, 1884-09-06
IN THE BACKWOODS.
"Betsy Hamilton's" Visit at ssold
Miss Raincrow'sp Cabin.
How She Named the Girls, while
the Old Man Named the
Boys-TrAinIng the
Children.
ATLANTA constitutional

II was mighty nigh day, Snd the old oman
made up a fire in the fireplace to get break
fast. and we'uns all riz. She filed the hath
plum full OF sweet tnters, baked some corn
dodgers in the skillet, Drilled some meat on
the Goals and made some coffee out n parch
meal The little white headed, dirty faced
chaps fretted and cried all the time. and the
old oman scolded.
Aunt Nancy and NAV sot and smoked ther
pipes. Aunt Nancy she bowed 10 old Miss
Raincrow:
"Hits monstrous hard on . body to take
keer Of so many chillun and keep 'em in Wit
ties and clothes"
Not so mighty" says she. II haint got
nairy one to spar; I'd work the sends Of my
fingers off for airy one OF 'em, bad as they Is
keep out'n the fire, Sal; you'd git right in
1t II | didn't jerk you out. Set down thar,
May Liza, you amt made out'n glass. No
body cant see thu you. Put down that dog,
Jefferson Davis, and fetch tho baby here To
me. Set down thar, William Henry Forney.
and shet your mouth. Your tongue Is alters
a gwine. Didn't 1 tell you TO fetch me the
baby, Jefi III floor you with this here
light'ood knot fust thing you know, and
stomp you into the bargain; fetch it here to
me this minute. Bless hits little heart Of it,
murther wouldn't take a dollar for hit. Hits
worth the whole gang put together. Dar-den,
honey, don't cry; murthernR give it a sweet
tat-r quick as it's cooked-don't cry Tell
the ladies your name; it's most too big a
name for hits little tongue TO wrop around.
The old man named him after John T. Nor
gan, kase he was in his regiment in the war.
Darden, honey, don't cry" and she sot him
on the floor and showed the yaller pup at him
TO play with. but John T. Morgan wouldn't
hush.
Ale named all the boys and l named
the gals The boys is all named after big,
smart men that / don't know nothin' about
and never nave saw. Alahamy- Tetch-me-
Not thar is named for her two gran-maws-
Alabamy for my NAV, and Missoury for
hisn'n; but after l fell out longer old Zeory,
that's his nanny / called her 'Alabamy
fetch me Not kase she Is 80 tetchy. She'll
cry II you jist look hard at her. May Liza
Is name Mary for her Aunt Polly, and Liza
for her Aunt Jane. May Liza ia a twin to
Sal. Sal is jist named Sal for short. She
goes by the name Of Big Sis m ostly, and her
cousins all calls her Cousin Sis. Come here
Sal and lemme fasten your coat. She's out
growed everything she's got. G'out yander,
William Henry Forney. and tell JADE Curry
TO fetch his-sof here 20 me. Jabe
he is a twin to Robert E Lee. They are
next to jefferson Davis-shet up your mouth,
Charlie N. Shelley; nobody cam hear they
selves talk for your everlastln' whinin'. l
can't give you the tater tel it's cooked. Here
take this here piece of bread, and hush.
Shelley no is jist a year older'n John T. Nor
gan. and John 7. has mighty nigh cotch up
TO him In size-shet up your mauth, William
Henry Forney. How many more times do
you want Inc to tell you about your tonguei
Go out thar this minute and tell Jabe Curry
ef he Cont fetch his sef here to me and nuss
JOIN T. Morgan and stop him from yellin',
I'll make his pap beat him into a FRAGILE"
But William Henry Forney instead Of tell
in him to come to his nanny, went out
thar and sot up a fuss longer Jabe about IA
sweet later.
"Mur-ther, mur-ther, make Jabe gimme my
tatG. It's my ta-ter; l had it fuss"
"Hit's not none OF his'n no SIGH u thing,
Mur-ther. Mur-ther, max William Henry
gimme my string. He took and took my
string kase 1 snatohed my sweetater waif'n-
i'm, and it's none of hisin. It's my tater-it's
my very later"
Then she let in ON Jabe with the hick'ry
she'd been a promisin' him, and lowed: "pn
gin you fghtin' about a sweet tater-a sweet
taterl Now amt q later a big thing to fight
about Give the later to your little buddy,
and that quick, fore l beat you tel you won't
know who you was named after. Take your
~ 40 1AAA1 0Aal .A&A AAAaN IRAA 11aa HtoAAAA
T. Morgan, fore l stomp the life out'n you.
Hay l most kills some OF you young'uns
about them taters yit. Them's the fust
sweet taters that's boon dug out'n the patch,
and they are in or u most raven distracted
over 'em. know in reason they are horn
cry for taters, but they jst shan't fight over
'em. I'll gin 'om something else TO do sides
fghtin' over n sweet later. You'uns all come
in and eat n bite Of breakfast. We hnin't
got much, but sich as it Is you're
welcome TO IL. VIII you be hope TO a
cup OF buttermilk, Squire Hamilton says
she to pap, and he lowed he would. Then she
turned to JEFF: @G'up of'n that churn, JEFF
ferson Davis, and pour the stranger out u
cup Of buttermilk-and for Massy's sake go
out yander and make Bulger quit a barkin'
20. Set down thar, May Liza, and quit a
gain pine blank like you never nave saw
nobody afore in your life-go out'n here fore
l knock you down. Have a bit of the fry:
it's all clean; eat Of you can, strangers.
Didn't tell | you TO go out'n here, May Liza;
o chillun's enough to run n body dis
tracted. Fan the flies, Sal; standin' thar
with your mouth hangin' wide open like you
didn't have marry grain Of sense. Skin one
OF them taters, Miss Hamilton; them's the
Spanish; they are sweeter'n tothers. You'uns
will have to drink your coffee th'out sugar.
Thar's some sorghum lasses; we'uns haint got
no short sweetnin', Sugar is a ar-tickle |
haint never made no use of yit Here, Will
lam Henry Forney, take this here sweet later
and skin it, and give piece OF it TO Charlie
Shelley, and tother part to little buddy, John
T.. Morgan; and IL YOU cram it in his mouth
hot and burn him I lay 1 stomp you into the
face Of the yeth."