Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-04-09

DER, anyhow, SAID the Invalid, feebly.
II KANT hold out much longer"
eyer mouths dry, honey" said the
anxious father, unconsciously going
back to his childhood's way of speaking
to him. "Hyar, let Pap gin ye leetle
sup o water ter wet hit"
But the prisoner closed his eyes and
slightly shook his head.
jest drap," coaxed the father; lies
the matter O. drap, Jackie, honey"
"Not tibet thar WATER" said the pris-
oner rousing up. ''Thet thar prison
water makes me heave. Oh, fer a
drink outer the spring at home! seems
like could drink hit dry"
Old Bigby felt frightened; he was no
part of a nurse, and the changed ap-
pearance of his son still shocked him.
Hit looks like good WATER" said he,
''hit does. Try sup"
But the sick man refused, and his
father welcomed the entrance of the
jailer.
Here, Jack" said that official, my
wife's sent you some soup; try and take
it,"
But the invalid still refused. s'Ikaint
eat hit" he said.
"What do you crave?" asked the
jailer.
Sunshine an fresh ar" cried the
prisoner, rousing up. EFF could only
git out whar the sun'd shine on me. an
whar I could see the peak O old Bald
face, rollin' up benin Pap's house,
seems like I could git up an run a
mile"
''You should ha' thought of all O. that
afore you went to monkeying with the
revenue" said the jailer.
II never thought ez how I'd be
cotched," said the prisoner, sullenly.
But hit does seem hard" said old
Bigby, apologetically, ''for man ter
suffer 50 much-eenamos' pay with his
life fer maxim few gallons o. wild cat
liquor iker that?"
1.-THE Government don't want it," said
the jailer, undertaking to explain the
revenue system, "but it don't want you
to have it, neither"
swell, now, thet does look curious"
said old Bigby. "What kahn hit matter
ter the COMMENT? En- what" he con-
tinued, as the jailer was una Bile to an
swer that question, zen what's man to
do with his extray crap O corn when he
KANT git hit to market? We uns lives
on the side O. old Baldface, en- ter haul
our crap ter market costs purity nigh ez
much ez the crap is with. En- this year,
OWN ter one accident en- another, the
crap peter'd out O. the small cen O. the
horn. Hit didn't pay ter haul thet leetle
bit ter market fer the mite O. money
they'd pay fer hit En- we uns war hard
up; we had nary sugar nor coffee-jes'
bread en- little bite O. meat; en- Jack
sez sezzee, Il haint agwine ter stend
hit, I haint; I'll jes haul the corn over
ter Stillinger's still en- turn hit inter
bug juice. Hill fotch huff ter buy
sugar an coffee
$50 he hauled hit over thar ter the
still, every bit O our crap we had to
spar, en- the stillers stilled hit on sheers.
The shotes, they followed Jack, en- the
rev'nue they followed the shoates en-
busted up the still, en- throwed out the
mash en- the beer, en- the whiskey, en-
away went our years crap at lick. En-
wussur an all. they cotched Jack. Still
linger he got er way-he's a ole hand at
the business-en the rev'nue took en-
brung Jack ter Atlanty."
Then you didn't git no sugar nor COT
fee?" said the jailer, as old Bigby
paused.
"Nary drap," said he mournfully,
| shaking his grizzled head, zen we lost
our leetle crap besides. But what's
sugar en- coffee ter Jack bein' tuck? Me
en- his ma en- the gals wish we uns never
heared tell O sugar en- coffee. What's
sugar en- coffee ter Jacks a lynn thar a.
perishin' away, weaker an a baby?''
cried the old man in tremulous voice.
Here the sick mans nerves gave way
under flood of self-pity, and he began
to weep.
''Thar-thar-honey," cried his ia.
ther, trying to soothe him, ''don't ye
cry!" He thrust his hand into the
pocket of his copperas jeans coat end
drew out a gaudy red and yellow cotton
handkerchief.
LA! La!' he calculated, ''ef hain't
clean aforementioned all bout hit!
Why, honey, eff hyar hain't new hen.
kercher yer ma sent ye. She saved ui
all O. ole Speck's aigs en- sol 'em Chris'-
mas, en- buyed hit fer ye for present,
en- she's been a-keepin' hit fer ye eve,
sence."
But the gaudy handkerchief, far from
comforting the prisoner, overwhelmed
him with home Sickness
stake hit away!' he sobbed. 'Take
hit away! Oh, ma! Oh, ma! I'll neve,
see ye again!" ~
i The stalwart mountaineer dashed thu
4 gay handkerchief under the bed, ant
kneeling beside his son, Graded him !,
/ his arms as II he were baby. 4.
'slhar, nov. thar, now, don't re tax,