Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-09-06
AMONG SNUFF DIPPERS.
a SOCIAL SCENE IN THE NOUN
TAINS OF EAST fRNN ESsBE.
Discussing Fashions over tho snuH Box
Some Original Mountain Philosophy
An Exhibition of Native shrewdness.
Cnrresnnnhanca 10 The GI nnK. RErrnLIC-

customed to walking over broken ground,
when we reached our destination, one of the
many summer resorts that dot the noun
tain ranges Of East Tennessee, ! was not
tired, the "having my being" in the midst
of the endless variety OF natural scenery
during our three-mile morning walk had
excite my spirit above physical frailty.
Our way had lain between the mountain
proper and the Little Mountain, as the
highest of the range of foothills is called by
the natives.
To our right lay the long, dark, scanned
sides of the huge monster Of earth with its
head in the clouds; on the left, glimpses
through the timber and such wealth of
timberO revealing the fresh green tops and
sides Of the lesser mountain; and now and
then, through gaps between the ranges,
the outlines of the mound like foothills them
selves appear as if just rising out of an
emornld sea and instantly disappear. And
above, over all, floats a misty semhlance of
the scene against the blue sky, and nowhere
can the sky be more lovely than over the
mountain lands Of this section of the state
Here was a streamlet to cross on fallen
log or crude stepping stones, its low-lving
banks on either sid. lined with evergreen
laurel pine, cedar, ivy, holly and lofty tim
ber in every direction: there n turned-out
field TO cross, with its barren, red clay
worn down by a century's blowing to shell
so thin that it is currently said of similar
agricultural ruins in this sunny south that
"a man has TO load his mtJe acrost hit
mighty cyarful, lest it break through an
Lot Ia h.,
tains, and We note bullet-scarrei trees, rude
monuments of time when the war feni
ruled over this fair land.
While enjoy ing the cool shade of the wide
spreading trees gracing the smoothly -shaven
grass Of the well kept grounds surrounding
the resort, we compared notes from our two
standpoints and, as usual, the masculine
party drew rapid outline of the whole
scene extending along the line of our walk,
and J. from my feminine view. filed in
with the details, and together we gave the
finishing touches that to us made the pic.
ture complete.
"Why. howdy dor
Turning. | saw a wrinkled visaged half
blind, very old man, with his hand out
stretched TO my senior, and tears rolling
down his cheeks
II heerd you had come back to the old
stomping- ground an thought you'd go way
'thout sayin howdy to old man that was
young man when you was a boy"
An affecting interchange of greetings fol
lowed, the powerful influence of memory
being too great a shock on the relic of hu.
manity whose appearance recalled the
-,t,+ Hall bal -, ha
morning.
AN this is your wife, did you sayi Not
of the old East Tennessee stock well, well
maybe as good as An you wasn't agoin'
Off 'thout seein' me, Well, well; your
father'd never passed a friend by, nuther.
Come down to our camp, and let me show
you ms to my Old woman-she amt as spry
as she used to be-
And he trudged on before us to one Of the
many white outlying cottages.
The aged companion TO the old man was a
bright, CHEEKY woman
"Bean man and wife these sixty-tive
year, an never had spat yet, did we,
MriaT softly laughed the patriarch, who
joined in the talk OF former days that ran
on until the arrival of visitors, when he re
lapsed into a drowsy condition, frequently
as from force of long years of habit, start
ing up to spread out both hands before the
fire that smoudered in the huge fireplace
Tb visitors were women, and must OBJ
serve that have seen prettier women old
and young. here than elsewhere. After in
Productions and commonplace chit chat the
men of the family withdrew to lounge in
ln of la traa nd c,a
placa among the women directly after their
departure.
.'Air they gone fur goodr asked an elder
ly maiden along in the twenties, running
her hand into pocket among the fiutings
and puffings of her dress skirt
YES; | see them settling themselves on
the benches with their knives and pipes.r
replied this Sister Anne, a tidy, childish
miss of 10, syly peeping out at the subjects
of their remarks
The aged hostess said to the first speaker
"Hain't you got toothbreshf A pegative
shake of the head was given and she ad.
dressed the youngest:
run out, Graingie, honey, an git granny
toothbrush; l drapped mine in the fire
this mornin'."
During her absence the relative merits of
several kinds of wood were discussed as best
for the desired implement, but all agreed
that althea couldn't be beat The reader NAV
imagine me with my full quota of EYES in.
heritance awakened, but, woman-like,
covered by an iIDpenetrable assumption of
indifference to these mysterious proceed.
inss.
Miss Graingie returned, and. quietly seat
ing herself near me, diligently chewed a
bit of twig while talking about last season
at the springs
Five chairs were presently drawn closer
together about the hearth, little fat paste
board box was handed to the hostess, who
now had IN her hand the twig aforesaid. |
failed TO perceive the sleigbt-of hand Der
formance that resulted in the twig protrud-
ing from the aged lips. The box passed into
the hands of the lady out OF her teens, who
politely reached it over to me.
took it, and quick glance showed the
words Scotch Snuff on the label.
'She don't dip" laughed the young girl.
asked her husband, but he says she hasn't
prejudices about anybody doing anything
they please, that's nicen
''Oh, don't they dip snuff where you come
from" cried a dainty girl Of sweet 10
scooping little stickful Of the brown DOW
der, and, with a practical motion of the
fingers transferring it to the right side of
her cheek and deftly moving 1t TO and fro
along the teeth or gums, the short end OF
the twig showing between the cherry-rips
lips
When all were served, a lazy, dronins