The Opelousas courier., 1891-07-04
SLIM DISMAL
BY JAY F..

stealing q quarter section of Government
+, land which lay in a newly opened district
upon the line of the Northwestern Rail-
way, which was pushing its way to the
Black Hills. As all Western settlements
do nowadays, our little towing grew up,
as it were, like a mushroom in the
night.
| Settlers shanties and sodhouses dotted
every section Of the surrounding country,
inhabited by good, peaceable and intel
llgent pioneers. Our nearest neighbor, a
bachelor named Alfred Brown, was
''holding down. the claim adjoining
ours. While the majority of the settlers
were from Iowa, Missouri and other
more adjacent Eastern" States, Alfred
was a genuine wayback from somewhere
in the rural ''deestricts of New Yo'k.n
His complexion was something like a
half-ripe pumpkin, and because of his
slender, cadaverous body, and his pen
sive, melancholy air, mother, who had a
keen sense of the ludicious, gave HIM the
appeliation, used only among ourselves,
of Slim Dismal.
He was always very kind and neigh
borly, and as he possessed a good team,
he often assured US that, aTwan't no
trouble at all to haul our wood from the
ridge and he .'could Jest as well fetch
our mail from the postofiice as not"
and do a great mcny other ssarrands'' for
Us ''heln' as we was lone wimmen, +" all of
which we fully appreciated. He often
brought us vegetables from his garden
Which were far superior to ours, and I
san close my eyes now and see him COM
ing over that hill, thinking nothn1g of
walking a mile and back again to chat
awhile in the early summer evening after
his dishes were washed.
When seated, he invariably occupied
mothers low sewing chair, aud with his
knees at q sharp angle, his hands folded
across his stomach in a regular Miss
Nancy attitude, he would rock solemnly
to and fro and iehearse to us tales of his
ssbringin' up
As was very DESTROYS of helping my
mother TO stprove up on our land, and
as | had already taught one term of
country school ''back in Iowa." I deter
mined to apply for the position of teach
er in one OF the new districts just form
ing. / confided my idea to Slim, and,
with his usual kindness, he at one inter-
ested himself in my behalf, by presenting
my name to The Board of Directors; and
the result was, that in a few weeks | was
fi%our1shlng the ferule over a half dozen
boys and girls, in a little sod school
house. two miles from home.
One evening, at the close of my first
week, as | was going home, Isuddenly
encountered Slim, apparently on his way
from somewhere, and, as a matter of
course, we walked along homeward to-
gether. The evening was beautiful. The
level sweep of the prairie, dotted with
habitations; the vivid green Of the grass,
in bright contract with the dark patches
of ssbreaking;; = the long rows of young
corn, the bright dashes of wild flowers,
and the great unbroken distance which
gave such immensely to the landscape
would have inspired the soul of an artist.
As we reached the summit of a little ele-
~yation, our own homes, beautiful and
serene in the sunlight, lay before US.
Slim S eyes glistened with delight as he
looked down upon them.
"Wouldn't them two places, put to-
gether, make a fine farm, thought he
exclaimed eagerly.
'sIndeed they would I replied inno-
Gently. I'VE will have some lovely
hours here some day, when we get some
trees a~-growing and good buildings"
As we neared my home, Slim paused
suddenly, took a step nearer me, and, as
| looked up wonderingly, he caught one
Of my hands in his. / drew back, some
what alarmed.
Nov don't be skeered o. me-" he
said, in such an assuring voice that / be.
all the more beWildered. Il Jest
want to ask you, May, if you'll assept
my compny."
do what2" I exclaimed.
"Assept my comp'ny. Let me be your
beau, an take you around to dances and
sieh."
aBut / don't dance ! answered as
as / could.
well, you could LET rae come an see
you. You're the only woman / ever see
that I'd give a rap for
3but you do come to see us now,
Whenever you wish, don YOUR
Yes, but you see, Id like to Gomez
sparkin Sunday nights, regular, you
know, and set up"
wanted to scream. The idea Of
ssettin up Sunday nights, and with
lin, Il was with difficulty that / an
'wered with d straight face. / knew his
mentions were houest and sincere, aud
did not wish to hurt his feelings BY
aughlng. but it seemed almost impossi-
70 hold u. / managed, however. To-
peak with an assumption Of careless
good hnmor.
Ali tddlesSlcxs, Alfred, you don't
rant to do any such thing and, besides,
have no time for beaax. So don't talk
ny more nonsense, but come along
Iome. Mother will have supper waiting
sd / am hungry.
Heeame along, walking as stif1y as
Is mincing gait would allow, but spoke
OF another word until ne reached
ONE.
He ate with US at mothers invitation,
thing. by tie way, which no bachelor
'lp copks for himself will ever refuse to-
q whatever the state of his love %affairs.
Alter Tea, he assumed his usual pensive
Ititnde, and sat with folded hands, like
sister Of charity, looking IS melancholy