Thomas County cat., 1886-02-25
A NIGHT IN THE WOODS.
Mrs. johnson Tells About Her
Former Lover.

tellO.
''Hello, yerself."
s'This is Mr.. Johnson. suppose:
Jones is my name.'
..Waal, no, this amt Mister John
son. My name is 'Lige johnson.
"You live here, Mr. Johnson?"
"Waal, l can't says 1 live, but ]
stays hyar."
"What will be the chance to stay all
night with you?'
"Purty bad, sur, purity bad. We air
mighty pore folks, an got pore ways,
but eff you kin put up with our fixin's,
you kin stay en- welcome. Jest Git down
en- take out yer hosses. Turn 'em in
that lot thar, you'll find sum fodder en-
shucks up thar, en- you kin feed them
to suit yerself.'
After feeding my team, | turned to-
ward the house. As l entered, | was
greeted by the smell of fried bacon,
the yelping of a NANCY hound and the
Squalling of two or three children. The
SHADY of the house. a tall, angular,
hatched-faced woman, made a low
courtesy, and pointing to broken
back chair. invited me to stake cheer
by the fiye.' She soon announced sup
per by saying in a stage whisper:
''Lige. yer suppers reddy.'
Come, stranger, draw up yer cheer
en- take a seat at the table en- eat a
snack. We hain't much, but yer wei
come. Ez the sayin' is, pore folks is
got pore ways. en- rich people is got
mean uns' Hev this cup? No, don't
pass it, jest keep it,
''Thet's the only chinie cup we've
got, 'Lige he drinks his coffee outen a
goard, he sez it gives people the des-
pepsy to drink coffee onten chinie
cup. But l tells him it's bekase he s
too mortal stingy to buy more. Help
yerself to sum NV thet tiour-bread.
stranger, en- hev sum NV the fry
'Lige'd set thar en- let yer starve before
he'd AK yer. 'Lige, pass them lap
over pies, they air mi ghty good eff
do say it myself Hev more, stranger,
you hain't eat huff to keep sparrer
alive. Eff you won't hev emmy more,
jest push back yer cheer, en- 90 to the
fire. Stranger, what mout be yer
name?"
Jones'"
"Now yer not akin to them Joneses
over in Dog Holler, air yer?''
mo, | don't think l am. Lam from
Tennessee"
Prom Tennessee? Thet's mighty
line country, haint it?'
''1eS, it's very fine country"
''We hev a mighty pore country
hyar, stranger. b'feve the good Lord
hez sont a cuss on this country sense
the war. The Ian don't nigh perduce
like it ulster. The peach trees hardly
ever hev emmy peaches on 'em. En- the
bees don't half full up ther stan's with
honey. Everything hez gone ter rack
en- ruin. tell ye En- yer say yer from
Iennysee? Did yer ever hearn tell NV
a feller by the name NV Jake Hawkins
up thar?"
''No. think not"
Jake he moved up in thet neck NV
woods. en- lowed mebby you he'd seed
him. Jake he ulster court me when l
wuz gurrel. mind the day when me
en- Llge wuz merried. l he'd prom
must Jake ter hev him. Gentlemen.
whew! Jake cum thet evening en-
found l he'd tuck 'Lige. he wuz mad ez
wet hen. never did see Jest sich a
mad man in all my born days.
He ia red, en- he charged, en- he lowed
he would tex 'ole Betsy thet wuz his
rifle gun, en- shoot sumbody's ewes
outen ther heads. When heard thet.
l jest got riled up en- | went out thar
whar the men folks wuz irwin to git
Jake ter hush. en jest walked up ter
him EN- shuck my fist in his face en- told
him ter git. Ell thet purity quick. er |
would ketch him by the ha'r en- iirk
him bald-headed. You oughter seed
him hustle. Stranger, you want
old enough to be in the war. wuz We?
Well. you escaped power Nv trubble.
L tell We. One day, enduring the
war, | wuz settin' right hyar singin'
ter the baby. when l heered a man
holler out thar at the gate. En- when
went to the dore, hope l may die.
ef thar warn't Jake Hawkins a-settin'
a-straddle uv the poorest hoss l ever
seed. Yer yaller dorg,' sez I, what
do you want?' Miss Johnson sez
he, I'm powerful hongry-I'm narely
starved, en- l want to git a mouthful NV
vittles eff you ken spar it. We'll,
Jake, SCI /, when ricomember how
you cut up Jack when 1 merr;ed. hit
makes me feel as if l oughten ter give
you no vittles.' But then l got to
thinking mebby he did uster love me,
Ell l give him pone NV bread and a
piece NV middlin' meat. .Thankee,
Miss Johnson he sed ez he rid off. zen
ef kin help you at emmy time, you kin
count on Jake Hawkins ez doin' his
share Well, sur, times got mighty
hard, en- my vittles wuz gittin' power
full low. 'Lige wuz off in the war
a-fghtin', emit wuz nip en- tuck with me
ter make tongue en- buckle meet, ez
the sayin' is. To make matters worse,
kf,~I, o1larc Dollo1 har -