The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-19


tered to the spiritual interests of Choogaloo, of
Short Bark, of the Long Ridee-rude settle
ments snugly slowed away amid the corrugated
spurs Of the North Carolina mountains His
spare form and severe features bent his
shambling, one-eyed gray pony. had been a ia
miliar sight to the wayfarers of that rugged re-
eion long that the 'worldin's." who
scofed at religious fervor and laughed at his an
tique. ascetic habits, would have missed the
sight Of him more than they cared to confess.
He never asked pay for his work. If any
chose to give. he accepted; if naught was forth
coming, he labored on and gave no sign, except
in prayerfui confession, that his labors were all
too feeble-his un worthiness too great--for Gods
forbesrance in allowing him to live, and love.
and labor and endure-among his chosen peo-
pie. He was self-searching and narrow minded.
dogmatic. somewhat bigoted in doctrine-yet
somehow lovable; caring. over all, less for his
own comfort and success than for the eternal
welfare Of others.
He lived in a small house on Choogaloo creek,
unattended, save by a half-witted young fellow
called Pack, who cooked for him. and in his alb
sencs bothered the neichbors by his unexpected
appearances and semiidotic chatter.
One day there came a letter addressed in
zig-zag hand TO 'Mr. Lem Kimbro" The Par
son took it from the Office at Tormeys store
and placed it carefully in his hat. After supper
that night, with his pipe alight. and his legs
stretched before the fire and Pack snoring in
bed, he opened it and read. Though deemed
''terribls smart" by many of his flock, he was
almost as a babe il the wilderness amid the in
trlcacss Of pencraft He deciphered each word
slowly, with an effort that wrinkled his forehead
and made his old eyes ache:
'Deerfoot, texas ianooery forth 1s8-
Mister Lem Kirnbro dear Trend / takes my pen in
hand tn let yu no am we'll and hopin these flu lines
will find yu the ! am cumnin back home agin.
am tirde ov Twin out heer and want tn git the
old house reddy fur want tn du this for the
sake ov old times.
from nissis Arizony Adkins tn Mister Lem Kirnbro
Mt Chugylu Crick."
The Parson laid the letter down, pushed his
glasses mp and gazed musingly on the fire. His
brow. severely bent at first, gradually relaxed.
and his lips, usually compressed and rigid,
wreathed themselves into an expression almost
tender and womanish. After while his face
hardened again as he said. half aloud:
II wonner why she din'nt make Nose write7
She dom nary word erbout Pack, md him her
own born'd brother. Nd yit-she mout think
he wuz dead-'nd yit-ef she do. why din't she
after i'm, md him all the Twin kin she hev
got, ez knows on"
He dismissed this query under the succeeding
influence of fonder retrospections.
.She wuz monsous pert and lively. she wuz.
In them thar yurs of vanity useter think the
hull WORT didn' hor ez takin' a gal as Arizony
Farmer memmer one time at some Krismus
doins down ter her pap's, when she w'ndnt let
ole man bar kiss FER. Then L pulls up the head
md tole 'er ole man bar wuz Sandy Claws md
Sandy Claws wuz me; nd she put up 'er mouth
ez naterai-jist ez material ez tho my kssin
of er wat she'd alrays egspected Nd
now Nose Adkins hev married 'er yurs ND yurs
ago.
Could it be that somewhere in this early past
lay the secret of Parson Kimbro's present un-
welded isolationl preacher without a wife
Choogaloo did not approve or it, and had often
reminded him of his deficiency in that respect.
He now family reproached himself for giving
way to these "reminiscences of his u..regenerate
past. Were they honest warnings that at
times disquieted him, subtle instigations of
the evil one co WOO him back to the lusts of the
feshl
I'm afesrd, when hit comes ter the reel pull,
yain' got more strenk nur backDo ergin |
the devil than some o. them thar Mefferdiss over
at Short Bark not but wat they sorter tries in |
thur youn bin way ter git true grace, but when
one starts out on the wrong trail, sech strivin'
Is a good deal like mendin' small hole by rip.
pin bigger one. However. they yain' Baptiss, |
AN reckin they can't hope sech doins."
The perversities of the Short Bark Methodists |
always made the Parson unamiaDle when he |
thought of them. He therefore withdrew from |
this stone throwing into his own glass-house |
by saying. with true humility
wal, wal; thurs Christyuns than |
Mefferdiss. nd eff the hui troof wuz known, I'm |
a feerd I'm one on 'em sometimes Bit Arizony |
Adkins now-why haint heerd that much on /
nuyer writ. tho l reckn Use halter look after
the house fur 'er. wonner eff she ever furgot |
how ws-how / ulster keer fur 'erl
Here the Parson, as though ashamed of this |
reflection, rose abruptly. laid Arizouy's letter
between the leaves of his Bible carefully |
''kivered up some fire. and went to bed
There were various surmises on Choogaloo
creek to the purport of of Arizonys proposed
return. A few old ones chuckled little over
her writing to Parson Kimbro-reme m beriug
dimly how the last, when young and foolish"
had fallen a willing victim to the girls fresh and
blooming beauty. The general inference was
good luck in Texas, and were returning home to
air their prosperity before the eyes of Chooga-
loo. Choogaloo did not object, though consid-
ering itself in it's own ways as good those of
any one else.
Il reckin the man she run'd off long of nd
married nd ez TUX 'er out thar mus hev made
mint o money" said aunt Salomy Witt TO her
husband. Aunt Salomy was a leader of local
gossip and her opinions canvassed with avidity
Nose Adkins wuz allays a shifty sort of Teller"
Inc wilder Stlckney,' who had been one of
schoolmates, wondered if Nose were !
yet alive She remembered that she had .'sorter
sot er own cap fur Im." but had been cut out
by ArIzonys superior attractiveness. Though
she had since acquired and buried two helpmates
OF her own. her vanity still lazily reproached
her when she heard the news that now brought
back many memories of the past in certain
elderly gray heads.
The Parson. at first grumbling over the
trouble of repairing the old Farmer house. soon
found sad kind of pleasure in the task as his
mind bred reminiscent fancies that quickened
renderly under abe congenial labor of his hands.
Pack" he said for the twentieth time. as
that grinning aid handed up covering boards.
while the Parson-on the roof-was stopping |
sundry leaks, docs ye know yore own born'd
sister air comm back ter YET"
Pack laughed and jabbered in a language
peculiar to himself.
"Wal she is; nd tho she didn' edzackly say so
In 'er letter. reckin Nose Adkins III turn up
eflong with 'er. You'll 6e hevin' many rich
resashuns apilin on We, Pack, I'm afeerd We
won' wanter be keepin' house fur me much lon
ger. Bit thass all eright. bov; we've ben master
good. seein' how leetle sense the Lord hes seen
fttin ter bless ye with; md hope Arzony md
her man IL do better part by ye n I've RELY
ben able to, all these yurs."
De- "A A. ~