing that were woman. 1t were tn
. fust woman we'd seed in over q year
} Brixie jist brought her in, and he jis
! seq: MRS. Brixie, wife ov Brixie."
. never forgit that night She made us
. supper with them little hands; she wash
up the tins and then she sot down in fror
= ov the fire and l know hers were th
!. sweetest song that were ever sung !
! them mountains. Then we all got u
= and formed sirkle about her and too
! her hand, and all at oncet somethil
: seemed to loosen the iron in our hear
= and thaw us out. We knowed no
= why Brixie he'd gone away ov nights
= and that night we all slept out on Il
y ground, except Mr.. and Mrs. Brixi
Well, sir, not to tire you, Loneson
/! Ledge were broke up, and we are
o goin' back to whar We come from
: the East years ago. All on account Z
> Mrs. Brixie, whose purity face al
= sweet songs fetched us back to o.
= senses and made men ov us. That
!, ~ how happen to be here tonight !"
!" CHICAGO Herald.