The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-06-23

Sl1aggs IL preach agin it mex Sunday. Sho's
yo' Dawn, Brother Skaggs air a-goin' ter
preach agin H."
Mrs. Pinson stopped singing; Polly Ma
ria and the boys turned stricken faces upon
their father
His eyes twinkled under their bushy red
brows, but his voice was decorously sober
as he drawled: Brother Skaggs hev gone
to Confunce, an he won't be back twel
Sav'day week. Ye MN, Nance" he con-
tinued, lit air thirty-one mile to town, an
eff we lay to git Their in time fer the show
Monday, we got to camp somewhere bout
Jim-Ned Creek Sunday night"
''Jes to think o. me goin' to town oncet
MOI said Mrs. Pinson, meditatively, that
night, when she and Becky were getting
supper in the brush arbor behind the cabin.
II amt been sence you was baby, Beck.
Yo' paw an me went to Wash Dingwalrs
infair-he died with his boots on four year
ago; an Tempunce Loo-thets his wilder
she's married agin to BLY, Green. rid
benin him, an he toted you on his lap.
Townfolks air mighty bigaty,'' she added,
warningly; an we mus do up tibet purple
caliker O. yourn, Beck, an put on yo' shoes
an stockin's.'
Seems lax fo' days won't nuver co."
lTtllth DGth. du Olt DdluN all SllO W ltblIlC
his SELF or sump'n'. It's alluz that away
whence a body are plumb sot on doin' a
thing.n
But the four days did go, and when the
eventful Sunday afternoon came, old Badly,
unusually sound and spirited, was with
jimmy, the gaunt gray mule, harnessed to
the wagon; the patched and dingy cover
was drawn over the bows, a bundle or two
of fodder and a few oars of corn were
thrown into the hinder part, and Mr. Pinson
drove gayly alongside of the rail-fence in
front of the cabin. The rickety house door
was drawn to with rock behind it to keep
it shut. A couple of chairs were handed up
for Mrs Pinson and Becky, and they clam
bered in with the baby The yellow cotton
poke, well stuffed with corn bread and
bacon, and the battered coffee-pot and fry
ing-pan were slowed under the chairs
Polly Maria and the boys sat on quilt
spread over the understanding fodder:
Rove, Ring and Spot, the lean, long-eared
brown hounds, yelped and whined against
the wheels
They jolted away, serious, as became a
perfessin' family on a Sunday, but full of
inward excitement. At night they camped
on the pecan-frinEed banks of Jim-Ned, and
were off betimes in the morning. But not
too soon to find the roads lively with friends
and acquaintances from all the settlements
around, bound on the same joyous errand as
themselves. They passed Joe Holder with
his wife and sisterin-law and the thirteen
children of the two families, creaking along
in a huge freighter's wagon drawn by five
yoke of gaunt, wide-horned oxen: they were
overt8ken and outstripped by noisy squad
of girls and young men on horseback from
the Fork Valley ueighborhood; they kept
within hailing distance for dozen miles or
more Of old Daddy Gardenbrer and his wife
riding double on their blind yellow mare
The Mount Zion folks, they heard, We're
ahead of them by some hours, and an i'm
patient youngster who trotted by on paint
pony thrsw over his shoulder the informa-
ton that the Big Puddle layout was coming
on behind.
Lord, Nancer' Mr.. Pinson exclaimed
more than once that morning, Il wouldn't
of took five dollars to of staid at home"
"Nuther would l, Newt" Mrs. Pinson as
often returned, with q kind of solemn de-
light on her thin, sallow face
The long reaches of post-oak trough"
were heavy with sand; the shinn-oalx prai-
ries between were a tangle of roots that
zigzagged across the road, and made prog
ress slow and painful; the abrupt banks of
the frequent dry creeks" were steep; the
October sun was hot; and by noon old Badly
had become utterly dispirited. He had,
moreover, fallena little lame, and he moved
dejectedly along by jimmy, who long ago
had Topped her big ears downward in sign
of WEAKNESS and discomfort
The Prisons under the dingy wagon cover
were well nigh speeches. with impotence.
Suddenly Dan stood up, knocking his head
against the low wagon bows. "Jes over
yam" he declared, pas one little bit O.
shinn-oak prery, au' crost dry creek, an
up "a hill. is town. Dan had beer to town
once with Sam Leggett to lay out his long
boarded egg money in four-bladed knife
and pair of store suspenders.
Polly Maria, slim and thin-legged stand
ing up beside him, pitched backward into
the fodder as the wagon came to a sudden
halt behind a group Of dismounted horse
men, who, with their brides over their
arms, were squatting down, apparently
searching for something in half-dried mud
puddle to the right of the road ''Hullo,
JACKIE called Mr.. Pinson; "what We lost!"
One of the men looked over his shoulder.
"Hy're, Newt? Howdy, Mis- Pinson!" he
cried, springing to his feet and coming back
to the side of the wagon, where he shook
hands all around. 1--WE amt lost nothin',"
he went on. putting a foot upon the hub of
the front wheel and resting his arms on the
hot tire; 1--WE done found sump'n', though
you bet! A genooine el'phunt track in the
sof' mud yander, plain ez daylight, an no
mistake"
Polly Maria and the boys scrambled in hot
haste over the tail-board. Mr.. Pinson
threw down the reins and held the baby
while Becky and her mother jumped out.
wish may die eff it amt el'phunt track
sho :" he exclaimed, when he had joined the
wondering circle gathered about the huge
footprint.
sit looks to me lax ez eff it were hind-side
afore somehow" said Mrs. Pinson. timidly
II have just been explaining to Mr.. Jack
Cyarter here and these other gentlemen,
madam said Mr.. Tolliver the old Virginian
who taught the school at Ebouzer Chrch,
'that it is fact in natural history that the
track of the elephant always presents that
appearance" He removed his hat as he
spoke, and de an old-fashioned courtly
bow.
eye don't say" murmered Mrs. Pinson,
over-awed.
Jack Carter and his friends mounted their
horses and dashed away, followed at q more
sober pace by Mr.. Tolliver on his slab-sided
plough-mule.