The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-01-16

thing hex gone ter rack en rain, ! tell ye. En yer say yer from Tennyseep Did ger ever heara tell av Seller hy the name uv ake Hawkins up thar?"
 "No, l think not"
 |" Jake he moved up ia shes neck uv woods, ea l loved mebby you he'd seed him. Ake he uster court me when wrz gurrel. l mind the day when me en Liee wu1 menied. he'd ptommsst Jake ter hev him. Gentlemen, whewl like cum thet evening en found he'd tuck Lise, be wuz mad ex a vet hen. never did see jest sich a mad man in all my born days. He ra'red en he charged, en lowed he would tek ole Betsy thet wrl his ride gun, en shoot sumbudy's eyes outen tAer heads. When l heard thet, l jest got riled up GU went out thar whAr the men folks wuz ,ryin' to git Jake ter hush, en l jest walked up ter hum en shuck my 6t in his face en told him ter git, en thet purty quick, CT l would ke,ch hin by the h lar CD rk him bald headed. You oughter seed him hustle. Stranger, you want old enough ter be in the war, wrz yer Well you escaped power uv ru6ble. l tell ye. One day. enduring the var, wux settin' right hyar sinsin' tor the baby, when l heerd a man boiler out thar at the gate. E ! when 1 went to the dore, l hope may die, ef thar warn't Jake Hawkins a-se,tin' a-straddle uv the porest hoss ever seed. Yer yaller dorg sea |, what do you wantS Miss Johu- son. sex he, I'm powerful hongry I'm narely starved, en want to git mouth. tal av yi,tles ef you ken spar it. Well, Jake,' SET l, when rlcomem Der how you cut up Jack when l meIried, hit makes me feel as if eughten ter give yoHro vittles' But then l got to thinking meb- by he did uster love me, en give him a pone uv bread and piece uv middlin meat. Thankee Miss Johnson,' he sed CT he rid of, ca of l kin help you at enny time, yoa kin count on Jake Hawkins e doin' his share.' We'll, sur, times go, mighty hard en my vittles wuz gittin' powerful low. 'Lige wuz off in the war a.6ghtin', en it wux nip en tuck with me ter make tongue en buckle meet, CT the sayin' is. To make matters worse Mandy -we alters called her Sis taken sick, en thought she wux goin' ter dle out. rhet's her a.settin' thar in the cornder Stranger, never 'spec,ed ter see thet gal live ter hev bows. Boys is got to comin' ter see her light reg lar now, uv Sundays. We'll sur, one day l he'd scraped up the last dustin uv meal ou,en the neal chist, en parched the last grain uv rye ter make coffee; en says ter myself, ef the good Lord don't | send us somethin' ter eat, me en my yosng uns is goners,' We'll, sur, l wept to the door ter see ef the ash hopper wuz a runnin', en hope may never see the back uv my he'd ag'in tf didn't see oAV AAa Nuu to(AiA kuC IOa0 ashaddle uv thet same ole pore hoss, en when seed him, l sed ter myself, 'ef you air a comin' arter sumethin' ter ca, ag'in, you'll miss it this time, Mister Hawkins Well, sur, ake rid up. he did, en he sed, Miss Tohnson, hyar is piece uv meat eR turn uv meal fur ye,'-l wuz so takin' on surprise | couldn't say nuthin'-'l thought ez mebby you might be a needin' sumthin' ter eat while Lige was gone, en hope you'll take it fur the sake uv the good times me en you he'd together when VIC wuz youngsters a growin' up together When Ike sed that he turned en rid of, he did, en l never hev set my tive eyes On him sense :. Bst hev never fargo, him. he4rn people say he moved up into Tennysee Now, mister. ef yeu should ever see Ike in yore travels tell him you seed me, en [ sed howdy en you kin tell him, ef he's got erTy boy ter send him down this a way a courtin'. Tell him he kin hsv Mandy-thats sis-fur the axin'. Eu tell him she's the purties, gal in Pike county, Alabama, ef her mor does say 1t herself En tell him"
 Please excuse me, madam, for inter- rupting you, bat am very tired. and it you will be lind enough to show me where I will sleep, believe l will go to bed"
 "You1l lie right over thar. Gist take yer cheer erlong with you to hang yer clothes on."
 It was fortunate that carried my "cheer," for sAe bed was one of the oid- fashioned high water kind, and had 10 get on the chair to get into it. And while the garrulous old woman sang to