The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-02-08
SARGE PLUNKETT.
A Babe In the Middle for FiEty-Three
Years.
atlanta Constitution.

A Babe In the Middle for Fisty-Three
Years.
atlanta Constitution.
True as it is that 1t is hard to learn an
old dog new tricks, 80 it is true that it's
hard for an old man to quit his tricks.
I have stated before that Browns
family was mighty prolific. he was
blessed with twelve fine girls and one
boy-making thirteen. But Browns
trials and tribulat;ons did not stop with
this thirteen, if worrying with babies be
trial. Each Of these twelve girls have
been blessed with twelve children each,
making IA grandchildren for Brown to
fondle since all of his own were out of
the way. So it comes that for 6fty.three
winters Brown has had babe to divide
his bed with him and every time and all
the time the babe must have the middle.
This middle business is what Brown so
soured on. He said it had grown mo-
notonous. He was downtrodden, be
thought, for there couldn't be word
said about turning the babe over on the
outside but what the answer would be;
"It will fall out"
"Let it fall" said Brown. "Fall and
bedogged. hain't got some rights in my
own bed? Haint drawed up with the
rheumatics from jumping mp in the cold
for 'em2 I'm 'spectiug every minute
now to have to get up and get the thing
some water. 1t eat enough at supper for
grown hand. 1t will want piece of
bread, though, before morning. I'll be
bound that and I'll have to light outen
bed to git it. Nobody don't lose any
sleep over my troubling and falling and
shivering and shaking. Nobody cares
for me; I'm nothing. Pm downtrod-
den old fool, that's what I is," and he
would grit bis gumbs together as he
would turn over on the back railing of
the bed with his face to the wall.
This had. been about the state of affairs
in Browns room every night for some
time until recently, when his old 'oman
got worried out with hia grumbling and
sent the last little grandchild home to it's
parents. Then we all looked for peace
at night and Brown looked for comfort.
The little child hadn't more than got to
its daddy's good before the late uupleas.
antuess" in the weather swooped down
upon us. The first night-the night the
wind blowed SOL was listening to it as
it zooned around the corner of the house
aud heard Browns voice:
"Cover, more cover Cover or blood |"
His old wife was doing her best to pac-
ify him, but l heard her say that all they
had was on the bed and then Brown let
out.
'I'll burn every quilt; I'll tear down
the house It's q trick got up on me be.
cause I had that brat to leave. Jerusa-
lem I'll freezel You want me to freeze.
Cover, cover, cover, say !"
I lay and listened to this kind of talk
and to the poor old wife trying to pacify
him till I was fearful that something bad
would happen before morning, so | spoke
up and asked Brown to come into my
room where there was a good fire burn
ing and warm himself. He came, and in
there argued the point with him.
"Did you ever see. it so cold 2" was my
starter.
'See nothing Is's trick" was his
answer, as be turned first one side and
then the other to the FIRE, then his face
and then his back, then one foot and then
the other and then his hands. He got to
turning pretty faat, for the lire was
mig glty hot, as asked him if he thought
the weather was trick2 He stopped
everything but shivering as be turned
and gazed upon me. Between shivers, at
last, he said:
"Trick nothing but trick Hain't I
seen it 80 cold that the timber in the
woods was popping like cannon?"
eyes," answered as an arctic shiver
caused him to pat his other side to the
fire.
"Wasu't here on the cold Friday p"
he sueered.
eyes"
$50 cold then you coulL spit and it
would freeze before it hit The ground?"
eyes"
"I didn't have no such time as this
then. No, sir; never did. LIS trick.
They have hid all the cover and opened
holes in the house. Can't fool me.
This hain't no weather"
1t is sufficient to remark that Brown
refused to allow me to dissuade his mind
as to the trick business, nor would he lis
ten to anything all next day, but in a day
or two he softened, and it took another
turn upon him. He got to believe that
the weather was sent as punishment for
sending the babe away, and he begun to
coax at his wife to send and get it. Mrs.
Brown is tolerably easy to be coaxed
when she wants to be, but this time she
would not hear to bringing the baby
back. 1t was too much trouble at night
for old folks like Brown aud her-this
was the way she talked, but she didn't
mean it, she wanted it back, was obliged
to have it back, but Brown was worried.
He talked to me more in the laat week
about babies than in his whole life to-
gether before. set by the fire yesterday
and listened to sort of dialogue between
him and his wife.
"Fine time for catching rabbits" said
Mrs Brown, as she cut her eye out at the
falling snow.
"Catch nothing" answered her hus'