New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-04
DOWN SOUTH.
RISTUS LEADS THE WAY.
Limestone Township, Nov.

Tho sun was down behind that double mountain
which Is named the Twin Brothers,; still VIC were
assured that II wouldn't be dark fur quite spell
and the woman war loohin' fur Rlstus right soon'
But the phrase right SOON conveyed disma lucas
IN ms Had not AlIck been promised right soon
Had we come TO North Carolina that we might spch"
our lives I'm waiting for different boysi "hat rcason
had we to hope that Rstus would be more pro"p'
than Alex had been1 1t was dreadful 10 nave o"r
fate in the hands of boy named Risus who was
expected right -.
But Providence, having frowncd, was now a'ou'
10 SMILE We were lowering over the fire "heh our
hostess, coming in With load Of wood remarScu a.
she flung down, that she reckoned Sne seen "'uo
or comm urp the ole field now but she hopeo "o
could walt TIL he'd had his eatlns' iur o'' "'"'
Pcnland worked him like Ter slave'' w.
We went TO the door look for our delivercr ieS'
up the slope, where young pines were spnnglhg'
there was something moving slowly. Could tha' 10
the boyq II was something which wore long gar
ment reaching to within few inches OF the elouiu
so near tho ground that the wearer was noiu,ne ~
up in front as he climbed the hill The head was
covered by a unbonnet
The woman stood behind us anu sho ia'''" IVA
voice and drawed: =.
Be err pickin' urp yer needless kis'us' ner' oe o'
Job fur yer.'
The object heard the words, It increased It's Speed
thereby nearly falling into the skirts Oh the garne"
We now discovered tall, stalwart boy In an army
overcoat from which the cape had gone. Inc sKir's
~ the coat were sewed together with twinc In froht
and rear thus restricting the wearers steps 10 very
short stride indeed. We soon conVlnceu THAT u'
was the only article OF apparel which hls'uS WIZ
we except his sunbonnet lie was parcioo'ou'
II was mild day, mild enough to DC cohlor'aoo
without shoes, and to be uhcomiortaoie WITH d" army
overcoat -. 49,,
when bo came still nearer could sea large darns
here and there darns made with twine, not bcau'i"'
but effective. -.
| We had a passing glimpse Of his face as he went
nv MS into the house. but the sun-bonnet immeua'oS
obscurcd him again. He remained thus coVercu "n''o
he swallowed his supper Amabel asked MN IL
he lnew where Mr. Aver lived. The sun-ponhee
nodded an Affirmative sho next inquired II he wouiu
rnide us there before dark and there was ahoer ho
II was. perhaps something like having an interVie"
with the Man I'm Mask Certainly IL was iu,,
| as mysterious The mods had been so reassur'is .
our spirits began rise. We felt that was De,'o.
! % have Ristus whom we could not sec, thah hhcA
,rhor, we had seen too much. We began 10 leei
stimulating effect from the very fact that We co"'u
not see him. From the Man In the iron iasN ,
| thoughts few TO the Yelled Prophet; hehco 'ue'',
wandered to the beauties Of the East VINO sniouN
themselves from vulgar curiosity. We dared not Try
to Get directly in front of Ristus: we 'houeh' ou
motive IN so doing would be too apparent. Ana IL
g only from the front that the wearer OF stnDonneC
NAV be seem Pone and bacon disappeared "i'i'l
the depths of that bonnet, but no sound OIL 'o'''
came from It until tho woman asked
cole Penland ben CURTIN urp rough ter day.
Rlsusl
"Torrable rough
@why don't yer git ketchcd Of him''
@Carnt" 49,,
After that there was no more conversation, ana
M sound save the cracking of the fire. ana tne
crunchng of Ristus's teeth on corn pread Ill 'no
! remote depths Of the bonnet
The twilight coming on we hhe" 'neio
AVA. suddenly with the effect of stopping IN 'ho
tdde NJ a meal the figure fas tened into that long
rbo rose 10 its feet and from the sun-Donnet caio
the words ., ,...,p
pec,,on 20. ladies II be fur mekln Ter soon start"
ve were instantly on our feet, Amabel WIN 'h'
bird cage and satchel, with more satches
The sooner the better,7 we said eagerly
| put eaaerness is thrown away among these poop'
| ,r,or .ra M de IN a way which makes IL imposs'oio
for them to understand rapidly Of thought OF no'o
We had supposed Rstus was going 10 start ,
| be stood slouchng I'm front or the nre' 'no sun
combination OF the pathetic and the iud'ciouS III n's
s,re and attitude lie shifted his weight rom QUO
foot TO another his head-covering ben, 'o"alu n'
h,.zo and two very dirty hands were held outward
We remained standing laden as we were.
aThev,s or watln', Rstus,' at last SAID the "oh"n
and nights curmn' on kistus'
was about to say that the boy started, ou' .na'
vord hints at something more rapid thah inc inv.
rcut which propelled him from the ire to"au inc
door through which could be seen the vast pioiio'
of tho mountains, now growing dark purple asA'n''
the violet western sky
,to did not turn toward u.s. but We thlhhihe no
had started for Mr. Ayers, followed with our ihnpeu
,crts We had not gone many rods before VIZ Oc-
cana nainfuly aware that the bags were 100 muen
for MS We called TO our guide lie caiho WIN ~"
head held in such way that the pioau s'u.
his bonnet was presented to us. without "oiu no
picked up a stick from the pain, siuiis IVY %
nnon II. and took the third in his hand the Two
swinging from his shoulder. We lono"'N 40 o'
as nossble with our rodbrd
Tho cIoou on this wooded mountain path grew
RAPIDLY deeper but our guide STROBE on "''no ',.
nause Once from side path, man o" noIsoua."
came slowly Looping. He drew In his reih' ho"u'
Risms.p he said " what 20 gotl'
, women answered Rstus, and then the horse-
man went on. .
The steeper the way, the easier the boy seemeu W
70 AT length l began to think that something my >
J -. nod secured control OF u.s. We should prop
ohIv follow I'm this way along mountain size al 'h'
rest Of orr lives 1t was always to be dinl' WIZ
L, gimnses of stars through the trees always ohor'
would be In front of us magnihed hsuro III an army
overcoat and a cape bonnet This hgure "o'uu io'
,o, no walking I'm the same peculiar way, lhtlng lt
feet high because of climbing mountains Tor years.
For the first time since had left AsheNil
, Junction, I wished was back there 'hous"' WI"
' longing of the boarding house stlng-room anu a.
three beds. We should never see pea again h''e
see any being but the one which We were ioho"'"s
/ | and We had not even seen him
Amabel managed to ASK, breathlessly' II II wa
= | far now?" -. al,
.Kuther near said the unseen. Dln rthe
near, mean few rods or few milesf
Suddenly, without the slightest premonltory sign ina
he was going speak, Ristus sald with lndescrioaoi
contempt in his voice
: | bo ipk. Wal
| deem enurf He's err ben ploughn' deeper. recko
hts craps IL be er sight they be er sight, anyhow
, We could think OF nothing TO say to this informa
v ton and we had breath to speak If We could hav
g thought of a suitable reply.
. In less than five minutes mole we came to clear
Il md at