The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-02-12
Ghe Armorrat-SM
BETSY HAMILTON.
A SketcK OF Life In the Back
woods.


HCASN " OdtNttOuS NuiiC VIC We
thar. l hadn't been to a cam
meeting afore sense l was knt
high to pap, and all | could fetC
to mind about 1t was the smell F.,
wheat straw aud red apples, an
gittin' my eyes full of smoke VIVA
they was cOokin' under II shel;eI
and hearin' The mu'eS aul critteF
boiler That was hitche,l % swingiu
limbs all over the woods, aud see
In Two dogs fight, and a little bo'
tall in the spring and his mamm,
wear IL hickory hardacIously on
on him. Some folks hain't got on'
grain of sense about whippiT of /;
chile. She had let him of ant
hadn't paid no 'tention to him, anC
when somebody axed her ii sh'
knowed whar her young one was
she flowed:
"No, I've left him in the hand;
Ut Providence bat when she
found the little Teller all wet and
muddy and let ia on him with that
hickory switch, l know in reason he
thought he was in the hands oil
"Old Nick.D
But | must tell you about Gal.
Me and her perused around around
and got acquainted with a right
smart chance of boys. We stayed
thar q week aud one night, one OF
the preachers, a good old gray
haired man axed all the Young folks
to see how many of 'em could git
up to sunrise prayer meetiu'.
The gals all sot to whisperin' and
bettin' which would be the first one
up-the one that riz fust was to
run all around and wake up
t'others. Caledony never would
be Outdone in nOthin' if she could
help it, aud she is the banginest
gal to git into Scrapes eyer you
seed. She riz next mornin' fore
anybody else, and went over to
RObersOn's tent to wake up the
gals. Last year the gals had all
stayed in the left hand side and the
boys in the right, and incose she
thought the gals was in thar now,
so she crept along easy and pulled
aside the curtain and stuck her
her head IN said "peep."
"And bless your life" says Cal,
81 couldn't hardly git my head out
to save my life, l felt like l was
plum perry lized to the spot. The
long bed agin the wall was chock
full of boys; some sound asleep,
some wakin' up, and two or three
had riZ and was a shuckin' into
Their clothes hard as they could
stave, and thar / stood like a crazy
goose and couldn't move head nor
foot-peared like | jist couldn't git
my head out fore they could see
who L was to save my life; but
when ] did git it out, | axed foot
to help body, and lowed I'd u
and hide whar they couldn't look
out and sec who it was.
l said ''peep, peep, peep" all the
way and made for the session room
like a skeered bird a flynn out'n
the storm. | was shore it WAS
empty like it was last year, but we
never knows what a year will
bring forth.
l fell up the steps, showed the
door open and fell sprawlin' in the
middle of the floor saying ''peep,
peep, peep" and peep was all /
could say, when | hearn that good
Did preacher say /: "You've come to
the wrong place" Peep, peep,
says l, aud | know in reason
[ was as pale and white as a pillar
"Wcll, what you peepin' in here
or n says he. "Peep, peep, peep,
,ays l, ''them boys, peep, them
what'll they think of me a.
sWhy ~ says he, shave you been
)eepini at the boys ~
"No, no, no." says l, "yes, no,
;es l did-no | didn't, yes, yes, l
lid,T says l tryin' to scramble up,
,ut my knees give away and | fell
Igin. The good old man had
ihucked into his clothes, aud lifted
ne upon my feet. Tother old fel.
or riz up in bed and rubbed his
YES to see what upon the living
eth it all meant, aud when | cOtch
light of him, ii / hadn't been skeer.
d to death he would have finished
ne-a settin' up thar in red flannel
hirt without his wig aud teeth /,
fas old brother Cole. l wanted to
but l was too weak to move.
The good old man helped me {
own the steps and | went on back I
D the teHt aud aimed to stay thar
nd not show my face no more. l q
now in reason / said "peep" a {
housand times, and the word was
ill ringing in my head when 1
Igged out in a frOck | hadn't wore, {
I'd borrowed Nancy Singleton's 6
at and made shore the boys I.
-ouldn't know me. 1 waited tel 1
be IL O'Clock sarment and eve'bOdy
as at the stand aud the singinf :
ad sOt in, lore / made up my
ind to 60; but after | got fixed :
made shore they wouldn't know
le, aud stepped out and riz my :
"a umbrilla aud started across to
10 stand feelin' all right when
bout a bOzeu little boys the size {
I Jack Simmons sot 10 to hOllerin'
peep, peep. peep" loud as they
Duld, and an eyes looked at me.