Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-27
lentless fire scOrched her arms and face rud.

enough 70 prepare breakfast, but under the
hands CT skillful woman those ovens and
sklilets turned out viands with flavor that
no modern appliance can equal.
The Jolsts of the house were thickly hung
Win the small delicious hams of the country
mans made from young and tender hogs,
which had lived and fattened upon the
acorns, fragrant hickory nuts and dainty
beach nuts Of the abundant .'masta Of the
forest, until they were saturated with their.
delicate, nutty flavor. This was farther on.
rlched by piquancy gained from the smoke
OF the burning hickory and oak, with which
they were cured, and the absorption of odors
from the scented herbs in tho rooms where
they were drying. Many have sung tho
praises OF kentueky's horses, whisky and
women, but no poet has tuned his lyre to the
more fruitful theme of Kentucky's mast-fed.
smoke-cured, herb-scented hams. For such a
man waits a crown of enduring bays.
Slices of this savory ham, fried in skillet
the truth of history forces the reluctant
confession that the march of progress had
not yet brought the gridiron and its virtues
TO the mountains--a hot pone of golden yell
low meal, whose steaming sweetness had not
been allowed to distill off, but had been
forced back into the leaf by the hot oven lid;
coffee as black and strong as the virile in
fusions which cheer the hearts Of the true be-
levers in the tents OF the Turk, and cream
from cows that cropped the odorous and
juicy grasses of mountain meadows, made n
breakfast that could not have been more an
petizing if composed by a French chef. and
FURNISHED by a poygot bill of fare
Moved thereto by the hospitable urginess q
Aunt Dolby and his own appetite, Barr, ate
heartily. Under the inf!eente Of the com
Portable meal, the cheerful sunshine and tho
rousing Of the energies that follow a change
from recumbent to an erect posture, his
spirits rose to a nlaniier pitch. AS he could
not walk without pam, he took his seat in
slat-bottomed chair by the side Of the hearth,
and Aunt Dolby, knitting in hand, occupied
low rocker nearly opposite.
Where's Mr.. FouuerF asked Harry
Jim got UP arly, an arter eatn' snack,
said he'd so out an take u look around meb-
be he mout 90 q fur ez the ford
As il to accompany Harry's instructive
tremor over the possibilities attending the
resumption Of Fortner's prowlmg aro,nd the
TANKS OF Aollicoiicr's army, the fire shot off
whole yollcy Of sharp little explosions.
Harry sprang Two or three inches above
his chair, then rcddened Violently, and Is
sayed to conceal his confusion hp assiduous
attention with the poker 10 the wants Of the
fire.
Aunt Debby regarded him with gentle com
passion.
Yer all shuck up by the Happenings yester-
day, she said with such tactful sympathy
that his sensitive mettle was not offended.
"'Iis natural ye should he. Hits alters SO.
Folks kin say what they please but fouten's
terrible uyin to the uaryes, no matter who
Il ltfF To
war, an he's often tole me tibet fur weeks
arter the battle D Buner Visty he couldn't
heah a twig snap wiIhouten his heart poppin'
right up inter his mouth, and hit wuz so
with everybody else. much e. they tried ter
play off unconsarnej like
~Ah, really, saii Harry, deeply interested
in all that concerned this woman, whose re-
markable qualities were impressing them
selves upon his recognition. "What part of
the army did your husband belong tor
He WIZ in the Kentucky regiment COM
manded by Kunnel Henry Clay, son O, the
great Henry Clay, who WIZ killed thar My
husband was promoted to a leltenant fur his
brav'ry in the battle.
"Then this is not your first experience with
war n
"No, indeed" said she, with just trace OF
pride swelling in the temples delicate net
work Of blue veins "The Fortners an the
Drills air soljer families, an ther young men
hev shouldered Their guns whenever the
country needed fcpten men Great gran'-
fathers Brill an Fortuer come inter the state
along with Danl Boone nigh on ter q hun
dred years ago, and sence then them an Their
descendants hey ti5 lnjuns, BrittisAers an
MexiEins ev'ry tmo az inimy raised a sword
agin the country
MANY OF them lose their lives"
"Hes; CIV rs war he1 cost the families some
member Gfan'fa hers Brill =. torner ,var
both on 'cm Gilied the Injun ambush at
Blue IL, Is. Su@ oa'y u baby wien nv
father vuz killed at the massacre Of Win
chester's men at the River Bnlsin My
brother
~Father Of The man was with yester-
dayGn
NO; ms father wuz my oldest brother
My youngest brother-the baby of the fam
ily-wus mortally wounded by copper ball
in the charge on the bishops palace at the
takin' o Monterey
"And your husband-he went through the
war safely, did he!4
The pleasant, mobile lines upon the woman's
face congealcd into stony hardness At the
moment of Harry's question she was begin
ming to count the stitches in her work for
some feminine mystery Of narrowing" or
turning" She stopped, and hands and knit
ting dropped into her lap.
my husband" she said slowly and bitterly,
'wuz spared by the Mexikins thet he fit. but
not by his own countrymen an neighbors,
amongst whom he wuz brung up His blood
wuz not poured out on the soil he invaded.
but wuz drunk by the land his forefathers an
kinsmen he'd died fur. The goddess greasers
on the Rier GTande war kinder ter him nor
the Christian gentlemen on the Rockassel."
The intensity and bitterness Of the utter
ance revealed long coming Of the expires
sion Of bitter truths.
"He lost his life then, said Harry, par
TALLY compromising, sin some of tho
troubles around here r
Gle wuz killed bekase he wouldn't help
break down what bit he'd cost 50 much ter
build up He wuz killed bekaso he thot a
pore mans life with mo'en a rich mans uig-
ger He wuz killed bekase he b'lieved this
whole country belonged ter tho men who'd fit
fur bit an made bit what bit is, an thet bit
wuzn't plantation fur a passel o slave
drivers ter boss an divide up jess oz hit suited
EN-
why, thought all you Kentuckians were
slavery said Harry in auazemaut.
@Keepin' the niggers e. slaves amt the
question at all We folks air ez fur from
bein' Abohtionists ez ennybody. Hits a
battle now with a lot NV 'ristocrats who'd
take our rights away
i don't quite understand your position,
said Harry
Hits bel;ase We don't understand tine
country. The people down heah air divided
into three classes Fust thar's the few very
rich families thet hev big farms over in the
Blue Grass with lots o niggers ter work 'em.
Then thar's the middle class-liSe the Fort
ners an the Brills-they hey small farms in
the creek vallies, an whareTer thar's good
land on the mounting sides, who hev no mig
gers, an who try ter lead God-feorin', hard
worlin' lives, an support their families de-
Gently Lastly, thars the pore white trash,
thet lives way upin the hollers an on the
wuthless lands about the head waters They've
little patches q corn ter make ther bread
stuff, an depend on huntin', fishin', an
stealin' fur the rest o ther whites. They've
half dozen guns in every cabin, but nary a
hoe; they've more yaiier dogs than the rest
O US hev sheep, an they find hit good deal
handler ter kin other folks hogs than ter
raise ther own pork.
Hardly desirable neighbors, | should
think, yentured Harry
Hits war al the time between our kind o
people an them other kinds Both on en-
hates US like pizen, an on our side-well, We
air Christians, but we reckon tbet when
Christ tole Us Ter love our inimies, an do
good ter them ez despitefully used US, he
couldn't bo,, Iad no idoe how mean reOfle