, 1888-09-09
HE WASN'T FIFTEEN.

saw me coming up tne Trail, ana Sne came
down a bit to meet me. She was a YER
liable elfn in look. bareheaded. bare
footed, ragged and her tangled hair flying
around her head. She had Q finger in her
mouth as she came up, but she took it
out to say:
"Cribbins to you, stranger"
"And cribbins to you, my child"
The term "cribbins" is often used in
the place of "HelloI" or How are your"
The meaning is that you have arrived at
a crib or feeding place and are welcome.
"And how are pap and mam?' l asked
as we shook hands.
MANS dun gone md got mad, and
pap's cryin'. Can't you hear herr Nam
shouldn't jaw bone pap all the time. Pap
does.best he kin"
1 could hear the shrill tones of a wo-
mans voice as we drew nearer, and when
we reached the door / halted in-embar-
rassment, seeing that the family skeleton
was out.
"ohl MANI called the girl whose name
was Mary.
"You shetr' replied the woman, whose
back was toward us.
"Ohl man, but yere's a goerl Ctrav-
eler).
The mother came to the door, surveyed
me for a moment, and then extended her
hand and said:
'Cribbins to you, stranger. Jim, yere's
a goer. Come yere and clutch"
A tall, thin, cadaverous looking man
came forward, wiped his eyes with a rag,
blew his nose several times, and held out
his hand and said:
"Gripety to clutch, and cribbins to you,
stranger. Pete Farrell was along this
morning, and he said you was maxim ibis
way"
''Perhaps | had better po on"
"0hl shucksl' exclaimed the wife,
''you come right inl It'snothin' to speak
of, l was dun tellin' Jim what a pore
wuthless critter he was"
Stranger, Jim Porter gins ye cribbins
with all his heart, added the man, and we
went in.
The situation seemed to strike Mary all
in q heap. and after a hearty laugh she
said:
Pears so titterish that he'un caught
mann coon KILN dadl"
- you she'll" called the mother; eff /
was coon KILN dad he deserved itp'
'In leave it to he'un if 1 do" put in
the husband.
Its this way, explained the girl as
she stood up to motion it off, and her face
covered with a laugh. MANS a great
Yves pore and that makes man mad, but
dad says ives bound to be pore, and SO he
don't worry"
That's it. honey" said the woman;
land now, stranger, want to hev a leetle
buzz (talk) with you. l want to tell you
all about Jim"
And l want to tell you all about her."
added the husband.
and want to tell We all about the
hull passle of 'eml" chuckled Mary in
high feather.
The mother jumped for her, but the
girl skipped out doors with a shout, and
then we prepared for the talk. Igave
Jim a cigar, the wife lighted her pipe,
and when the smoke got to curling up she
began.
~"Stranger, we ar the most shuckless
passle in these yere hills, an he'un is all
to blame fur it."
Now, Pollyl" chided the husband.
Deed We ar, Jim. We've bin hitched
fifteen years. We cum right yere to this
very s~hakedown fifteen years ago, an
yere we ar today. We did hev a little
sunthin' to begin on, but it's all gone
now. Stranger, l hewitt got but one
towel in this yere cabin, an that's got a
hole into itl'
"shucks. Polly Who wants to use
towels2"
1--WE had three new sheets when we
cum yere-reg'lar sheets fur the bed"
SO4AbLLAhNo az IN Dub "LhA al AL4OJ
now? We had four pillar cases, but
they's lone gone. We had cups and sas-
sers, but We can't find 'em now. Stran-
ger, look about We an see how pore an
downridden we ar"
"An' it's my fault, of coursel' said the
husband, beginning to cry.
That's what I'll always grip by (stick
toy, Jim. If you was a glitter we'd bin
rich folks afore this"
"Shucks, Pollyl"
"Ohl it amt no use of hetchin' (scof-
fng), Jim. If it wasn't for me an the
gal you'd starve to death. You began to
sot almost as soon as we got spliced, an
you've got wuss every year. L tell ye,
stranger, it keeps me clean beat. Other
folks git along and go ahead, but we'uns
goes down hill every day. We hain't got
nuthin', an we amt git nuthin', an the
Lord doan' keer no mo about us than so
many emery skunksl"
With that she burst out crying and
Jim wept the harder, and Mary looked in
at the door and seriously observed:
Stranger, ye want to talk to pap
powerful sassy. He's tryin' to be fitten,
an everybody knows he never will be
fttcn."
That's what ails him" said the wife
rs she choked back her tears.
Whats he trying to be ftten forf" l
asked.
ITO spread the gospil, stranger. He's
got his nose in that ar Bible all day long.
He wants to be fitten to preach, but he
never kin be. If he wouldn't try to be
fitten he'd go to work and arm sunthin'."
why can't / be ftten2' asked Jim.
wasn't Moses. st. John and Pau fttenf"
Eyes, but they wasn't pore, ignorant
scrctters. an you know it. They had
calls"
AN haven't / got e CALI Didn't hear
Rvoice in my dreams a-sayin': Jim Porter.