Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-10-19
A COUNTRY WEDDING.

Sttingfeilow. He is a tall, lank per-
sonace, with shoulders ike a drome.
dary's. His face is long, like that OF
a horse, and he has black hair, streak.
ed with gray, on his head, with TUT
Of the same on his chin. cd man
Stringfelow wears neither mustacha
nor whiskers, being vesy particular
to shave himself at least twice u week.
undergoing some pain. and twisting
his long face into all manner OF con.
tortlons-which % circus clown
would give 1000 to be able 70 i'm.
itate-during che operation, OWN. to
the stir nature OF the crop. he is reap
ing and the dullness OF the instru.
ment with Which he works. He sell
dom wears a coat. going in his shirt
sleeves summer and wiuter. only
changing the car ment OF hickory for
the garment Of wool as the seasons
vary-his jean pantaloons being
hoisted mp with suspenders--galluses
he calls them-a almost 10 his armpits,
making hin, look at a little distance
like some queer animal with very long
legs.
lie lives in n log cabin OF one room,
with Il shed attachment. and has
wife and six children, equally divided
as to sex. In the room, which Is
roomy enough, he and Mrs. Stringfvl-
low occupy one bed, and the three
gir's-Nancy, GIN, for Jane. and
Merier-another. and here all the
cooking is done in the wide clay fire.
place OF the stick and mud chimney.
The shed attachment accommodates
the boys, Bill, Ben and Jim.
Occasionally u belated traveller will
stop at the Stringfellow mansion and
ask for nights lodging. lie will be
invited to 80 light an come in" and
when he has done so will be treated
with primitive hospitality.
These people are poor and unedu-
Gated, but there is aspirit otindepend-
ence about them that nothing can
conquer, and so long as their potato
banks hold out atd their razor backs
come home, to pick up a lit.
tie fat in the field after the crop is
and then pay tribute to
the larder, they care not for king nor
kaiser. They never treat anybody,
no matter who he may be, as any,
thing more than an equal, and would
show no difference to the car OF all
the Russians should he chance to
travel their way, with all his cortege.
Should he stop he would be invited to
. light, and the boys would ask
about the price OF potatoes in town,
the old woman inquiries as to mar
ket value OF eggs, while the girls stood
by and giggIed, and the old man put
in a request for chew OF tobacco
that is, if they did not mistake the
whole affair for circus as, like as
not, they would. They had walked
fifteen miles once to see q circus-all |
except the old woman, who rode a
shaggy pony about as big us q year
ling cali, and with more hair on his |
hide than flesh under it.
happened to be a guest OF the |
Stringfellow family once. Finding |
myself near their residence one night. |
when it was so dark that | could see |
nothing but the glimmer OF a light in !
their cabin, | rode for it through /
brush and brier, and when I reached |
It halloed IN the usual country style. /
Immediately the light, which came |
rom the open door, was shut off by /
Two human forms, and / was bid TIC
. light an come in"
The family was just preparing to
'at supper, and savory mess OF /
pork and potatoes were being dished
Up. | was invited to Join them in
heir meal. during which was pump
ID pretty dry OF all / knew about the
affairs OF the town, which was too far
,tf to be visited by any OF them very
,Eten. But to this did not object,
snowing that such information as |
.ould impart was all would nave to
Jay tor the entertainment OF myself
ind beast-which had been led off by
me OF the boys to share the stable OF
he shaggy pony-so / let the ripple
II my talk flow in continuous cur
ent, turning on my inevitable valve
It the same time, to give q sparkle to
lain facts indispensable to make
hem enjoyable.
During the evening | gathered from
he whispering and Cycling going on
.mong the young folk that there was
ONE mystery ahoat-something in
Which they all seemed more or less in
erested-and when they had gone to
ed (the old woman had retired inn
nediately after supper, getting into
me OF the beds without my knowing
about it uItil | heard her
noring) old man StrugieiIow enllght-
ned me after q rather peculiar fashion
i his own.
well, stranger" he SAID, II disre.
member yer name. reckon you'll
tay."
| had already told him my name
ali q dozen times, and he had often
it, so / did not repeat
:, but told him proposed to stay-a
Ict which supposed he was already
o2nizant OF.
Yes" he sad, rubbing his long Jaw.
one thoughtlully, Il lowed yer
Tuld, an I'm glad NV it; yes, am;
lr the mo- comp'ny the better on
lch a 'cashin. fe'rll be welcome,