The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-06-22
AnCRACKER" SKETCH.
A Pen Picture of Life Among the
Lowiy in the State Of Georgia.

dilapidated worm" fence around 1t,
a ragged honeysuekle vine at the side
OF the door, which is never closed'
winter or summer, a few stunted rose
bushes bordering she path OF white
sand that glistened blindingly In the
the sun OF a midsummer day, from
the broken gate to the rickety door
step.
A traveller drew his horse up at the
gate, and after the fashion OF the
country, shouted, "HeIlo" He heard
a sonorous growl from within the
house as If an immense. ill.natured
African lion had been disturbed from
an afternoon siesta; then a shrill
shattered voice commanded, you,
Watch. git right back thar" and the
great dog Immediately retired to his
tavorite couch beneath the high, I'M
crrtained bedstead,
A few moments later there protrud-
ed from the open door an enormous
corncob pipe, from which thesmokewas
curling in a hazy blue column. As the
pipe with, it seemed. several sections
OF stem, gradually made itself visible,
it became evident that the other end
disappeared in an old woman's
mouth-a dry, expressionless mouth,
surrounded with ever widening
circles of wrinkles, as is the
centre OF a tree, which circles took in
a long sharp nose, q hooked chin, two
bright, inqaisitive eyes, and finally
disappeared under the folds OF q cot
ton handkerchief bound over snowy
hair.
Then the handle OF the pipe was
with an effort extracted from its ac-
customed place between the old
cracker mothers lips as she called,
cole man, here's sum 'un as wanster
see you"
The pipe is replaced and the thin
column OF blue smoke curls lazily up
as the stranger sits in silence under
the close scrutiny from the eyes above
the primitive pipe, as well as from q
pair of bright, starry orbs, dimly Wis.
ible through a crack between two logs
OF the cabin.
Presently a thick stream OF dark
yellow fluid is projected from around
a corner or the building with the force
and volume Of a lawn sprinkler, a
heavy cud of tobacco is flung ont
among the stunted rose bushes, and
an old man-dwarfed in appearance,
with a lean and slender frame, yellow
skin, thick gray locks, from which
projects an aquiline nose and peer
two ferret.like and furtive eyes
comes slowly slouching into view.
He YEA patched and darned brown
lean clothes, and as it Is summer he
does not wear any shoes at ali. he
speaks first, saying in a breath:
"Good DISQUALIFICATION, mist
err"
The stranger lights and enters the
house, which, after the glaring semi
path outside, looks as cool and
gloomy as a grotto. Then he came
face to face with the girl Of the starry
eyes, who indeed appear. perhaps from
the contrast with her homely sur,
roundings, a rare vision OF girlisI
loneliness.
As the stranger bowed she smiled
basafully and said Good mawnin', 4
though it is late in the afternoon, but
no one s'makes HIM acquainted"
The young lady whom the mother
calls "Soonie' brings him directly q
drink OF cool spring water in a small
long handled gourd, which is whit,
and as light as cork, and which Seems
to impart an agreeable flavor and
sweetness to the water; but as the
weary traveller meets Soonie's and II
taking the gourd and her eyes while
drinking, it may be that the virtue
did not all lie in the gourd.
The mother sits beside thedoorway
knitting, smoking and gazing dowr
the lonely sandy road as she haC
done every day these last fifty years
Along that road, she tells the strang
/, er, her old man brought her TO thiI
home the day they were married
! only he wasn't an old man then, bu'
one OF the finest boys in thl
country; along that road kSsonly sol
, Benny marched away to sin
Guv'nor Brown" but he never cam
+, back; along that road later ON cam
one division Of Sherman's conquerinI
hosts as they swept over the alread.
desolated country on to the sea, an,
along that road some day in the nea
future she will be carried Id q rougl
pine box, on a iolting OK cart up t.
: The burying ground at New Prospec
Church and laid to rest. Old maj
! Stubs, with 4similar thoughts, per
haps, sits near her, industriousl
chewing a new tobaccoeud and bask
ing in the sun on the doorstep. AM
/. asking at intervals, like minute guns
nAnd what did you say your nam
mout be, mister?" though the gy9s
had not as yet mentioned it.
, "And you are from-where, mister?
failing to use The name after obtain
. ing it.
And what mout be your bushes
misterY" cIinging stu to his fayorit
title
"And be you q Yankee, misterg"
While gratifying his hosts curiosit.
: the visitor glances curiously abou
the room on his Own account. Abou
!. the open fireplace at which the tamtl
cooking is done are ranged the onl
cooking vessels known IN crackel
4 DOMAIN sven TO bake bread
I q trying pan in which Che