Democratic messenger., 1888-04-14
SUNSET ROCK.


In the dircction Of the cloud shrouded pcak
''Pont Lookout" continued my mcandcr.
ing, following the snuous course Of the Ten
nesscc over rocky gullies AMI through iclls,
dense with the wild underground, an,l strcwn
with moss covered bowl,lcrs and dccaying
giant trees, past vino covered natural bowers,
protected by an impcnctrablc phalanx Of
blackberry vines, and ,lank for want Of sun.
light to absorb the moisture, until had nj.
most gotten the colossal, conc sliaIcd mass Of
earth nn,l minerals bctwccn tlc and the
active, smoky little city.
What n sublime sight greeted my cycsi
was standing at the foot u the far famed
Sunset Rock, wl,is. perpendicular side faced
westward morc than tlinuS;lnd feet In
height. looked up; | could only family
descry the large Hat rock that juttcl from the
natural wall ut its top, for clouds were slowly
gathering around It. To my left the bruad
river wound In and out like u monster snake,
and past IL roSc the smoke from the hundreds
Of factories and furnaces of the city.
had only limited time To- spend, for the
sinking sun caused deep shadows 10 spread
over my resting place.
,cily the round shining ball sank from
view, turned and looked once more at the
rocky phenomenon. Tho sunlight CLEANED
still upon il, and was gradually mounting
higher and higher. II was cheering % sec
the bright rays reflected thcrr. when all else
was bcing robcd in nights dismal mantle.
was just about to rctracc my footsteps,
when my attention was arrested by the APP
pcarancc Of IN old man bent with the bur.
den Of time. lie was n typical Tennessee
farmer, Of that class which has scarcely
reached the average In intellectual acquire
mcnts nor is even moderately successful
financially.
lie wore u pair Of brown home ma,lc jean
pants strapped TO him by wide, thick, leather
trimmed siispcn,lcrs. \ hat with an extern
sivc brim rested on his head aud was slightly
turned up in front; his chcckercd cotton
shirt was open, exposing n sunburnel chest.
He might have been 90 judging by appear
anccs
was struck with the exceedingly agree
able expression, strongly suggestive Of crude
philanthropy, in his homrly face, over which
the gray hairs hung in shaggy abundance.
His beard was shavcn; hut the iron gray
whiskcrs protrudcd sufficiently to give the
lower part Of his face an ashy appearance
and rendered the yellow stains of tobacco
juice more observable.
lie was about to pass with simple
"lIpw,ly," and AN awkward, Though natur-
ally polite motion Of his disrngage,l hnnd
toward his hat, when stopped him with a
qur,;Ion.
"iln You live near hercr
II. turned. swung his ax over his shoulder
anil r,~l'ri il on the grass at his feet, regard.
inS with u surprised look informing led
viii curiosity.
''N,~, sir. tliar's my shanty bcyant thcr
branch among ih. trccs; ye'rc u stranger
her., aint yc:" he asked.
answered his inquiry in the affirmative
following with my eyes his finger, as he
I pointed To II four roone'l log cottage, ~
n',sly hnll,'m 10y the foliage that il had
escaped m; observation.
Mes" hc continued, as IL talking were
genuine pleasure Ia him, ''in that thar she
T i,,l,. Nv" I,,rh up twn aS likely sons as ever
'lr.,~~l the breath u life; hut they amt here
nuw: they air livin' in Texas"
H. sislIr,l. and for nn instant shadow
s,sin Il I" c",nc into the jovial visagc as he
lrs,n-l against the trunk of a walnut tree
aIl rllis.i his chin rcilcctivcly with his
ruI.; hand.
/ III, f;p,. interested mo in an inlcscrihablc
man;~r, aiii his old sounding accent added
peculiar charm in his quaint expressions.
"Caa ynu tell me-. asked. strongly dcsir-
aus "f OBTAINING him for few moments,
''l"w this cliff happened TO be called Sunset
( Rrk: ] have questioned several living in
+ the city. hut no one 50 far has becn able 10
. give Iir the information"
II think orter, fer am the piisson tibet
nanirl IT," hr responded, locking at me
clns'ly as il he Thought would contradict
his statement, and then went "n: "Ics,
/ ia,ryi II siunsct liOck, an he'd u reason, fer
duin' nv u.
/ lpr,>>c,l him eagerly for his reason.
/ II ken scaScly think % IL now without
cryin' like II baby. IL hain't u long tale,
stranger; set down thar on the stump an III
/ tell yc nhout IT,"
4 l was delighted with the prospect of listen
/ ins la u true story concerning the attractive
spot from the honest old lips, told la the pro.
I vincial l,lirascolngy of the country people Of
that section: 81 assured him Of the exceed
ingly great pleasure IL would afford me. ]
gave him cigar like the one was lighting,
and could hardly refrain from smile as b,
crumblc,l II up AMI hllc,l well worn old piIe
with the fragments.
"Ovcr th's, he began, signing heavily rs
he puiicd a cloud of tobacco smoke from his
mouth, ION tothrr side of yon,lcr rise, not
MORN 100 yards from my house, twenty odd
year back, stooi u house whar n family NV
three wus alvin.
"rhc ole man came frum away hack in
Virsiny s.nc'rs. an futch his wife an carter
with him. The little gals name was Stella
Me AN Mnniy--tlet's my oman never he'd
any gals, an W. haim't no idcr how we tuck
On over her, fer she bcgun ter think mighty
heap a Us, an stayed about es much in our
shaniy as she did IN ihcir'n.
They wus pnrr folks, too. hut | know,sl
they'd secd bcttcr days; fer they talked like
rich IrOpc with larnin', nn they showed IL,
every inch Of en The ole man wus con.
tinu'ly n a.rcliin' an a-writin'; ustcr hey u
mighty Iur- opinion % him, when tuck M
tic. - how ther pu>lcy weeds an crab grass
WI, n-chnsin' the lite out'n his little patch o.
ta,cr ground fer the wan, a u nIail ter cut
I 'en Out; but when | hecrd his voice, RAISED
in prayer, a.thankin' - the Lord fer hls good
hess, In our little mcctin' house, thct ulster
stan over thar on thcr crick, an listened to
him n-pNurin' ont "a string . book laruin'
fore il,rr thrnnc, thct made shivcr - Slnri.
Gus jpy tricklc down my back, forgot every
thing asin him, AN would take my hoc an
drap in kinder material like, an do turn
NNN'hA ~ ANU % ''NA
"fhey ,ut "a holt of money once IN a while
fruin Snulr'Ts, fer they was never wlthnut'n
sulsianchal yictuais; some 'lnwc,l that his
wr,ln' fntrh il in, ur they he'd rich kin in
virsiny They was as hon,st as thcr day Is
long. WHEN they'd s'nd Stella fer ter NJ the
lnan u huckct o meal, ur u cup o coffee or
sich like, they'd send It back piled up an
a-runnin' over.
"M'Ht every ,lny Stclla'd como over; some
Times fer chunk - fire, sometimes one
ihin;s an somctimes anuthcr. She was -
.'uriy - n pictur, AN pcartern cricket,
'trnnlly aspIin' fer u romp % some sort;
..eyer 'ecl her down In the mouth; Shs
was uverlastiniy a-smilin'. a.laughin', an
a-singin'.
she wus then jcs' a-reachin' 'omanhool;
lister fe'l powerful sad when I'd think thet
>hc wus NJ likely, sprightly an purity. an
h'sl sich Ior' chancc Ia enjoy herself like
muSt er Young gals, an wus obleege,l to stay
with two al folks thct wus mighty perticu-
lar an always a-watchin' Nv her.
''She'l r,,,ai otlt'n lsD1ks ter nle an Mandy