Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-02-28

she men sit out in front OF their stores
8n the afternoon and whittle goods
boxes and gossip Talk about a church
sewing society! No association of
women ever knew Of can compete
with these gatherings Of men In our
small towns on Sunday afternoons, or
on election, or holidays, for gOssiping
Many family feuds have arisen from
these Sunday male gossip gatherings
IN the towns and hamlets Of the South
which resulted in assassinatiOns and
bloody battles between the families in
yoIved for several generations.
1 did not care to spend the Sabbath
IN one of those small towns, so [ stopped
at the first inviting house L came to on
the roadside that looked like there
was plenty of prOvender for my team,
a shelter for my buggy and room for
stranger" as wayfarers are called in
the provinciaEsm Of the country, to
sleep in.
In response to my "HeIIo!" an old
lady came to the door, vigorously knit
ting on a wooden sock. Peering over
her steel-rimmed spectacles, she asked
what was wanted.
q would like to stay here over Sun
day, if 1 can. do not wish to spend
the Sabbath in a town, and L am will
ing to pay for my accommodation and
for my horses"
"Wall, my son Hank amt here now,
but his wife is. I'll fetch her Hanks
gone ter town, an low she kin tell
you more about it. Oh, Jinny!"
In answer a young woman Of about
twenty-five years came to the door.
She said I would be welcome to stay if
I would "put up with what the family
had" as they had made no prepare
tiOns for company. My husband will
be home soon, she said.
A boy was called, who took my team
TO the slot, and went into the house.
1t was one of those great double log
houses, ''chinked" with cement, and
Whitewashed outside and ceiled within
and papered. It was a warm day,
about two hours before sunset, and the
great open fireplace was used to set
flower pots in with native flowers,
which filed the rooms with delicate
perfume. In looking over the album
on the table, L came across a girls face
/ had seen in Illinois years before on a
trip to the country. As the hostess
passed through the "frOnt" room. I
asked her if she knew the original of
that little girls picture She STAN
mered and said it was hers when she
was small. 1 then told her when and
where L was at her fathers house. and
ascertained that she had met her hus-
band, Mr.. Hank Adams, a Texas
planter, uncultured but big-hearted,
while he was up there bdying some
fine horses; they fell in love at sight.
ana had been happily married more
than year. As she said this. her
beamlng face told OF supreme happi-
ness and cOntentment, and in sneak
ing of her husband, her voice took on
that soft, low accent and tone which
told of deepest love and entire conf
dence. L mention these things be-
cause / had them forcibly and pain
fully brought back to me within the
succeeding twenty-four hours.
When her husband came In she in
PRODUCED me as an old acquaintance.
whom she had met in her girlhood at
her fathers, In Illinois. He gave me a
cordial greeting, and / heard him kiss
ing his pretty little wife in the next
room a moment afterwards, and TELLING
her that nothing was too good for any
one who had known her folks" and
her.
The next morning Hank was called
away early to go to a lower plantation
he had a few miles from home to attend
to some breaks in the fences made by
cattle which had broken into his corr
and cotton fields during the night
Mrs. Adams took the family buggy anC
sTent alone to church a few miles away
as her husbands younger brother
~had ter go and ride ter churcI
with a girl up ther road who he i
.strU tim round" his mother confden
TALLY informed me. This left no on
iat che house but old Mrs. Adams anC
.me. Being informed that dinner woulC
not be ready on Sunday until abOu