The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-10-16
Ar GEORGIA. CROSSROADS STORE.

AT A GEORGIA CROSSROADS STORE.
1T Takes All KIND q Folks to Make =
T'other day me and nav walked over
to the crossroads store to do little
tradin', and as we come in sight and
seed the gang that was gathered round
the door, nav she lowed:
"Betsy, it's jist as your pap says; it
takes heap of different sort OF folks to
make world"
1t was SADLY, and they was waitin
for the mail it don't come but once't a
week, and they inginnerly waits tel
then to come to the store. The women
folks comes, too, and fetches Their babies
aud little fee dogs, and sometimes they
fetch aiggs and ingon buttons and dried
fruit to swap for cotton cards and fac
tory thread and snuff.
They comes soon of mOrnin' and
sets about all day long and dip snuff
and smoke and Tugs their babies, and if
anybody kicks the little fee it makes
'em as mad as il you'd slapt the
baby.
Their is alters gang of half-grown
boys pitchin' horseshoes and q playin'
marvels under them trees back OF the
store; they sound like they are quar-
relin' all the time, but they are havin' a
power of fun. "Vench your roundance. !"
Look at Bill, he's fudgin. Fat
and stick it." "Thar now, Jim's dead.
"That's not far; Jake he Judged; it's
not far, so it haint. Jim's not dead,
kase Jake he Judged" "Taws on the
middle" "Vench your backs. "
"Knucks." "Roundance, no losance."
kicks" "Vench your Jaws" "Fat
and go last" and with all of this some
of 'em can't keep from mixin' in few
oaths. SOME boys think they can't be
man tel they larn how to cuss.
The men folks inginnerly sets on them
goods boxes fore the store door and
chaws tobacker pnd smokes Their pipes
and whHtles sticks and talks religion,
and politics, and the craps, and the
weather, and waits for the mail. Some
of em never got letter in ther lives
L know in reason old Wigginsoker
never, and if he did he couldn't read it
but he takes the county papers, "Our
Mountain Homo" and "The Reporter
and Watchtower. They had his name
in one of 'em oncet, and he has been
talkin of it ever sense. His old oman
raised turrible big beet in her garden,
and he took it to town, and the paper
said it was "a beet that beat all the
beets in that beat" and sense then he's
been havin' the papers read to him
and listenin for his name. He can't
write and he don't git no letters, but
regular as SADLY comes he pokes his
head and Greens his neck over the rail
in at the postoffice and axes: "Air thar
airy dockyment for me?-A. j. Wig
ginsoker, Esq, or Jim Wigginsoker, as
it wair; airy one? will gemme my paper
eff thar haint no dockyment."
Squire Robertson inginnerly reads the
paper, and they all gether round him
to hear the news, and if he haint thar
to read it old man Simpson tries to spell
it out for 'em, and they know about as
much when he quits as when he sot in,
but they pear to go home satisfied.
Sometimes q fancy-dressed drummer
will be thar, and they'll git him to read,
though some of 'em had sooner listen at
him talk as read. He tells the news
from everwhars; and as he talks old
Wigginsoker and old man Simpson lis
tens with their under jaws drapt. and
believes every word of it, whether thar's
airy bit of truth in it or no. They've
got confidence in Squire Robertson.
Some of 'em never gives ther opinion
on nothin' tel they hear what Squire
Robertson thinks on the subject. Old
man Simpson will go with the Squire
in politics every time, but when it comes
to religion nobody can't turn his head.
He reads the Bible, and puts his own
meaning on what he reads, and Mr.. No
body needn't try to tell him different.
He knows what he reads, and sees with
his own eyes better'n anybody else can
tell him.
He will set and argy his pint half a
day, or as long as anybody has got the
time or keers to listen, and he don't
think nobody can git to heaven lessen
they believe his way. But he is ignant,
and don't know no better.-Betsy Ham
iLO1l, IN atlanta Constitution.