The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1889-07-26
LOWLAND FOLKS.

One day came upon three acre
clearing In the pine woods, In the midst
of which was n squatter's cabin, and
seated on a stump at the door was q wo-
man weeping. She was past the middle
age, and she had that careworn, over
worked look characteristic of SO many
farmers wives, north and south, was
close OF to her before she was aware Of
my presence, and then, hastily wiping
her eyes, she rose up with a "howdy"
and tried to smile welcome.
Il hope you are not in trouble-the
old man sick or one of the children deadp'
queried.
She sat down and began to weep again,
and it was two or three minutes before
she could control her voice to replyI
"Its he'un-all ON account Of he'unl
And who may 'he'un' be2"
"The ole man.
"Oh, your huBband2 | hope he isn't
sick"
"He'un never gifts sick. He'un Is dun
well all the time and able TO tote all he
kin eat.
"Tlen what is itT'
the scene, having been in hiding behind
brush heap, He had a small bundle in
one hand and a shotgun in the other. He
was q man of so, grizzled and gay
with weak, helpless look as hts prom
inent characteristic. He came forward
slowly and gave me "howdy," and at
the sound of his voice the woman began
to "boo-hoo" in vigorous manner, and
walled out:
I've dun told him, Jim, all about
youF fussingE'
WHO'S a-fussinT"
You BET
stranger" he said, as he turned to
me, with his chin quiyering, I'm dun
glad to meet up with yer. want you to
talk with she'un. It's a-taking of my
heart outer me the way she is taking on.
I've dun carried her to town, over to her
brothers, down a-fshing, and all over,
and yet she's n-yearning She's a-scold-
in and a-fussin' and a-cFyin' all the time,
and jest dun told her was going away.
! couldn't walk up to it no mo-"
saw that it was domestic cloud, and
experience had taught me the easiest way
to dissiPate it, unstrapped my knap-
sack, gave him Il plug Of tobacco and :
pipe, handed her pins, needles, thread, a
comb, and a cheap handkerchief, and by
the time we had got seated on log for a
talk the thunder had died away and the
blackness had gone out of the cloud.
"Now, then, the trouble is this: You
are squatters. You are poor. You don't
see q dollar IN cash week in and week
out. You, Jim, raise few potatoes and
little corn, hunt and fish, cut few
cords of wood for somebody, and that's
about all you can do, Am | rigbt?'
Brighter nor the Bible, sab. That's
jist exactly the case"
"And you, Mrs. Thomas, have little tq
do with in the house, little to wear, and
the prospect Of ending your days in this
lonesome place makes you impatient and
cross. Is that right
"Befo' the Lawd it ar'l Ny own daddy
couldn't hev put it better"
well, now, let's season q bit. You
have always been poor
"Pore an shuckless an unfitten."
you never had q better home, nor
better clothes, nor more to eat than you
have now?"
"Neyer."
"WeIl, then, you must have got used
TO ID. II isn'tas il you had been rich and
lost all"
No, | 'sPect not"
you are pretty comfortable for poor
folks, can find many worse of within
ten miles Of you. ....
"You kinS" she exclaimed in great
surprise.
Certainly That's the best calico
dress I've seen in two days.
"StTangerF she gasped, spripging up
In her excitement, "answer me honest
Apdrewt Ar there folkses wuss of nor
we 'upsT
Heaps Of them
Right we're ip this statef
Yes, and all around you
Then, Jim, hain't got another
whipHy (conplaint) 20 make. thought
we'uns was the dowpest of all Let's
make Up and sbet.
threw ID another plug Of tobacco and
card Of shirt buttons to bind the bar
gain, and as moved of they sat on the
log with their arms around each other
and their tears falling together
Two or three days Later, thirty miles
away came 10 q pretty thrifty locking
farm which had about thirty acres ID
corn, potatoes and cotton 4 white
woman was welding q hoe in 3 row close
% the roadside, while four oriye colcred
people weTe beyond
Man homer | queried, as baltea.
Not il my eyesight Is good, and
reckon lEip see As fur ss-paost any boayl9
st9 Eepiied
sAiA Excqse me Yqq are widow.
Sorterf
Gaops look thriftyF
asarttn- Tie ale s 80 right z YOU
keep the weeds down Come ap from
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