The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-11
A CRACKER SKETCH.

A two room log house. with iow' al
,apida,ed worm" fence around II.
racpcd honeysucke vine ut one side OF
the door which Is never closed. winter or
aummer. few stunted rose bushes DOT
der,ng the path OF white sand that g''s-
tened b,ndingly In the sun OF midsum-
mer day from tho broken gate to the
ricke,y doorstep
A traveller drew his horse up at the
cate md after the fashion OF the coun'
try shouted Hell To- Ito heard sonor-
Gus growl from within the house. as II an
immense III uatured African lion had
been disturbed from All afternoon siesta'
then n shrill. shattered voice commanded,
You. Watch git right back thar. ana
the great dog immediately retired 10 his
favorlte couch beneath the high. incur
tanned bedstead
A few moments later there protruded
from the open door an enormous corn COD
pipe. from which the smoke was curing
IN n law blue column. AS the pipe with.
n seemed several sections OF STEM grad
ually made itself visible. 1t became evi
dent that the other end disappeared In an
old womans month"; dry expression
less mouth. surrounded with ever widen
ing circles Of wrinkles. as Is the center
of tree. which circles took In a long.
sharp nose. hooked chin. two bright.
inaustive eyes. and finally disappeared
under tie folds OF a cotton handkerchief
bound over snowy hair
Then the handle Of the pipe was with
an effort extracted from its accustomed
Mace between the old cracker mothers
Inns as she called. "Ole man. ole man.
here's sum 'un as wanster see you-
The pipe Is replaced and the thin col
umn of blue smoke curls lazily up as tho
stranger sits in silence under close scru
tiny from the eyes above the primitive
pipe as well as from a pair OF bright
starry orbs dimly visible through crack
between two logs OF the cabin
Presently n thick stream of dark yellow
fluid is projected from around corner OF
the building with the force and volume OF
lawn sprinkler, heavy quid OF tobacco
ia flung out among the stunted rose bushes
and an old man-dwsrfed In appearance.
with a lean and slender frame yellow skin
thick gray hair locks. from which projects
an aauiline nose and peer two ferret Ike
and furtive eyes-comes slowly slouchlng
into view lie wears patched and darned
brown Jeans clothes. and. as 1t is summer
he does not wear any shoes at all. lie
speaks first. saying in breath
Good n-tollable-light. mister"
The stranger lights" and enters the
house which. after the glaring semi path
outside. looks as cool and gloomy as a
prot,o There he came face to face with
the girl of the starry eyes, who indeed
appears. perhaps from the contrast with
her homely surroundings. rare vision OF
girlish lovcliness.
As the stranger bowed she smiled bash
fully and said Good mawnn', though
1t is late in the afternoon, but no one
makes him acquainted
The Young lady whom the mother calls
"Soonie" brings him directly a drink OF
cool spring water in small long handled
,rourd which is white and as light "a cork.
and which seems TO impart an agreeable
flavor and sweetness TO the water. but as
the weary traveller meets Soone's hand In
taking the gourd and her eyes while drink
Ing it may be that the virtue did not all
lie In the gourd
The mother sits beside the doorway.
knitting smoking and gazing down the
lonely sandy road as she has done every
day these last fifty years Along that
road she tells the stranger. her old
man brought her TO this home the day
they were married--onky he wasn't an old
man then. but one of the finest boys III
the country along that road her only son
Benny marched away to ''jine Guv'nor
Brown but he never came back, along
,ba, road later on came one division OF
Shermans conquering hosts as they swept
over the already desolated country on TO
the sea and along that road some day In
the near future she will be carried in q
rough pine box, on a iolting OK cart, up
10 the burying ground u New Prospect
church and laid TO rest. Old man Stubs.
with similar thoughts perhaps. sits near
her indusiriously chewing a new tobacco
cud anc splitting with deadly precision at
the law flies basking in the sun on the
doorstep and asking at intervals, like
minute guns
And what did you say your name mout
be. mister" though the guest had not as
yet mentioned 1t.
And you are from-where. misterf'
failing to use the name after obtaining It.
And what mout be your business,
mister" clinging still to his favorite title
And be you Yankee. misterY"
While gratifying his hosts curiosity
the visitor glances curiously about the
room OH his own account About the
open fireplace at which the family cook
Ing Is done. are ranged tho only cooking
vessels known In crsckerdom an oven to
bake bread. frying pan IN which they
aDoil about all meats deep pot TO boil