The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-01-22
SPHINXY.
She Looks After the Welfare of the
Unfortunate Hronaut.


cornfield of a farmer on the banks of
the Ohio, in that region of Southern
Illinois locally known as Egypt"
The seronout, slight, serious-looking
young gentleman with spectacles, ex-
tricated himself from the balloon just
as the farmer came running from the
next field to the scene of the descent.
Reckon you Lit suddin, didn't your"
said the farmer "Glad to see you, sir,
on my property, though folks, does
gener'ly come in by the front yard when
they're compny. Much shook up, do
you find?"
''No, thank you" said the balloon
list, ''I'm very comfortable. When l
saw the chute was bound to come down
anyway, steered for cornfield. It's
lucky you didn't have the river run
through this field"
''You mought have got some wet,
that's fact" said our farmer with an
appreciative grin. 'Sphinxy says the
Nile don't never drown folks"
"sphinxy? The Nile? Where am
anyway?"
SIN Egypt"
Gin Egypt! Impossible. Why, / only
left Cincinnati day before yesterday"
"Yet here you be, said the farmer.
"My names Shelby, and my folks will
be tickled to death to have ballooner
to dinner. They's acknowledged chicken
fried, too, to-day. see Sphinxy and
her ma fixing it when l was to the
pump, spell ago"
''But what do you mean about the
Nile?" persisted the stranger "My
name It's Sewall, and I'll be much
obliged for dinner, but don't under
stand. That's the Ohio river, and l
must surely have come down in Hi
nois."
'Shucks, now," laughed the farmer.
"Reckon you've lost your bearings, ca
reering and shassaying up round in the
clouds in that machine O yourn. In
Egypt you be, and reckon you won't
find pearter section of country nowhur
you'll look for it. Come onin, and have
some dinner. faint dinner-time for
half an hour, but reckon you'll want
to rest up some, before you explain your
star-cart to an old fellow like me-"
''Oh no, Mr. Shelby" said Mr.. Sewall,
''your hospitality shan't run away with
your curiosity in that way. Let us spend
the half-hour with the balloon. I'll be
delighted to tell you any thing can
about it.
They were still looking at the balloon
and talking it over when tall, young
girl wearing green bingham sunbon-
net and freshly-starched pink calico
frock, came out across the corn-feld
from the farmhouse. She walked up
to her father and, without looking at
the balloon or the balloonist, said: "Paw,
come to dinner. Nav says it's spiling
powerful fast for lack of eating
Then she turned and walked away to-
ward the house.
'That's Sphinxy," said her father, in
tone of pride. "Most women folks
would have stood around and pestered
us to death asking questions: What is
that9' How did it get here?' and all
the like of that. But Sphinxy, if you
notice, tends strictly to her own bust
ness. Paw, say she to me, come to
dinner, says she. That's enough for
Sphinxys aad TO Questions asked. It's
always her ,eay.
"Why, onS1 they vas a cyclone come
sudden one night; Fl st one overheard
of in this part o. the tountry. Sphinxy
she was milkius the soeckled cow when
it struck the mi 6iug-shed. 1t took the
COW and her both right up, whirled ZEN
round and whisked EN- off and landed
'em both on that thur island out yande1
in the river. had to fetch em both of
, in flat-boat.
"Sphinxy scared? Not bit Of it!
"'Paw,' said she. I'm sorry 1 split all
that good fresh milk says she, but il
don't seem to be Sperkles fault no moro
nor mine, says she. Never asked once
what struck her. N, Sphinxy never
asks no questions. : y aftnrward she
knew the Nile won 'ownd no
body
do you really call Oha the Nile
down in this Egypt?" 4 Sewall
81 remember now hes South
ern Illinois is Egypt"
''Shucks, now, you're 'ua you
wits back, amt you?" Ii :; i '.Shel
by, as they walked toNa farm
house. 1--WE call it the N ire OF
our farm. Well, this is t. nd Q
corn and wine, and they ain, Is. allie
corn than mine"
Mrs. Shelby sat down to 80 Ter
table with her husband and syast
Whom she welcomed cordial =, and con
eesning whose adventures she asked
= sal Gus woman, q. owei
ha3 chance to a .'s he
que rapidly We; how
cred !.
Spl, anwhile, Stil 20 ne
green sunbonnet +, ppo
the tabe sliced cue &c frcsI
FROM it's c. in a pail well
Ter, file. n. Sewalls wit
" and bro. ut him a pieC 4,
S had not seen the + h
81. ... the extraordinary Ma N
was hidden from Observation ~ M
sunbonnet
Her figure was slender, and T..
graceful in her clean pink Fl, Nd
hands were singularly nice han or
girl who washed dishes three L IS
day,