San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-08-08
A QUIET PICNIC.

old place when learned that there was
to be picnic out ut 1.-THE falls" the next
day. Everybody was rs much excited
as on the eve of Fourth Of July. and
the colored people could hardly hold
themselves down. The Widow Baker,
at whose house found lodgings, had
been cooking for the last three days, and
it was with fitting sense Of dignity that
she informed me Of the fact that she was
"the committee boss ON vittlcs to cat. .
During the evening n number Of men
dropped in, and after bit the commit.
tee OH arrangements got together to per.
feet some details.
"Now. then, you Jjm," said the chair.
man, rs he finished making some notes
on piece of paper, '''you are to watch
the Babcocks-the ole man and his two
boys. They'll come fixed fur fight, and
at the fust sign Of row you'll whistle
the committee together and pile on to
EN-"
"K'rect, Mr.. Simmons" answered Jim
who was the village blacksmith.
"And you, Tom-you arc to watch tho
Ifarpers--the three boys. The ole man
is sick and won't be yere. Them boys i.
on the shutc, you know, and hev got to
be squelched right on the go off,"
~ kin lick the hull passle Of 'em, Mr..
Simmons" confidently replied Tom, who
kept one of the general stores.
"And you, Henry-you kinder keer
walking around and hev yer eye out fuI
everybody. If you see ary'man draw his
gun, jump right ON to him. We cant
hev the glorious festivities Of this festivi
on, occasion knocked eandwise by any
onery conduct"
| When asked under what auspices the
picnic was to be given, one Of the com.
mittee replied:
wall, the three or four kinds of re.
ligun around yers hev sort O Clipped in
together, and I'm bound thar'll be Alright
smart of sinners besides"
AT an early hour next forenoon re.
paired to the grounds, two or three miles
away, and found good many people be
fore me. Every sort of vehicle in use IL
the south had been pressed into service
and every sort of people and costume
were to DO seen. 1t was to be day of
for old and young, and everybody looked
as if he meant to enjoy it. The place
was wild and romantic. the weather de-
lightful. and the jubilee songs Of the
darkies echoed up and down the gorge.
The first cloud arose just after the crowd
had reached the ground. The chairman
of the committee on order came to me
looking very anxious and asked:
(Which 'un do you abide by!"
"What do you mean?'
(which religun- Methodist or Bap
tist?''
II rather lean to the Presbyterian
WhyY'
"Because ono of the Baptists ycre is
taking advantage Of the occasion to try
and convart the ole man Parker. say it
don't belong. Tain't the time sot apart.
If he goes in then some of our Methodists
will feel to go in, too, and the whole
thing will flop over to camp meeting.
I want you to meet up with him and tell
him he's off the bridge"
Fortunately for all, the old man Parker
announced in n loud voice that he'd whip
the man who talked religion to him on a
week day. and the occasion didn't fioI
over, as predicted. l soon found the
Babcocks, father and two sons. They
were plain, honest looking folks, with
nothing of the ruflian or Desperate in
looks or actions. and we had been talk
ing for a quarter of an hour before any
thing was let slip. Then one of the boys
announced:
"Say, pop, ole jackson is yere."
''He ar, ell? How's he conductinT
"Oh, sorter."
"Well. if he'un wants TO bo healthy
he'll walk soft. don't want to kick up
nc row around yere, cause it's feste
nous occashun, but he'un mustn't pre-
sume."
And Jerry Baker is yere, too. pop
added the boy.
How sasserfrous fur tho likes of
Jerry to show up yerc! How's he con-
ductinT'
Parrish.
"Well, don't you shutc onless he draws
fIIst. It's festemous occashun. and dead
folks lying around takes off the edge Of
n pusson's appetite
"And Tom Straker is over thar. pop
continued the son.
docs ho'un dare show up yere as big
as life? How's he conductinP
"Tolerable."
Then tellJack TO 90 slow. Jack wants
a pop at him, and it's his bounden duty
to hev it. but he needn't be so awful
hurTyish about il. II thar's any row yere
the ole woman will be sartin to cotch n
bullet. and then we'll hcv her TO wait on
all the fall. Am right, sirsnScrg"
You are
"-Tain't the occashun fur shootinY
NO
That's What ssy. Let's enjoy our-
selves a. much as possible dOOrin' the
dzy. and then DO cur shOOtin' an KILN
On the way home
By and b. found the three Harper
boys smoking their pipes under a tree. 4
md one Of them put a revolver out q
lght as / came up.
-Ycs, It's = fine day sid Henry. the /
dIest. and bOTs ther' won't be M
why should there be-
wei. that ar Ben JolInso1 has
ibOved up an ar s1epqin' to- high fur
ieIirr q bis b-e-iin'. I've hia rznfin' .
- a. him fur some time. an IL be colDes 1
-.1I9f1s s-rrr-rI T r-1rt s.zv a In r-ofus /