Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1892-11-23

"ten in celery" and all such wild talk
as city farmers indulge in.
Finally the pen was dipped and
handed ma, but stead her takin' it she
clinched her hands together hard, and
laughin' a tremulous little pitiful
laugh. s. 'e:
"Mr. Sage, do you know how high
corn grows on this plantations"
s. &c, mo, num-"
"Then I'll tell"-holding her hand a
foot above the carpet-"exactly so
high and no higher. Then the blades
turn rusty and red and aop over like
dogs ears, and little nubbin comes
the size of my finger"
Mr.. Sage sorter smiled, for he had
commented on the big cornstubs in
the field. Ma gave another dry laugh,
and s. e:
"Your sheep will all die. There
amt enough grass on the uplan's to
parster rabbit, and the medders are
pizenous with chills and fever. and
we're subject to pneumonia and
mumps and measles, and its the worst
kind of luck to move at your time of
life, anyhow"
Mr.. Sage says very gently:
MADAM, | respect your feelin's"
and they walked out on the poarch.
Then ma bust out in the pitifuliest
sobbin's and cryin', and she and me
had it.
She blamed me, her only son, for
wantin' in her old age to turn his ma
"homeless and houseless, roofess and
a."
"My son. said she, "the air don't
blow so sweet and pure over no other
piece of Gods earth, and things all SC
convenient to my hand. | could 90 to
my places the darkest night that
comes"
Though I'll swear you'd have to travel
a mile to 90 the rounds Of her flower
garden, greenhouse, dairy, weavin'-
house, ice house, and all the fowl
houses and purtenances. There
were located far apart in old slavery
days, to give occupation to the niggers,
1suppose.
And, oh, George, my two babies in
the graveyard, and I'd picked out my
own place by your pas side. I'm like
an old tree. | can't stand transplatin'.
Oh, son, to think of your doin' such
cruel-hearted thing in my old age!"
But ma," | says, tryin' to defen'
myself.
"And George. don't know but its
wrong to go off and desert our niggers.
The old ones that raised us and the
young ones we raised. It's not their
fault they are set free, and they mind
their 'od miss as well as ever they
did Q always spilled 'em some), and
it's only the triflin', no-account ones
gone off to the Yankees any way"
Seem ] agreed with her, she went
on. There's old Villet with her rheu-
matiz, and Crazy Jane, who's harmless
as a robin, and your mas old dropsified
butler, and Blind Jim boy, that used
to drive the blooded Morgan horses
when your pa came a-courtin' me.
Who'd physic 'em and scold 'em
and see they don't starve? George, it
would be sin to desert 'em at their
times of lives"
Women may be no great shakes at
hard, SCUM reasonin', but mas a very
pretty talker indeed, and by grabs, |
felt sorter so myself and downright
aggravated with Mckay. What call
had he to fly off like potleg in such
sudden swivel to Gust us from the pro-
perty which had belonged to our gen
GRAFTON ever since William the Con-
querer, and for aught | know helped
him to conquer it?
The honor and glory of settin' up in
a stiffed starched collar at the FIX
change hotel, hobnobbin with the
Virginia Legislature, and the judges,
and the bong tong would be but
poor compensation for my pack of
houn's and blood horses, and the foxes
and birds and things was used to. |
would be but lone, lost boy, cast
adrift, even if did eat oyshters three
times day.
Amt there no way of gettin' out
of this trap" says ma, wipin her eyes
on the long stockleg.
81 b'leeve I'd die anywhere else"
IF we pay Mckay his commission
and persuade Mr.. Sage to give out the
notion" says l doubtfully.
How much is the commission,
George" she asked eagerly.
ut amounts to $3.50, but" -
George" she spoke quietly, "if you
will step out to the stables for awhile
| think | can compose my mind and
solemnize my thoughts"
The colts came whinnyin' to meet
me and rubbed their noses on my
shoulder; the calves, the pigs, every
thing in the yard came at me in
body.
| got a hamper of nubbns and scat
tered 'em, and somethin' KEEP gettin'
in my eye, and ! thought | would
actually blow nv blamed nose off, and
the more thought OF McKay's offici-
BUSINESS the madden GOT. But when
l got back to the parlor it was quiet as
a church, and there was ma out at the
yard gate biddin' the gentl'men far
WE'LL Such was her haste to get
them off and away.
My dear old mother! Her eyes
shone bright as a young girls she's
smilin' and lookin' as pleased as if
she'd been left fortune.