The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-02-10
LOVE AT THE HUSKING.
The Mean Trick by Which Jones
Got All the Red Ears.

The corn had all been cut and piled
away in great stacks in the huge barns.
The Canadian landscape had been
clothed several times in silvery frost.
The rye was peeping up through the
upturned fields, and the first week of the
farmers season of leisure had passed.
In that great stretch of level country
about Stratford, where farmers reap as
rich harvests as are garnered anywhere
in the Dominion, programme of fun
had been prepared by the young men
and women. There were corn-huskings
where red ears brought kisses, surprise
parties where nobody was surprised,
straw rides, apple-paring parties and
gatherings where the staid cotillon was
danced to the music of q violin. The
first event of the fall of 1882 was an ap-
ple-parng This whetted the appetites
of the country folks, and everybody was
eager for the big corn-husking that was
to bring all the beaux and bellies into
the big barn of Farmer Treuette.
1t was known to the young,
hartl-iisted farmers that Sally
Treuette, the only daughter of the
old farmer, was to guide the course of
events during the husking, and that q
great many grains of red corn had been
mingled with the white grains that had
been dropped in the corn hills in the
Spring. Every red grain of corn meant
an ear of the same color, and every ear
meant one kiss to the finder, and per-
haps more if he could smugge the ear
forward again.
There was another circumstance that
added an unusual excitement to the
husking. Sally Treuette was rosy
checked, plump, raven-hairea lass
whose roguish eyes had made sad havoc
.with the hearts of nearly all the young
men formiles around There was hardly
one of them whom she had not smiled
upon ut various times, and whom she
had not snubbed numerically after
ward. Red-haired Jim Radford, who
owned forty acres of fine farming land
near st. Mary's, and Owen Jones,
sharp-featured Yankee, who had opened
~ country store near tile railway station
in Stratford, had each sworn in the most
solemn manner to marry Sally or pre-
vent her from marrying anybody else.
Radford was tall, broad-shouldered
and strong of limb, with muscles
hardened by work Jones was
tall. slim and angular, with
hectic check and sharp cough that told
of weakness and disease, but lied every
time they told it. He was like many of
the old stone houses in the neighbor-
hood. The more they settled and the
worse they appeared the stronger they
were. Radford was always nervous and
i'll at ease when he was in the presence
of Sally, but Owen was always able to
talk streak and tell marvellous tales
and interesting stories of adventure that
were very entertaining to the I'M
sophisticated Sally. She liked Radford
for his worth and Jones for what he
seemed to be.
The night of the husking came at
last. The silver crescent of the new
moon hung in the west. The ain was
just frosty enough TO be invigorating.
A string of twinkling lanterns hung
across Farmer Treuotte's barn yard
Lanterns swung from rusty nails all
over the interior of the barn. The I'M
huSked ears of corn had been torn from
the stalks and hcaped in a great pile in
the center Of the barn. Store boxes,
upturned nail-kegs and rough benches
formed Il circle about the pile. The old
rambling farmhouse about Il hundred
yards away blazed with lights. 1t was
crowded with elderly men and women
preparing in busting, garrulous way
the refreshments. Sally, clad in the
brightest calico purchasable in Jones
store, with punches of bright ribbon at
her throat and in her hair fitted about
like speck of color in an ocean of
sombcrness. Canadian farmers always
make as much noise as posi-
BILE when they are out for jolliticaton,
and the jingling of bells, the Gathering
OF wagons and shouts from vigorous
lungs made the night air culver. Young
men and women soon appeared in the
farm yard and peals of laughter were
heard coming from the barn. Sally
shook hands with everybody who APP
peared and welcomed them in aspright-
Iy fashion. Then the work of huSking
began al once, for both men and women
We're eager for the dancing that was to
follow it. Radford seated his big form,
adjusted hickory corn peg on his
strong right hand, and soon a stream of
glistening ears was flying over his left
shoulder Jones sat right opposite him,
where the ears bu(ged out as if to meet
him. The others sat wherever they
could find seats, or stood back and
dragged little piles of ears toward them.
Almost the first ear that Jones husked
was red one. He arose deliberately,
walked over to where Sally was sitting,
and kissed her before she knew what his
intentions were. She uttered a little
scream and Radford half sprung from
IA. seat,
'Whatcher doin'?' he asked, angrily.
Keep cam, said Jones, smilingiy;
''var i red ear
Everybody laughed uproariously ex-
ceNt Radford Jones had hardly seated
hin>aif again hefore he found another
Trd ear. AID again he kissed Sally with
an nnrfi6,,, iis4f tiII.f P,3f,rI's hoor+