The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-02-12
J AT THE HUsKING.
Mean Trick by Which Jones
Got All the Red Ears,

Mean Trick by Which Jones
Got All the Red Ears,
oorn had all been cut and piled
in great stacks in the huge barns.
Canadian landscape had been
~ several times in silvery frost.
5e was pecping up through the
8ncd fields, and the first week of the
RS season of leisure had passed.
Hat great stretch of level country
Stratford, where farmers reap as
Haryests as are garnered anywhere
Dominion, a programme of fun
been prepared by the young men
Fomen- There were corn-huskings
red ears brought kisses, surprise
Is where nobody was surprised,
rides, apple-paring parties and
Rings where the staid cotillon was
ID to the music of violin. The
vent of the fall of 1882 was an ap-
bring. This whetted the appetites
country folks, and everybody was
for the big corn-huslxing that was
pig all the beaux and bellies into
pig barn of Farmer Treuette.
WAS known to the young,
listed farmers that Sally
Rtte, the only daughter of the
rmer, was to guide the course of
5 during the husking, and that a
many grains of red corn had been
Jed with the white grains that had
dropped in the corn hills in the
b, Every red grain of corn meant
of the same color, and every ear
one kiss to the finder, and per-
norc If he could smuggle the ear
sl again.
Pre- was another circumstance that
an unusual excitement to the
hg. Sally Treuettc was rosy
led, plump, raven-haired lass
roguish eyes had made sad havoc
he hearts of nearly all the young
or miles around. There was hardly
{ them whom she had not smiled
lat various times, and whom she
bot snubbed numerically after
Red-haired Jim Radford,, who
forty acres of fine farming land
ESt. Mary's, and Owen Jones, a
Featured Yankee, who had opened
htry store near the railway station
atford, had each sworn in the most
n manner to marry Sally or pre-
Ier from marrying anybody else.
rd was tall, broad-shouldered
strong of limb, with muscles
hed by work. Jones was
slim and angular, with
check and a sharp cough that told
akness and disease, but lied every
they told it. He was like many of
I'd stone houses in the ncighbor-
3 The more they settled and the
they appeared the stronger they
\ Radford was always nervous and
Rase when he was in the presence
Hly, but Owen was always able to
3 streak and tell marvellous tales
teresting stories of adventure that
n very entertaining to the un-
tlcated Sally. She liked Radford
worth and Jones for what he
to be.
night of the husking came at
Z The silver crescent of the new
hung in the west. The air was
Hosty enough to be invigorating.
ing of twinkling lanterns hung
Farmer Treuette's barn yard.
ms swung from rusty nails all
ne interior of the barn. The un-
cars OF corn had been torn from
lks and heapea in great pile in
inter of tie barn. Store boxes,
Ecd nail-kegs and rough benches
! circle about the pile. The old
fng farmhouse about a hundred
away blazed with lights. 1t was
ed with elderly men and women
ing in bustling, garrulous way
freshments. Sally, clad in the
psf calico purchasable in Jones'
with lunches of bright ribbon at
foat and in her hair, fitted about
speck OF color in an ocean of
rness. Canadian farmers always
as much noise as posi-
len they are out for jollification,
jingling of bells, the clatterlng
Eons and shouts from vigorous
made the night air quiver. Young
nd women soon appeared in the
yard, and peals of laughter were
coming from the barn. Sally
hands with everybody who ap-
and welcomed them in . spright-
hon. Then the work of Nhusfing
al once, for both men andwomen
pager for the dancing that was to
it. Radford seated his big form,
ed hickory corn peg oh his
right hand, and soon stream of
ing ears was flying ovcA his left
Ter. Jones sat right opposite him,
the ears bulged out as if to meet
The others sat wherever they
md seats, or stood back and
ed little piles of ears toward then.
the first ear that Jones huskdd
red one. He arose deliberately,
over to where Sally was sitting,
ssed her before she knew what lis
IONS were. She uttered little
and Radford half sprung from
hatcher doin'p" he asked, angriB.
ep cam,' said Jones, smilingly;
a red ear.''
ybody laughed uproariously hx-
afford. Jones had hardly sested
again before he found another
and again he kissed Sally With
lon that filed Radford's haart
}Yy. Jones found the rad dare