Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1891-11-28

as if that were the Chief end and
aim of existence.
Il took off the saddle, tied the
mule to the door jamb. spread my
blanket just inside the door and lay
down, with my precious bag of coffee
for pillow.
"There did seem TO be another
soul or the place, but | asked no
questions for conscience's sake /
just laid there wishing for bite
20 eat, and watching that old we-
man hunkered over the fireplace
smoking like a tar kiln.
"Well, / kept on a laying there
trying to forget how mortal hungry
| was and mebbe catch forty winks
of sleep, but the mule outside was
as hungry as | was, and every now
and then he'd fetch a low kind of a
whickerin he haw, and then he'd let
10 to knaw on the door jamb. l got
tired of his capers awhile, and finally
said:
II know you are hungry, old man
and if l thought you'd eat it I'd give
yon some of this coffee.
"Well, sir, happened to have my
eyes turned toward the fireplace
when | said this, and I'm sinner if
| didn'G actually see that old woman
prick up her ears like she'd heard
something drop.
'.She Strengthened up, looked at
me moment and said:
"'Did you'ns say c-o-f-f-e-e?
II did madam.
"sG-i-n-n-y c-o-f-f-e-e!
Genuine coffee, madam.
ga gwyn to give it to the newell?
"The mule is tired and hungry
madam, and so am l.
Stranger, l hain't seen no ginny-
wine coffee for nigh onto three years
and hit would seem sorter onr Zig 'us
somehow, to feed hit to a mewel.
Il supposed she'd actually told
me the truth about having nothing
to eat, but / said at venture.
MADAM, I've got l60 pounds of
coffee right here at my head. and if
you'll get something for me and my
mule to eat you shall have some of
| it.
"Wefl, sir, it acted like magic.
She went to the bed in the corner,
turned back the cover, turned down
the mattress, and I'll agree to never
put good vituals in my chops again
II she didn't have a regular commits
sary in there. All the under part
of the bed was planked up solid, and
was just filled with ham and side
bacon, meal and corn. She even
fetched out little poke filed with
flour In five minutes my mule had
a good feed Of corn, and in half an
hour | sat down to the best dish of
fred ham that ever went down my
thr1
while she was cooking supper, /
poured her out about quart and a
half of the green coffee, and you
ought'r seen that poor old soul. She
was just tickled to death. She
whirled in and parched a skillet of
it, pounded it up in bag on the
hearth, and when / went off to sleep
with a full stomach, she was sit
ting there Numbered up over the fire.
place, with an old rusty pot steam.
ing full, and drinking like she'd new
er get enough. You better believe
the pipe was laid on the shelf, and
abont every fifteen minutes she'd
say to herself.
Hits the fusi ginnywine coffee
I've seed for three years.
"Well sir, l won't undertake to
say that she sat there all night and
poured hot coffee down her throat,
because / slept like top and don't
lnow what she did debut I'll
agree to never tell the truth again if
she wasn't sitting there the next
morning, Numbered over the ashes,
and drinking away, and the first
thing | heard was:
"'Ginl ywine c-o-f-f-e-e.
She stopped drinking long
enough to cook me some breakfast
and then | gave her another quart
of the green berries and rede away
The last | saw of her she was max
ing fresh potful, and the last words
/ heard were:
"'Goodby, stranger. Thank the
Lord fur yer comm Hits the fust
glnnywine coffee I've seed in three
years. Million T. ADKINS in Yam
kee Blade.
why Ii Is the Best.
Pan-Tina.