Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-11-15
OLD SEATON'S PLANS.
Excellent Reasons Why He Con-
Guided to Alter Them

Guided to Alter Them
"Matters have reached certain pint, and
C'lum must hear to reason"
So said old Luke Seaton to his wife one
evening in the autumn of the year.
"If he were a old man there'd be some ex
cuse for the fuss she's a-makin'; but he's
young and well-favored and owns quarter
section o. good land, mostly paid for by his
own hard tn. ANY gearl Ort to think her
self lucky; an C'lum must hear to reason.
Look inter the almanac, mother, and sec
when the moon changes. The pigs Just
right; fat enough m not too fat; but we
mustn't slorter in the decrease, kase why,
the meat'll shrink in fryin'. First quarter
comes next Tuesday! Well, that's as good
day as any for pig-killin', and better meat
than fresh ribs and tenderlines few folks
'u'd crave, even for weddin' supper. Pig
slortered and put up on Tuesday, bakin'
done on Wednesday, and weddin' on Thurs
day-that's the layin'-out. Call Clum."
Mrs. SeatOn, the meek spirited Lady Cap
ulet of this story, obeyed, and presently Co.
lumbia, her daughter, entered. She was a
tall, handsome country girl with a face
bright and sincere. When her fathers
''layin'out" was repeated to her, she shook
her head, and said with slow scorn:
Il wonder that you should suppose you
could make ME do it,"
The old man ragged and raved. He abused
his daughter, and abused her mother for not
having taught her fiIial obedience, and
ended by abusing a certain young man
named Ralph Bryan, who had made love to
Columbia, and who Columbia favored.
"The good nothing, weakly drug store
clerk, 'thout a dollars with O. land or live
stock IN the worldn'
HE has that that's better than land or
Stock said Columbia; "he has brains and a
good heart"
At this her father fairly danced about in
his angry excitement.
"You take up fer him, do We: Well, I've
settled all that. He's he'd his orders, and
you've he'd yourn. He keeps Off this place,
or sure as my dog Bulls got teeth in his
head, they gifts sot in his scrawny shanks
Brains and a good heartl To think of fell
Ter with nothin' in the world but brains an
a good heart havin' the base fortytood to
ask man o. my means fer his only darter ~
Then, we grieve to say, Columbia forgot
the fifth commandment and spoke words to
her parents dishonor.
descended when he came to ask for his wife
the daughter OF man proud of his ignor-
ance; a man who could never be persuaded
to learn to read and writer
I'VE sassy iader' growled the old farmer,
savagely. ''InSultin' yer own father, who
more'n half deserves it for sparin' We from
the work to go to school, std o. maxim We
hoe corn summers and shell the same win
tiers! But all the same he's he'd his orders,
and you've he'd yourn. Sure as your name
is Columby Ann Seaton, so sure you'll be
married to William Haywood next Thurs
day. Figger out what you want from town
for the supper fixin's, and I'll git the same
to-morrer; and if We behave as good girl
ort I'll do by We, in the matter o. outsettin'
in way that'n surprise We"
"Tn never marry Bill Haywood" said Co
lumbia, firmly. "Why, he has scarcely asked
me! have never spoken hundred words
with the man in my lifer'
'Well, yell hev a chance TO speak several
hundred with him before We die of old age.
And if he hasn't asked you, he's asked me.
which amounts to good deal more in this
case. Dye hear that! Nobody can't say a
word ag'in him, and, if it want for the wild
der Loczery, and her game-makin', dam
agin' tongue, the gearls 'ud be crowdin'
each other off'n the floor fer a chance to
stand up with him.
The widow Lockery, in her own peculiar
serio-comic style, did give William Haywood
rather grotesque setting forth, somewhat
as follows:
"rd heerd as how Billy was ruther too
avaricious for young man, neglectin' his
self and keepin' a means oudacious kind of
OF bachelors hall, all on account of savip'-
ness. But / said twas to his credit to he
savin'. It's creditable to git property. and
creditable to save it, in all reasonable and
becomin' ways; but there's kind of CON
omy that's both unreasonable and unbecom-
in. Well, one day Lavynie's little bow KEN
and told me that Will Haywood wanted some
o. my cut-short beans to plant with his corn.
so, when he was givin' his corn the first
plowin', 1 took lif-e poke o. them beans
and started cross lots to the field knew he
was workin' in. / kern close up to him afore
he saw me, and had a chance TO look the
critter over; and tell you he was a sight
Not that he's such humly wretch. He's
tall and well put up, with fairish face, only
his eyes have narrer, borin' sort % souint.
But the way he was dressedl Hickory
shirt-that's all right. Cownide boots-all
right, too. But he he'd on gulluses made
out'n old pair o. buggy reins, and NANCY
old plug hat that was his father's-the nan
peeled OF in places. And his trousers-they
was the worst! l hardly know how to
tell you about them; he was wearin, them
onmentionables in such an onmentionabIe
way. You see they he'd begun to show
signs OF sivin' out, and to make 'em last
longer he had actually reversed 'em-put
'em on front backwards and back front
wards. Sure's you live, the bulges his knees
NED made were, at the back Of his legsl Well
! stood therei Presently went on to tell