Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-07-23
THE SWAMP SERPENT.

The "Feuilleton,' vA'ch has so long been
feature of the newspapers of Paris, is rapidly
being cngrafted upon tho strong stock Of
American journalism and now the daily
Htory As looked for by many readers AS eagerly
80 are the stock reports 10y others. Because
+ ,Ais fact, put the following matter in the
Drm of n story, instead of the stereotyped
); e of a newspaper letter, and in genuine
1tory fashion open with few words of talk
Hrom the lips of one of the characters. In
CHS case, she is MARY" the wcll-known
Choctaw pnddcr of roots and herbs, whose
station is near the down town entrance OF the
camous French market, in New Orleans.
Hear her:
"Eh, bien, gentymansl it is true | am no
banan this molnmg-not n one. He is stole,
chat bnnan. Two bunch ,anan stole, and the
1hief-the thief-he is snake"
Seeing the doubtful look upon our faces,
Mary pointed a copper colored forelinger
coward her stock in trade spread out upon the
pavement around her.
"Eh. bien, gentymans" She said in her I'M
nodulatcd voice. 1T is true See, am no
tesnan this morning.
Sure enough. the noble bunch of bananas
which had heen her pride and principal
source of revenue, as well as tho envy Of
every other Choctaw vendor in tho market,
for 10 these many days, was conspicuous
by its absence and MarN's stOck-lille that Of
aer Coinpatriots--was made up solely of some
pitiful bark canoes, beaded moCCasins punches
Of dried herbs and roots and about two quarts
Of swamp hlackherries.
0And the thief" asked my companion,
l7ustavc--a member of the Now Orleans
police forcc-aftcr taking three lazy pulls at
his cigarette and ejcctng the smoke in slender
9'reulhS a'''' i''H N.Y. rs - Nv N'''' 30
ne one oi your ''lehOoiS;
ne Is l"' l'''' NO. l'o u "o' i''"n-i'o
Ae Is siah'
Like an "'dcr i'uia''N' 'ilr 1n'o1o" wi
FenutIS ""o s"'HVi - t'O'' S'Oul, ca
orhig III inc emu ol 't ,, MAJ hey ~, ~,
NE" VI.'d''S' "ic Ho' N"'u"'' ~" i.iuON'
you WI" ASH lo'',l'7 ~ iup'o pc VI
clean bark ul"n "nI'h hai,iiu' Vi oeii
y plcu' anu inc lIui"h wiz n'i'i up WV
anger ''l''ttllg rel''S-or 'ir'o oi lour as
inc case may pp' ooIi'.l'ies he WIZ puv wv II,
price li'o "o'"S' pu' MS ''''V,oii 80 ~, -
genera r'scr!eu Tor MS own P'" o III 'ne
privacy "i MS n",No sM"'ip7' no ciiVoi
prize Whleh l''i liluucod mary 10 puIcn
0i bananas 10 n'' lioiii' 5''''i.i'N iooU' anu
Aerbs hau req TO her ACQUIRING iiore eA-
Tended Vo'apuIarY IMAM 'n"C VI any VI NC.
ie1a'INcH' ann 'io No" :. -
lPon h'r great loss iilaue ho' use ~ iioi
Ereely' 'hls morning. IMAM ever peioro Ill 'ne
presence ol ""i'S i men. .,.e..r,
1ou are ipt polIeNc ''iit U"l,' - aii'NT'
one Iu'A,u her course pl'cH l''lr oei iipl
Der cars ana Sco"Iyu dO Us iI"'n ''i,v''n noi
"try eyebrows men Sic pelVo'i Ci'o iooso
2aIlco wrapper "HicH sHe "o'o WIN hel ouV
stretched hh&'rN' ana ler"eu her h'H'' 'oWaru
the sIn"o,H 'lrcuihIereh'e ~ n'r WALSH illus
olSplaFIu
hat snake IS ulS u~'uSh Hho aii',
HIS mead Is nue. IKE my Two HStS' anu
2e Is un5-ch' uioII. lc = !'iS hNo 9niP
~ on know t!'V lghoulitoui'S roa''' les
81. am I'VE mere Two illieS from Iheie,
where the river bends III ana comes near my
NlgNam am hal1S my paiah Ill thac hVo
OAK cree "h're the "lHu can Keep nun lieSn'
tllu VIXEN "l '"iil' up 'ii' '"' inOi,
,oro yt.pr hliht' WIN water Ior "oll III .no
Pot, thLl ~'..'..' I' conn, uC"h "dC Vi tho NV
oak. H' Is h'l'N' alN' ne Is CRAWL anu 'ra"l'
and crawl.
she initiated tha serpent Us SOW Hil''i'lS mo
non VITA her SKINNY nahd ana arm