The Washington critic., 1889-01-10
WASHINGTON CRITIC
A P0SSUM- BONE LAW.

colony planted by Hughes, the English
novelist, but, before reaching the place,
lost my way. After ascending many
paths so steep that was compelled to
lead my horse, and going down many
dangerous "slants,' / came upon q rude
log house situated in small valley.
When had shouted, rather old man,
hump. .shouldered and knock kneed,
came out, and after regarding me cur
iously invited ne to get down and come
in. A withered looking woman, smok-
ing q cob-pipo, and lank girl, with
whent-strnw colored hair, sat near the
fire. Both Of them jumped up on seeing
me. The girl bowed awkardly and the
woman, shaking large yellow cat out of
chair, said:
"Set down. You looklike you mout
be putty nigh tagged out. Sis, fetch
some water"
sat down and the girl brought me a,
leaking gourd of water, poured most of
the water on me, blushed, and snickered.
The old man snorted and the old woman
declared that since the war nobody in
that neighborhood had any "raisin'."
"Whar mout you be from" the old
man at length asked.
told him that | was from Nashville,
and that had been sent to write an arti-
Gle on the Hughes colony. He had never
heard of the colony.
"I am sorry" ] replied, ''for l had
hoped that you might direct me to the
place"
"Whut is it. anyhow" he asked.
When / had explained he added: "Try-
in ter fetch lot NV folks in here, eh?
Wall, / wanter tell yer that .thar's about
enough here now. Gittin crowded, tell
you. Family settled up the holler last
spring an skeered the deer away frum
thar 1t amt right / ken tell you, an
thar oughter be a law agin it,
Shortly after dark | was sent to bed in
the shhcSly loft. All the heat from the
fire came up into the loft and almost
roasted me; and, when the fire went out,
] thought would freeze A heavy show
fell during the night, and at breakfast
the old man told me that l needn't hope
to get out of the valley for day or two.
This was, indeed, a cherries announce
ment for already the drearincss of the
place had begun to oppress me painfully.
After breakfast | looked around for a
book, but none could be found. asked
the girl il she had even an old news
paper. She blushed and answered that
she never fooled away her time with
such things. Then she took q chew of
tobacco and rocked herself complaccntly
BY this time / had noticed that there
was on the part of tho old man and his
wife. q disposition to leave me alone
with the girl; and glancing through the
smoky pane of glass | saw that to ac-
complish this purpose they were stand.
ing out in the snow. / turned to the girl
and asked her why her parents did not
come in.
She blushed, snickered, and then said:
"Waitin' fur you ter make ther range
ments"
"What arrangements"
"Hell tell yo.'
My curiosity was aroused. The old
man soon came in. The girl went out.
WALL" said he, ''all fixed, is it?''
"All what fixed?'
"The marriage
"The marriage" gasped. "What
marriage?"
"Yourn an Sis's."
"Old man, don't understand you.'
"Wall, then, L IL make it plain enough.
Bout week ago we had 'possum fur
dinner; an Sis she tuck his under.ja aw
an put it up thar over the do See?o
looked up and saw the bone. "But
what of thatr' ] asked
"Wall, I'll tell you that, too. Jest at
this time NV the year the jaw-bone of a
'possum that was caught in a simmon
tree, put over the do, mean great deal
fur the law in this here neighborhood
says that the gal that puts it thar has ter
marry the fust TALL black-haired stranger
that passes under the bone. Wy, sab,
it's gespul here. Ter-morrer mawnin'
suit you? Lemme tell you, son, you'll
find Sis ter be as hustlin' woman as
YOU want to see. She married good
fur.nothin' feller some time ago, an we
was all glad when he was killed. Ter.
morrer suit your
/ told the old man That such course
was impossible, but, pointing to gun,
he said that he reckoned not. Then
calling the old woman and the girl, he
said:
"Wall, it's all fixed. Tobe and Sam
will be over here in the mornin,' an
ken send one ov them airter the preacher
an the dockyments. The girl, lank, re-
pulsive creature, came forward and tried
10 put her arms around my neck. just
then man came slouching in. This Is
nv son, Bill" said the old man. 'Bill
this feller (pointing to me) was the fust
Ter go uuueT Juc pooSuH-pono, III hoN
he lows that he won't marry her."
avail, reckon he will" William ex
claimed. "The law Nv this here neigh
borhood KANT be overthrowed by nc
sicher lookin' chap as he is"
They may have been honest in theil
respect for the venerable custom pre-
sided over by the under jaw-bone Of
the 'possum, but | am certain that one
glimpse Of that girl would have driver
the most tiniid man into taking a despe
rate chance of escape. l was closely
guarded all day, and at an early hour il
the evening was driven TO bed in tht
loft. Late at night, when everything
was still, made hole in the roof
climbed out and sought my horse,
could not find him. Some one callet
me, My escape had been discovered.
ran like frightened deer--tumblinc intC
snow drifts, stumbling over LOGS
travelled during the remainder OF IN,
night and was nearly frozen the mex
morning. was safe. One melancholy
, recollection comes up before me with
grim smile; had to pay for the horse
-[0pie Z. Read.
MIR. Childs' Ray of Sunshine.
Eyory oloud has a silver lining and So a. In