The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-05-11
CHAPTER ".
THE BAcKwooDs PREACHER.

| For PITY sake, llotItT. ZONE mere
mick and look out of this window
believe his majesty the vertable wild
man of the woods is about to honor us
with n visit" exclaimed Carrie as she
stood at one small window gazing upon
form that was leisurely approaching
the house.
Mrs. La Vergne FASTENED to the side
of her daughter to obtain ocular demon
stratiOn of what caused the exclamation
from the girl.
Her curiosity was rewarded by secur-
inc view of human figure approach
inc among the trees at leisurely pate
that showed that whatever might be
his purpose in making a visit to that
vicinity, he was in no haste to accom-
plish it. 49,.
He was about twenty rods distant
when first discovered, and no good view
couId be obtained of his features, but
his tall. stalwart form was indicative of
great muscular strength, and his long
GRAY hair which hung over his broad
Shoulders betokened him man who
had long since passed the meridian OF
life, and was surely approaching, if he
had not already passed the age of seven
ty years.
lie was habiitated in grotesque
sujt of garments, the cut of which re-
yiyed the memory of the fashion of fifty
wears ago. These garments were com
posed of pair of coarse, heavy, broad
rowhide boots, I'VE commence our de-
scription of the mans attire at the
neither extremity, as it is better, and
the description can be made more con-
uectedlv by commencing at one end and
carving il through in systematic
manner. than can he done by beginning
ot fine middle and working in both di
rectious Still another reason for com
mcucing at the neither extremity is
briefly shown in the fact that 1t has
greater tendency to elevate the thoughts
IN commence at the foundation Of any
thing and work our way upward to the
summit. than to begin at the last men
toned point and move downward;
but if the reader will pardon this little
depression. we will proceed to picture
what Carrie La Nergne denominated
the yeritable wild man of the woods"
with such degree of accuracy, and
with such proper reference to detail,
that the reader will not fail readily to
recognize him in case that in the course
of our story, we shall meet him again
These ponderous cowhide boots ex-
tended upward until they reached the
knee. and into their tops were thrust
the lower portions of pair 4. pants,
which had in their pristine glory, been
black: but age, the action Of the ele-
mrnts. the natural wear and tear to
which they had been subjected, as well
as skillful fingers, (evidently feminine)
which had supplied rents and WORKOUT
places with patches varying in hues
from black to gray had done much to
obliterate their original color which
could only be discovered nplaces where
patches might have been decided inn
prOyements.
A long sack coat. likewise decorated
with islands Of patches Of hueS which
could be readily distinguished from
each other, covered his shoulders, de-
scended and covered nearly the entire
vest except narrow perpendicular line
in front, and still further descending,
hid from view large portion of the
pants already described.
Doubtless he was also attired in that
necessary as well as ornamental article
of fashionable apparel, shirt, but of
that fact. in the absence Of absolute
proof, we must employ conjecture based
upon the positive evidence that above
his broad coat collar, and extending far
up his weather-beaten and age-wrinkled
cheeks. stood in all its dignity OF starch
and cleanliness, stiff, cotton, stand
ing collar.
This together with his boots, was the
only article of his attire thus far dis
covered, that lacked the ornamentation
of patches.
Upon his head rested what fashionable,
aristocratically inclined people would
stigmatiZe caricature; nevertheless 1t
was hat, and in the days Of long ago
when it was new and unbattered, it had
been sold over the counter of some city
store, as fashionable one; but it had
passed through perils and hardships
such as perhaps few hats are compelled
to undergo and still maintain an exist
ence as a hat. Its crown was broken
down from the top, its sides had been
dented, and the fur of which it was
composed, no longer lay smoothly, but
presented an appearance somewhat ruff
fled, and here and there little patches
of it were entirely missing, plainly
showing the foundation upon which it
had originally been fastened; and these
spots looked not much unlike the skin
of an unlucky dog that has been care
lessly fooling around teakettle of boil
ing water until he has succeeded in up
setting it over himself. Yet, as a hat,
| it served it's purpose as head protec-
ton, and had it suddenly been lifted,
would have disclosed circular spot
nearly four inches in diameter, as bald
and shining as the outer surface of a
well secured tin basin.
| On his left shoulder he bore heavy
rifle with flint lock and caliber suf-
ficient to take in a bullet nearly three