Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-08-21
LoWland Folks.

road for miles and miles where /
could obtain lodgings for the night,
and the sun was almost down when |
reached her place. 1t was a rude log
hut on thirty acre farm, and such
of the crops as l could see were thrift
ty beyond the average. A bush fence
ran in front of the cabin, and the
widow was milking COW outside Of
this as came up. Her daughter,
girl of II, sat in the door, and her
son, a boy of 9, was caring for the
pigs.
"You'un is welcome" replied the
widow when l stated my case. "Just
60 right in and chitter with Josie till
l finish off this cow"
The daughter didn't wait to well
come me, but bolted into the corn
back of the house, and as soon as the
boy caught sight of me he followed
suit. sat down on the doorstep to
wait, and dog almost as big as
meeting house stood within three feet
of me, growing and showing his
teeth, until the widow finished milk
ing. She kicked the dog under the
house, called the children, put away
the milk, and asked me to be seated,
all in one breath. When the child
rem came sneaking in she exclaimed :
"What do you all mean? Didn't
ye never see nobody nor nothin' be-
fo'? Whar's yer sense!"
Thought he'un was a preacher"
explained the gal.
"S'posen he'un was? Preachers
hain't bound to hurt nobody, are they ?
Go and clutch"
They came forward and shook
hands and we were all quite well ac-
quainted by the time supper was over.
The widow proved to be smart and
intelligent, though getting along none
too well as a farmer, and when their
shyness wore off they asked questions
twice as fast as could answer them.
We were visiting away when the big
dog barked to announce caller, and
moment later man who was an
nounced as Lem Pitkins made his ap-
pearance. He was a typical squatter,
long-haired, long-geared, illiterate and
lymphatic, and was unmarried and
about 30 years old. l had no thought
that he came courting, but was soon
enlightened. We had not talked
long before the widow braced up of a
sudden and inquired:
Lem Pitkins, did yo' bring yo'self
over yere to see me ?"
Reckon l did," he replied with a
start.
"Well, then let me serious with ye.
Yo' might keep comm till the springs
went dry and it would do ye no good.
| hain't gwine to marry ye, Lem Pit
kins, and yo' might as well scatter
This was putting the case pretty
strong, and all Lem could say in re-
ply was to utter "Hu !" of surprise.
"Yo' see," she went on after mo-
ment, "it'll save ye heaps of time and
travelin', and doan' want my own
time tooken up with no sicb. Yo'
kin drap in now now and then to
'quare (inquire) about the craps, but
doan' go fur to softing" (making
love).
"W.hat's the trouble ?" gasped
Lem badly broken up.
Because can't a-bear or abide.
Lem, yo' is shuckless and onfitten.
Yo' is like hobbies on a mules legs.
Yo' is allus fussin' and moonshinin'
and hain't gwine to bim-haw about
it,"
| felt sorry for Lem. 1t was pretty
tough to give a man his walking pa
pers right on the jump and in the
presence of stranger, and l wished
myself out of doors He pulled him
self together after bit and said:
II could chop out and hill up,
recken," meaning that he could i'm
prove his personal looks and change
his habits.
"It's too fur gone, Lem" she re-
Piled. "Yo' is too old fur that !
can't abide, as told yo' befo', and
that's enough If yo' couldn't abide
would yo' marry me ?"
Reckon not"
Then cant 20 see
Reckon l kin, and I've no hard
feelin's. I've sot heaps by ye, but il
ye cant, why ye can't"
That's the way of it, Lem; and
now yo' can stay or scatter"
"Reckon I'll scatter" he said. and
he wished us all good night and took
his departure.
He had scarcely disappeared before
there were three new arrivals-Dod
Jasper and his wife, squat farmers
and Mrs. Tesbler, a neighbor. The
latter was a woman of 40, whose
husband was absent from home, and
she had called on matter of bust