New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-02
DOWN SOUTH.
THUR CASE IIOSS.

|
efforts tho animals were quletcd long enough for us
to hear In a sharp and yet fat voice, the question
| shouted up at u.s.
Dogs bite1'
Mrs Aver slgnacd that the dogs didn't bite ana
! that tho woman was to como on AS she are"
neaypr VIZ saw that the stranger a white apron
aver bcr print c,,wn We had ALREADY observed that
10 wear white apron here IL to be In the very height
| Of a well-drcsscd condition TO have on sucn ."
article IL TO enjoy that mental state referred 10 oy INC
| Boston woman who averred that to be well dresseu
brought consolation which religion failed TO bestow'
| On the sallow faces OF these female mountalnecrs
tbcre is a neculIar smirk a certain expression OF
graticd vanity when the white apron Is won ana II
that portion OF the wardrobe has small hounce az
| the bottom then the wearer IS almost aggrosslVeiy
set up with her consciousness OF nne apparel
| should not dare to call the person poor white
| who owned white apron with founce on II. we
have almost decided I'm our own minds that houhceo
apron II It be white IS the visible token OF the line
drawn between poor whites and respectable farmers
| On one side sQuaor the other side fortune ana
| station.
ITS Mrs. Case from over the State road said
| Mrs. Aver: let hope she has not come to spend
the day.
| Mrs. Case drew near, her thin, saffron face very
solemn IN tho depths OF her white sun bonnet Sho
! nodded and said: "Howdy. l hope you-uns Is ell
| wel17
Yes we were all well Mrs. Aver asked her II she
|
| she slipped off the saddle, mans saddle Ristus'
! who was in the background with the twins, came
forward bearing Ole Pinks baby over his left shoulder
| lie led tho horse toward the barn. Mrs. Case shook
hands with all, slowly swinging our hands up and
down. as II she were going through with some Kind
Of religious ceremony at which II would be improper
to smile. She again said that she hoped you-uns Is
| WE'LL, and we again said that were we'll
Then all went into the cabin and sat down by
| tho hearth. Mrs Aver tried to converse, making
great efforts elicit response from her guest,
who sat In the best chair with her feet thrust out
| toward the fire which smoudcred in front OF hcr
sho quiescent, not to say stagnant, that Mrs
Aver at last deslsted from her aruous exerton and
VIC sat In silence Mrs. Case apparently enjoying
her oud, or her wnd of snuff, with melancholy Sans
faction. After quarter Of an hour she turned her
| head toward Mrs. Aver and asked:
Z" Air yo' well enough"
Mrs. Aver seemed a trIhe confused, for she had
already told this woman twice that she was well.
| Did Mrs. Case suspect that conceaing some
maladyl Our friend asserted, with some emphasis,
that she in good health; and she added that
Mrs. Aver was well also the twins, as II she would
| forcsta any inquiries concerning them.
Mrs. Case leaned forward.
| 81 thur twins amt run away yet" she said.
run away7" repeated Mrs Aver
| Yes-um. When they ter thur mill last week
| they said they ter run away. They said as
they didn't have 'nOugh ter eat
Mrs. Aver flushed with Indignation; Mrs. Case
smoothed her apron. Contrary the expectation Of
tho latcr, Mrs Aver did pursue the subject She
| asked about Mr.. Cases crops But the guest
| not going to talk about crops. She said that her
| husband didn't plough deep but what HIS " crops
was tOrrable He'd ben er breakin piece down By
! thur river When he thur, he thur twins
or tall1n' with their mother Twant no good fur one
| ter talk with thur mother" Mrs. Case had heard
that the mother had CURT a ole man. leaving us
to translate for ourselves this somewhat contradictory
| statement, and that they living piece over
toward Black Mounting She reckoned Mrs Aver
must be " bout ready ter git ketched of one
Sho received reply this remark and the
silence impressive that even Mrs. Case dropped
the twins as topic for conversation.
Presently she resumed by saying that she reckoned
wo-uns had heard about the death of her son-n-law
| in Ashcvs last week She said he want nawthn'
nor nobody in his life, but he died reiocin.7 She
| had Undesirable drawl upon the last word Of
| every sentence, and this draw1 was particularly
| noticeable she pronounced rejoicn'"; there
a certain smack of satisfaction, too, In her tone
that told that she was glad her daughters husband
| was dead and also glad that he left this world re-
olcin' though he had been good to anybody while
| he had remained In this existence.
ave be or gwine ter take gal home, an the
| little gall she said. MY husband said he reckoned
! he could get vctuas 'nough. The wdder that's my
GAL she took II lighter N was 'frsid she mOught"-
nasal frightening of mougtr and rous elevation
Of the eyes. thought I'd let her go visitin' so
| she'd git keched of her sorrer She'll come
back right peari. tell my old man. We can't be
thankful nough that BIZ he died with Jesus in his
soul. ! tell 'um folks may have high place In
| his world, but in the eyes of thur Lamb onter his
throne CT light sh'll be fist Is good thur richest.
tell 'um thur Redeemer Of thur world loves US poor
folks fist s well IS he does thur rich ones, Of be-
have $ we'll"
We all made asserting murmur Mrs. Case
seemed very well pleased with her last remarks ;
so well pleased that she Immediately repeated the
latter half OF them, and again made the
She began now to give minute particulars of her
son-in-law's Illness and last hours particulars which
I will not repeat. At the end Of this narrative she
said she = didn't know nawthn' who gwine ter
pay Bill's doctor" She asserted that money be
raised some way. Having said this she turned to
Amabel and me, slowly, but with great nexpected
ness and told us that she had heard we wanted to
buy horse to ride that had a saddle gait, and
didn't trot
We were so surprised at this turn in the con-
versation that acknowledged that did think
of buying low priced horse If we found one that
suited. We spoke thus. though we saw vaguely that
Mrs. Aver making some kind Of signal to
We did not understand what she meant, and felt
kcenly anxious. and quite that had said the
wrong thing.
q reckon old Yaller-ta III suit you-uns.- said
Mrs. Case I" ! reckon mought 60 out an look at
him.
She evidently meant the horse she had ridden.
She as she spoke. Her face could not look ami
mated but there did come rifc Of life into II as
she spoke OF selling the horse She kept close TO
we went to the barn close that Mrs Aver could
not give any advice, though she contortcd her face
into dreadful shapes In her anxiety TO mako under
stand something. we could not guess what. We had
no idea whether she wished us to know that we
might better buy the horse or not even look at him.
This uncertainty trying Risus not visible.
We heard the twins shriekng up beyond tho Enclosure
whore the roughness' stacked.
Mrs. Case went into the barn and led out " ole
Yaller tall" beast which escaped being clay bank
I'm color, for his tail
d" You-uns try him. she said.