The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-07-05


an set down on rock an jes' set an
look up hyar at this hill without sayin'
a word fer sometimes half an hour, in
the evenin' when the sun 'uz a-shinin'
on the top, the way it is now, an ever
thin down yander In the holler 'uz still |
an sort O dark like. She set heap
o store by flowers, too, an when the
johnny -julnp-ups an dandylions begun
to come out an the weather 'uz a-git-
tin warm she'd 60 up in the woods an
gether all she could carry.
"Cajer, he used to low sometimes
that Smanthy ort to be a-doin' some
thin to help take keer o. the children,
stead o traipsin around the timber;
but she'd only sort o smile like, an
say the best part O her life 'ud be
a-lack:n' eff she couldn't see the purity
things that 'uz so common ever where's.
''Well, one day. about fifteen years
ago, Cajer' d gone down to the diggin's
to get grist o corn ground fer to
make corn-bread. an Smanthy got the
cabin redied up an went up the hill be-
hind the truck-patch an into the
woods, to look fer flowers an to see
what the children 'uz a-doin'. When she
got up thar about forty rod. she could
smell somethin' a-burnin', an purity
soon she heerd the children a-screamin'
like bein' killed. She ran up the hill
through the bushes an turned around
the pint of a sort O. off shoot of the
bluff. an then she seed what 'uz the
matter. They had made fire in the
leaves that laid on the ground thick
over winter, an it had spread out an
got clean around 'em, an when
Smanthy see 'em. it 'uz a-burnin'
tur' BILE fierce an gettin' closter to 'em
ever mint. She never stopped her
runnin'. but jes' went tcarin' right
through them blazes ten foot high, an
grabbed the two youngest, an held 'em
clost agin her breast an bent her head
down over 'em like, an run out to a
safe place. Then, without stoppin' to
take breath, she run back agin-fer
the fire 'uz a-drorin' up into s mighty
small ring by that time-an' grabbin'
the other one O. the children up, she
hugged it clost, an sort O wrapped
her dress around its head, an then run
out with it.
when they started down to the
cabin. Smanthv made the children lead
her, she 'uz burnt that bad, an seemed
like she couldn't see very well, fer she
KEEP a-stumblin' an askin' the oldes'
gal which way to go.
"Along IN the evenin', Cajer, he
come home. an went in the cabin
hungry as houn'; but supper wuzn't
ready, not even fire burning in the
stove. He 'uz powerful vexed, an
axed where Smanthy wuz. The chill
dren said she 'uz a-settin' down to the
spring. He up and went a-tearin'
down thar. purity mad, an thar she set
on the rock. a-cryin' soft, an tryin' to
look up hyar at the sun a-shinin' on
the top O. this hill. She heerd him
a-comin', an sez she, kind o quiet
like, afore he could open his mouth
.Cajer,' says she, I'm that burnt thai
Tn blind, an can't see the sunshine
mr. the flowers mr. the children ne
more An then she bust out cryin
like she'd die.
"Cajer went back to the diggin's an
got the doctor, an he tended on he
for nigh onto six months. Her fac'
, 'uz allus kind O smooth like an white
an her eyes 'uz blue an big an looked
plumb through feller, afore that; he
hair 'uz sort O. crinkly, too. like thu
shaller water in the crick whar it run
swift; but when she got well, they u
, big scars all over her face. an her hal
, 'uz ez stiff an straight ez wire, un' tn
, wust thing 'uz that she 'uz that blin'
{ that she couldn't tell whether it u
day or night.
r "After that it seemed like she 'uzsor
of stupid. an nothin' Cajer mr. any
the neighbors could do 'ud make he
, chirk up. She jes' set there quiet, an
9 never said nothin' hardly, an ever
. dav when the sun 'uz a-shinin' She
, have one O. the children lead her dow
tu the rock by the spring. an the
| she'd turn her face up lords this hi
$ like she 'uz a-tryin' to see the yelle
, light on the trees an rocks up hyar.
s II reckin her a-grievin' an a sol
8 rowin' that way sort o changed he
fer she got to be like child agin. Th
children uz a-growin' up. an they 81
9 heap O. store by ther nanny, recol
= lectin' how her suferin' all come frol
4 her savin' them; an Cajer, too, SCENE
h like he 'uz a-tryin' to make up fer beiI
t contrary sometimes afore she uz hur
t Yes, they take mighty good keer
2 Smanthy now. an she seems kind I
n happy an les like a little gal.
5 ''That's why said while ago TIL
|. lowed Smanthy 'uz a-gettin' suppe
: She thinks nothin' 'ud be done eft
q warn't fer her, an the rest O. 'em the
q don't say nothin' to contrary her. 81
scrapes the ta.ers, an strings the bean
v an ever thin O that kind an the
+ after she gifts done one o the childr'
! takes 'em an goes away whar she can
:, hoor on, f;vos thap, all ovnr apiu