The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-07-14
SAM JARVIS AND WIFE.
BY Nj. QUAD.

BY NJ. QUAD.
 was within mile of the boundary line between Tennessee and North Carolina, and near where the Little Tennessee river crosses the line, when I heard shrill voices on the rough trail ahead. Then as I passed sharp curve I came upon a man and a woman, and few rods beyond them was tumble down cabin, with three children sitting on the doorstep.
 It needed but glance to show that man and woman were husband and wife, and that the cabin and children belonged to them. The woman had on an ancient straw bonnet and a faded shawl, as if bound on a journey, and both people were somewhat ex- cited. My appearance cut short their conversation, and both gave me a ''howdy?" as drew nearer
 It was the loneliest, gloomiest spot in all the glooy spurs of the. lonely Cumberland. Nine miles back was a mountain cabin in another such cove how far ahead to the next I could not say. Around the house was half an acre of cleared ground. All else was rock and hill and bush. The nearest town was twenty miles away, and as for schools and churches the people had scarcely heard of them. It wasn't so much the poverty-though none could be poorer-but the utter loneliness, the seclusion, the cutting loose from all the great world, that struck me. Once a month some stranger might pass that way. There was an awesomeness about the spot even when the sun shone the bright est. When the night came down and the winds sighed through trees and bushes and the solemn old mountain sent masses of loosened earth and rock crashing down the steep slopes it must have been maddening.
 We three looked at each other for a minute without speaking. Then the man said:
 "I'm jist glad on't!"
 "So'm l !" replied the woman.
 "Cause now I'll tell him all about it, and you'll see if he don't fetch (agree) with me-"
 ''No, he won't, Samuel Jarvisl He'll jist fetch with me, and he'll tell you to yer face that ye orter be ashamed of yerself.
 "Is it a-a family jar2" I inquired "Come up to the cabin," replied the man.
 The children's faces wore an amused expression through the dirt. They seemed to be about seven, nine and twelve years old, respectively, and soap and combs and towels were ar- ticles unknown to them. They snick- cred among themselves as we ap. preached, and the oldest said to hit father:
 "Mam was a-goin' this time, ful suah."
 "Shet !" was the brief command ol the father.
 "Dad and nam is always a-fussin',' , added the second oldest.
 "Hiram, you shet 1" exclaimed tho mother as she sat down beside him.
 The father and I sat down upon ( log at the door, and while he wal clearing his voice to begin, and reach ing out for stick to whittle while h, talked, the woman suddenly brok, down and sobbed out:
 "Just look around and see how Py, had to live fur the last fifteen years P "Thar's them as lives wuss," repliet the husband.
 "Whut hev we gotr" she demanded starting up and looking around. "Yo, could tote our goods on yer back We've jist squatted yere, and we don own nuthing..
 "It's agin the law to own niggers, he calmly observed.
 "Niggersl What do we want witl niggers? Niggers would starve witt us! We'uns Is niggers huff"
 "We'll hev muel some day."
 The children cheered.
 "A muell Some dayl Ohl yesl real, live mueli And . kerridge And we'll feed him on slivers an, splinters! That's bin the talk fur tn last dozen years, and whar's tn muel?"
 "Muels is high, Nancy"
 "Kin 1 wollop him, dsd?" anxiousl inquired the oldest child.
 "Shet 1" called father and mother i one voice.
 "It's like this, stranger" continue the wife after wiping away her tear "We don't git along. It's all hi fault. He's lazy, and he don't keer flu riches. He's allus gwine to do suthin but it never comes. Yere we squatte when we got spliced, and yere we ar to-day. Them young 'uns has grove