Daily Republican., 1889-07-26
LOWLAND FOLKS.

thirty acre farm, and such Of the crops
as could sec were thrifty beyond the
average. A bush fence ran in front of
the cabin, and Il G widow was milking a
COW outside OF this as ] came up. Her
daughter. girl of II, eat in tie door,
and her son, boy OF 8, was caring for
the pigs.
"You'un lie welcome" replied the
widow when / stated my case. "Just go
right in and chltter with Josie TIL fn-
fish off this cow"
The daughter didn't wait to welcome
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 10 wait, and dog
| almost IS big as Westinghouse stood
within three feet Of me, growing and
showing his teeth, until the widow fin
ished milking. 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 children came
sneaking In she eXclained:
"What do you all meant Didn't VI
never sec nobody nor nuthin' beto'l
Whar's yer scnse?"
Though he'un was a preacher" ex-
plaiaed the gal.
"S'posen he'un vast Preachers hain't
bound to hurt nobody. ore theJ9 Go and
clutch"
They came forward and shook hands
and we were all quite well acquainted by
the time supper was over. The widow
proved TO be smart and intelligent, though
getting along none too well rs farmer,
and when their shyness wore oil they
asked questions twice as fast as l could
answer them. We were talking away
when the hig dog barked to announce u
caller, and a moment later a man, who
was announced as Lem Pitkins, made his
appearance. He wss a typical squatter,
long-hafred, long geared, illiterate and
Emphatic, and was unmarried and about
30 years old. | had no thought that he
came counting, but wac 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 meF'
"Keckon 1 did," he replied with
start.
'Well, then, let me be serious with We.
Yo' might keep comm till the spring
went dry and it would do ye no good. l
hain't gWine to marry ye, Lem Pltkins,
and yo' might as well scatter"
This was putting the case pretty strong,
and all Lem could say in reply was to
utter "HuW of surprise
''Yo' see," she went on after moment
it'll save ye heaps of time and travel
in, and 1 doan' want my own time
token up with no SIGH. Yo' kin drap in
now and then to 'quare (mquire) about
craps (crops), but doan' 60 FUR to soft
ing (making loye).
"W-hat's the troubled" gssped Lem,
badly broken up
"Becauee can't a bear or abide. Lem,
yo' is shuckless and onlittcn. Yo' ia
like hobbies on II mules legs. Yo' is
allus iuSsin' and moonshinin', and l
haln't gwiue to him-haw about IT,"
l felt sorry for Lem. 1t was pretty
tough to give a man his walking papers
right on the jump and IN the presence OF
a stranger, and wished myself out doors.
Hc pulled himself together after bit and
said.
az could chop out and hill up, reck-
on, meaning that no could improve lis
personal looks and change his habits.
tits too iur gone, Lem" she replied.
'I O. is too old fur that. | can't abide,
as | told yo' befo', and that's enough.
If yo' couldn't abide, would yo' marry
mef'
"ltgckcn not"
"Then can't yo' see2''
'Reckou kin, and I've no hard fee.in's.
I've sot heaps by ye, but II yo can't, why
ye can't"
That's the way of 1t, 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 arriyals-Dod
Jasper and his wife, squat farmers, and a
Mrs. Teshlcr, a nci9 hbor. The latter was
a woman OF 40, whose husband WAS alb
sent from home, aud she had called on
matter of business.
been introduced, al want you'un to an
swer question Tor me"
"Weil9"
"My ole man was in the wah. Had to
60. Didn't want to go, but thoy dun
took him."
(which side!"
'JeG Davis. Didn't want to 30 that
way, but they dun said he must"
"Well?"
"a Yank dun shot him In the leg at
Atlanta, and he's been lame ever since.
Didn't want to go to wah, but they dun
made him."
"Weln
carter he got home-my old mamie
dun told me he was for the Union, and
ne dun wished he had got away 10 fight
for Lincoln"
"Well?"
NOW, then, kin he cit a pension?
Some hev dun said yes and some hev dun
said no, and cum over to ask yo'un,"
'No, he can't"
Didn't he tura union soon 'nulF'
"Hardly."
"lle orter dun been fur Lincoln belo'
he was shotp
"Yesn
"That's list how I've dun been talking
for twenty Vars. and he won't believe it.
Well, that settles 1t. Wish he was here
to hear ye; but want these folks to be
witnesses. He won't buy no nevis on
that pension money, and that's fact"
Mr.. Jasper also wanted information.
Several years previous he had equattad
on II piece OF government land, and he
was there yet. lie had brushed" few
acres, built cabin, and WAS calculating
to live and die right here when some
thing happened to disturb his pace OF
mind a man came along and told lin
he was liable to election at a moments
notice, alu ouGl he supposed that living
on "squat' three years entitled him 10
n deed. / had to agree with what had
been told him, aud lie querird:
'Was 1t bekase L didn't vote fur
Blaine2'
"Oh, no."
clad | orter voted for Harrison In
stead of CleVelandp
"That would have made no difference"
''Nuw you look a-yere. Who is this
gov msnt?"
avn. t....,,1a