The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-04-03

Was half so wise and rich, as when man gave
rib,
And took wife from Gods own hand.
IN THE TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS.
Among the Red Knobs of the Tennes-
see Valley the people are mostly OF the
poorer class of small farmers. Along
the railroad Red KnObber" is known
by the purple hue of his boots, usually
well stained by the hematitic dust of his
patrimonial acres. Lying at the foot of
the ChilhOwee Mountains, the rocky
Businesses behind them were long the
congenial sphere of the mOOnshiners'
hidden toll and trouble. Little Mart
Dodson had peddled wildcat whiskey"
from the time he became able to take
three-galon keg along the country roads
after dark. He had been arrested, bound
over before commissioners, tried, re-
leased or convicted SO many times that
the varied phases of federal justice or
leniency had long lost the spice and nov
elty under a monOtOnOus conviction of
their tyranny and general futility as re-
lated to moonShining i'll general and Lit
tie Mart in particular. But one summer
there came a lady and her daughter from
Chattanooga to board at Hawk Cliff,
ragged spur of the Chilhowees, where a
mineral spring or two bubbled out from
beneath the precipices. Mrs. Baird
needed some pure whiskey for medicinal
purposes. Following the instructions of
the s'Widder Green" with whom they
boarded, Agnes, the daughter of the for
mer, left bottle and some money in
cleft of large rock, called the Devils
Anvil" On going back the next morn
ing she found the money gone and the
bottle filled with ''mount'in dew"
Little Mart air always up ter time"
said the Widow Green. HE gifts to that
thar rock every Chusu'y night ez regular
IS clock-wuk."
There was no society in a social sense
at Hawk Cliff, and Agnes, lively girl
not vet out of her teens, when not read
ing to or waiting upon her mother, found
herself at some loss to pass the time.
There was no one to dress for or tlirt
with, and the country folk, ever suspic-
ious of social superiority, were shy and
evasive. She sought solace in long
rambles over the mountains, and though
warned against the danger of getting lost
ventured further and further with fem
mime perversity, until one day she found
herself in that unenviable predicament.
A thunder-cloud had veiled the sun, the
blue sky was vanishing, and the depths
of the mountain seemed to moan as soft
" as though the earth was feverish and
in dread. Agnes stood at the junction
of several winding ravines, all equally
wild and misleading, with great forest
trees frowning over her, and without a
definite idea as to her proper course.
oval, Miss, air We sure 'nuff lost, or
what air the matter?'
The sound of any human voice was
welcome in that solitude. Turning, she
saw before her a short, stout, freckle-
faced young man, having sack swung
over his shoulder with keg in each end
of it. In a few hurried words she ex-
planned who she was and that the was
| lost.
"Yo're a good three-mile from the
Widder Green's" he said, an l was
goin the yuther way"
Agnes instantly suggested a pecuniary
inducement as reason for guiding her
home, but the young fellow looked at
the clouds and said, hurriedly:
"YOu Jest wait hyur minute
| Then he disappeared round huge
bowlder before Agnes could demonstrate.
In two minutes he reappearcd minus his
sack and kegs, with the remark:
"NOw, Miss, we mus hurry ter get ter
the IIangin' Rock afore that shower wets
us.
They plunged into wild gorge-the
very one Agnes would not have taken il
left to herself-and soon came upon a
trail that wound here and there among
the ridges. over rocks, through shadowy
laurel brakes and across several small
brooks. The rain approached, and the
guide kept increasing his speed unit
Agnes, painting and stumbling, was about
to ask him to go slower. But at thi:
junction a sudden turn round beetinC
crag brought them out on a rocky plat
form, fronting the valley lying along the
foot of the mountain. Overhead thu
cliffs projected, so that they were shell
tered from the drops already falling
The young man brought a drink from
the spring near by, and she sat down t.
survey in security the solid wall of gra,
rain now sweeping over the distan
knobs and up the intervening valley.
II don't believe | know your name,
she remarked, as he stood awkardly gaz
ing at her, upon new revelation in tn
line of feminine loveliness.
I'm Little Mart" he replied.
80, to be sure; you are the person wh'
put the whiskey in mammals bottle"
oval, now, Miss, I'd be a purity foo
ter own up ter sech as that" he returne'
with, however, a very knowing look.
~ suppose you are afraid of detection
yet you need not fear me. But don e. yol
wish you were in some nicer business
Have you ever thought of the troubl
whiskey brings upon peopleP'
Mart could not say that he had, yet TO
the first time he felt vague shame of hi
occupation, but said:
Poor folks has ter make money some
how 'thOut stealin' it."
Eyes, but would rather make it an
other way than by breaking the laws +
sell people that which Injuries them"
Somehow Mart felt that the usual al
guments in favor of moonshining wOul
not have much effect on this refined, del
icate girl, whose presence now beanie,
upon him almost like some angelic pres
ence from another world. Still the
chatted on, he with growing sense o
discomfort and inferiOrity, and yet with
al strangely fascinated. He was igno
rant and specifically coarse, yet he kney
!, that at heart he desired to act right ant
, be honest only right and honesty ha,
! suddenly assumed q new and astounding
phase in the light of her sweet presenc
! and kindly remembrances. The rain a
, length ceased, and they soon arrived a
the Widow Green's. Agnes, at tn
doorstep, offered him a silver dollar, say
ing she knew she had put him to grea
deal of trouble.
Silver dollars were tempting, but h
declined taking it, saying:
81 reck'n kin erbleege people ef an
. a moonshiner.
Never mind" she said, with reas
, surfing smile, 'you must take it just t
: please me. Perhaps it will help you
. little in getting better employment"
! The next day Little Mart returned 70
? his sack and kegs, rejecting deeply.
: After getting them he went to tn
+ Hanging Rock and there kindled a fir
: with chestnut bark on tn
I very spot where Agnes had sa
, and talked to him. Then he placed tn
sacks and empty kegs thereon and grin
!. ly watched them turn to ashes. As a
= last he turned awav he muttpred.