Arizona republican., 1891-12-02
A BAG OF COFFEE.

 colonel one day, when the blue pencil brigade rested at noon from their labors of editing postmasters' accounts cur rent" about the bluest time eversaw, and most of you are aware ain't no spring chicken, was when I surrendered with Johnston in Moth Ca'hna and started for home"
 "Tell us about it, colonelr said the boys.
 "Well, you see it was this way. Durin the wah Ia left the old woman on the plantation down in South Calina, but when the surrender come hadn't heard word from home for more than six months, an l didn't have the least idea whether there was a soul left alive on the place, nor whether Sherman's army had left anything of the old place more than just the naked dirt
 "Well, started of for home, or to- wards where thought home ought'r be, with my parole in my pocket, and riding the poorest. orneriest mule it was ever my misfortune to become acquainted with; and do assure you, gentlemen, have had a large, variegated and pie turesque experience in that particular line.
 We moseyed along, the mule and l and one or two of the other boys, until we got down to Charlotte, and there the officer in command pressed me into serv- ice to help him parole big lot of the prisoners.
 "It took us couple of weeks to get through the job, and when Twas getting ready to start the colonel in command said:
 "I can't pay you anything for your services, but think if you were to take that beast down to the corral and swap him of for better one it would be a good thing for you; and guess the gov. ernment will be able to stand it.
 "Well, you fellows here who know my liberal disposition will probably i'm agine want slow to take a hint like that--l turned in my crow bait and took the best in the lot, and l fatter myself l know a good mule when see one.
 "'Purty good animal you got there, said the officer when l rode up to his quarters, "ther's some coffee down in the commissary, and that mule looks strong enough to carry a bag of it
 "Well, sir, half an hour later l left town on the best mule ever straddled, carrying bag of coffee worth $lG0 in gold, and altogether feeling like the richest man in the late Confederacy.
 "I travelled by myself on the first day out-just me, and the mule and the bag of coffee.
 '1 got along all right until along toward dark, when l began to look out for a place to put up for the night. It was the dismalest prospect you ever saw the poorest pine barrens-it made you hungry to just ride along and look at the country; and the houses were mighty wide apart.
 "At last l saw a light, and rode up to cabin by the side of the road, and found;an old woman sitting in the door smoking pipe. boned her to let me stay all night. She fetched her old pipe few more whiffs, and finally said:
 You'll natter gwy on to the next house, stranger.
 "'How far is ity
 Puff, puff, Bout four or five miles mebbe six
 But, my good woman, am tired and my mule is tired-let me stay. if 1 have to sleep on the floor
 Puff, puff 'Hain't got no grub.
 "I do not care for myself, if you can only give my mule something.'
 Puff, puff 'Haint got nothing for the critter.'
 "Well, we will both do without if we can only stay-l do not want to lie down by the road and maybe wake up murdered by some guerrilla
 ''She finally consented to this-moved out of the door and took up her station by the fireplace, where she continued her labors with the pipe, as if that were the chief end and aim of existence.
 "I 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 didn't seem to be another soul on the place, but l asked no questions for conscience's sake. just laid there a-wishiug for bite to eat, and a-watch- ing that old woman hunkered over the fireplace smoking like 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 l was, and every now and then he'd fetch low kind of whickerin' he-haw, and then he'd let in to knaw on the door iamb. l got tired of hls capers after swhile' and finally said
 ".I know you are hungry, old man, and if thought you'd eat it I'd give you some of this coffee.
 "Well, sir, happened to have my eyes turned toward the fireplace when l said this, and I'm sinner if didn't actually see that old woman prick up her ears like she'd heard something drop.
 "She strengthened up, looked at me a moment. and said:
 Ibid you'ns say c-o-f-f-e-eT
 "I did, madam
 'Gi-n-n-y-w-i-n-e c-o-f-f-e-er
 "'Genuine coffee, madam
 'A-gwyin to give 1t to the m-e-w-e-r