Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-15
UNCLE ABEL.
The Pathetic Story Told By a
Florida "Cracker."

Ii was MD wlnter-Januarv: DuI IN ioOuUn
Florida the Frost King had far too many
enemies to admit of his reigning. The road
from Tampa TO the inland town of Barlow
stretched out in the warm winter sunshine,
hot, sinuous and sandy. A gentleman rid
ing lesurely along the road smiled to him
self as he came upon a sudden turn where
a tree had fallen across the road, and, 1t
being no ones business TO remove the
trunk, a sharp detour had been made. At
this point the monotonous pines gave place
10 stretch of beautiful "high hammock"
country, ana he spied a narrow winding
path leading from the road into a very
thick part of the hammock. Into this leafy
path he turned, idly wondering where it
led Many sharp turns it made, and, final
", as it swept around large bunch of pal
metto, he found himself at the very gate of
some ones homestead, and face to face with
a strange figure.
A heavy beard proclaimed the figure to
be that of a man, but the iron-gray hair
was 'roachedn from the forehead in a by
gone schoolgirl fashion, and confined by
a genuine round CONT, from which 1T fell
TO the shoulders in loose ringiets. Small
gold hoops were in his ears, and a huge
bandanna was pinned about his throat with
an immense old-fashioned brooch. The man
wore loose, short trousers, that reminded
one forcibly of the divided skirt" so ar
IDENTIFY urged upon femininity by dress re-
formers, and shining brass spurs were at
tached to his boots
The native leisurely surveyed the horse
man, and twinkle revealed itself IN his
shrewd, brown eye as he noted the stran-
gers evident confusion. he had been fan
ming himself with his palmetto hat, but now
he put 1t on aslant as he said, cordially:
"Howdy, Yank? I'm glad to see ye.
Won't We light and come in for spell!"
Il would like a drink" the stranger re
piled; land yonder old live oak looks in
viting Ny name is Rawson," he added, as
he led his horse to the gate.
And I'm Abel Hammond; or, If We will,
Uncle Abel. Hyer, Sed''-toa lad who ap-
proached-''you tend 10 the gentleman's
critter" Then turning TO lead the way to
the large live oak which had attracted the
strangers attention, he continued IN the
drawing tone peculiar oall the CRACKERS"
as the native whites of the Florida back
woods are called, saying:
Eye found it purity middling hot, reck-
on; these yer piney woods amt much for
shade, and this white Fluridy sands nigh
about as hots the sun, onct it gifts het up
real good"
Two tall. straightforward, hide-bottom
chairs stood under the tree, while hanging
close to the trunk on a low limb was a Gu
rious earthenware vessel with a gourd
swinging beside it.
"Have a chair and drink from the mon
KEY" said Uncle Abel, proceeding TO pour
out a gourdfulof beautiful, clear water from
a small spout near the top of the vessel.
His guest evidently appreciated the good
qualities of the monkey, for he filed the
shining gourd again, inquiFing as he did so
if Uncle Abel was a Floridlan.
IA Flureedian? Yeh, I'm a genuwine
cracker, born and raised in Fluridy. Some
of these yer consumed eejits, they kicks
agin being called crackers, but If you Il
show me why 'Flureedian' is such mighty
sight genteeler'n cracker, FL show you a
nlght-bloomin' jasmine that forgits to go TO
sleep in the daytime"
This poetic wager from such a decidedly
prosaic source brought q slightly surprised
smile TO the strangers lips, which Uncle
Abel Immediately noted.
Yer smiling, see. Ye think it's Gurus
that such an ole coon as me 'ud know any
thing bout flowers. But. law bless YET !
can tell Jest wher yen find the biggest,
bluest vi'lets an the sweetest weeny white
uns; where the jasmine and hawblooms
grow thickest, jest when the sweetgum and
maple commences to red, and where the
wild grapes git ripe the quickest
How'd come to know all thisl Well,
IN tell We. Have you got little girl to yore
place, with hair Jest like sunshine, and eyes
like the skyi Ye hayel shake, stranger
I'm glad 10 see We. But-then-yore little
girl-ain't-blindi There-beg yore pardon
but the suns SO bright it kind O. makes
my ewes weaken. Reckon I'll change my
seat
After the vigorous use OF large bandan-
ma, Uncle Abel tilted his broad-brImmed
hat slightly over his eyes and went on;
''Yehl my little Sudie's bright eyes, that
look jist like they could see thro' the out
side and lock right at yer soul-they can
never see nothing, 'cepting what her ole
dad talks TO her about, and then she says
she sees it il her head
Here he rose and helped himself to q lib
eral gourdful of the cool water, and the
guest took theopportunity TO inquire II his
little daughter had always been blind
mo- she warn't allus blind; 'twar done
when she were only two year old; she'll be
seven, come next August. We see, nigh
about every body had bunch of cattle
ranging In the woods then. and every win
ter they'd set the woods afire and burn the
dry grass, SOS, come spring, the new grass
'ud be good grazing. That's where all the
flowers is gone 10. Folks come down from