The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-17
A SUMMER VACATION.
How Tom Won a Mountain LESS
for His Wife.

We were trying to decide where we
would spend our summer vacation, Tom
Sanderson and /. Tom first suggested
Cum berland, and, after had offered sew
eral pertinent reasons why Cum berland
would not suit, he tentatively men
toned Asheville, n. c., as good place.
told him about the crowds there. tho
steep rates and L host OF other things,
and he gave up Asheville. After pro-
posing every summer resort known to
the railroad agents and finding that not
one OF them suited our ideas, Tom final
~ said he Guessed the only solution Of
the question would be 20 go to the east
Tennessee resort where we had passed
the previous summer.
/ positively refused to entertain the
suggestion. | pointed ont to him how
mercilessly we were bored the year be-
fore There was q sameness. DUH
ness, a stiffness, a barrenness about the
place that was conducive TO cnnui.
Each day the same dull programme of
the day previous had 10 be gone through
with. We were expected to say tender
things to the same uninteresting
females every day in the week, and TO
contend with the ambitious mammals
OF these very conventional young ladies.
And we were required TO be eternally
on dress parade and good behavior.
The place lacked the freedom and I'M
conventionality that belonged to nay
ideal summer resort. l told Tom all
this, and added:
Il have an idea. Well go to north
Georgia for six weeks / know an old
fellow way up in the mountains whom
I met in the United States court last
fall, He got pretty chunlmy with me
and asked me to come up and see him
some time and he would treat me like
q lord. That's the place for rest and
freedom. 1t has the charm Of novelty
we both like novelty and originality,
and we can have all the fun we want
climbing up the mountains and fishing
in the mountain streams: and then,
Tom, You can make love to some buXom
mountain lass and come away Just
when the climax is ready to come in and
break her little heart. Amt that the
kind of summer fun you're after? Eh?'
| think the reference to flirting with
the pretty mountain girl won Tom
That's his weak point-firting Any
way he was in ecstasies over my sugges-
ton. and said that he had always want
ed an opportunity to study the moon
sinners and the quantity romantic sec
ton of the state which they inhabited.
Three weeks later Richmond &
put down two dusty young male trav-
elers at very remote and wooded little
station, and snorted off min
ute later. leaving them leaning against
their four trunks, gazing at their new
1t was Tom and l. and we were not |
at all discouraged, although only one
store. two residences, blacksmith shop. |
a ginhouse. half dozen grazing, lazy !
looking COWS, a dozen roofing pigs and |
a half score of human beings were Wis |
lbfe. There was an abundance of land !
scape, of the green variety, with the |
most picturesque background of blue |
tops Imaginable. Tom |
couldn't repress an exclamation of de- |
light at the rugged beauty of the
scenery.
inquired for my friend. Mr.. Zacfa-
riah Hester. and was told that he lived |
two miles west of the station. We |
stayed that night with the storel1eeper
md resumed our journey early the |
Iext morning. Mr.. Hester received us
with unfeigned JOY and ensconced us in
The very best room in his mountain
of four rooms. Mrs. Hester
we found to be the repository of many
stories. and she RECALLED us
by the hour with the recital of her
Two eventful and rather discourage
ing days passed, during which Toms
oozed away distressingly
The first day we spent in decorating
)Gr room. and the next in al eighteen
nile walk TO Crows Foot mountain,
from which excursion we returned sore
md sad, but wiser men. Tom was
dearly disappointed
Its 4 big fal1e-this mountain life"
le said we2rily; lust to fancy, we've
been here two whole days and haven't
cen girl yet You prescribed noun
ain and mountain maid for me. Can't
GOA ill your prescriptions"
But Tom had no idea OF the'treat that
vas in store for us. The first week of
bur stay rounded up with mountain
lance at Haunt's Bend. to and from
which we were piloted by the cordial
put not prepossessing Mr.. Hank Hester,
lanly youth with more legs and arms
han he could manage consisten: with
yood grace and becoming dignity. The
lance. | feel sure, ranks among the
pronounced social successes OF that sea-
on Warm as ii was. they danced as
1 dancing was q religious duty. There
we're eight or ten mountain bellies pres
mt, all glorious il the offenders Of gay
rocks and bright ribbons, and three
lines Is many houelv locking noun
eiu youths. Mr. I!cstc- Introduced Us
o Miss ..a-y daau >,7ivveas. = robus,
nd !-lils ealar yousi., woman. and then
eft Us to take his stand ey the SIDE OF
he fair Miss Johnson. At first Miss
'pivvens seemed TO be suffering under
oustraint. but under the influence of
Toms easy manner aud sneaNa ler