The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-12-29
BETSY IN A STORM.

on special occasions, in her own
and wherever she goes,
to town or city, among the common
crs or aristocrats, she carries with
her-like a breeze waited from her
own native mountain tops--that
same freshness and naturalness of
manner, wherein HES her chiefest
charm.
Betsy had been to town to the cir
Gus, and coming home gets caught in
Il storm ON the way, and is compelled
to spend the nightat Mrs. Rancrow's.
We will let her tell you of it in her
own peculiar style.
l want to tell 'uns about that time
when we all was a-comin' home from
Robersons circus up thar at Talla-
degy town and got lost.
1t was most dark when the show
was over. we live fifteen miles or
better from town, but pap he lowed
we must git home that night II it
tuck us plum til midnight. Its
mighty easy to git lost over in them
piny-wOods hills, the grOun' Is all
kivered with pine straw and the roads
all look alike.
Night overtuck us, q black cloud
riz an 1t sot into thunderin' an
light'nin', and we thought it was one
of these here cy-clomcs-harry-cancs
a-conin' up and was skcercd putty
nigh into fits. Pap lie layed whip tt
old Buck and old Brindle (them's our
stcer's) totry to rech shelter fore
the rain sot in.
ky Robertson and Capt. Dcwberr,
galloped ahead on their little bobtai
mules. Old Buck and old Drindl'
tore up hill and down hill, and i
keeper gittin' darker and darker ant
the thunder louder and louder, ant
we got skecrder and skeerder. Thcr,
wasn't house to be seed, and W
made sho' we'd have to stay all nigh
in them woods. 1t was so pitcI
dark you couldn't see your han
a-forc you cep when it lightencd.
All Of Il suddent old Buck and oil
Brindle stopped right stark still an
wouldn't bulge nary nuther inch.
Buddy he rid up and lit of'n oil
Luce CHATS Pap's old blind nag) an
jist then the lightcnin' flashed and W
see what was the matter.
Old Buck done slip the yoke and wa
a-tearin' thoo the woods, and left oil
Brindlc by hise'f, and a little more
he'd or upset the wagin.
The tail pine trees was a-fallil
ahead Of us and all around us, an
pecred like the Judgement day ha
sho-ly come.
Old Scrouge scrouched down undt
the wagin; he's our rabbit dog.
The wind h0wled, old ScrOus
howlcd and we'uns howled me an
nav and Aunt Nancy and Cousi
Pink and Caledony, all a-cryin' ;
onc't, and pap, he lowed: "You ma
take my aA-davy on it and re.
; asshowed this is the last time ever
J start out with a passle of wume
folks"
Jist then VIC hcarn Il dog over Il
hill a-barkin' and a child a-cryin' an
, We seed a light through the trees.
,, bright light in the broad fire pla
j showed Il whole regiment Of chile
a-scamperin' around over the floor az
!, a-makin' 50 much fuss we coildn
! hardly hear ourselves holler hillo.
. A big yallcr dog sot in the do
4 ready to tear us all to pieces. The o
IL woman come to the door holdin'
pine light'OOd torch high over h
= head, hollerin' back at the chile
"You young'uns all shet up ycrmollt
thar so l ken hear what this y
stranger wants."
Z "lIillo! Hillo ~ says pap. SIS tll
any chance to git shelter here
night?"
"Didn't tell you young'uns
" " hush? lay l pick up sump'n a
c flo yer tcrrcckly. Wa-al. strang
~ I'll tell yer now, we haint fixed he
:" to take in no tray'lers, and hits mi
strous po' sleepin' you'd do, but
" haint the heart to turn no one out
doors sicl dark, blustery night
y this, ! mought git benightcd niys
!. sometime, none of us don't KIN
in what we are a-comin' to. Light a
.. come in. Come here to me JET a
= hold Dulger. Begonc Bulger ! loud
of You Jefferson Davis Ralncrow, did
l tell you to come here to me and h
= this here dOrg ?'
"Will your dog bite ?" says nav
) II don't know whether he'd
( yOuuns or no, he IL bit a right SIN
W. chance of folks. Begone Bulg
ny YOu'uns all come In and take che,
hc Come In ef you ken git In fer
X trash, and take cheers and set do
M an be seated. Don't take that CHI
M fer It's rlckety-hcrc's q bench Sc
S, Of yer ken set on. ken feed yer,
l don't see fer the life er me how
~ -, a-gwine to bed you ALL"
Caledony was so glad to git In
~ ~ Of the storm she said, 20, We Car
- most any way I'm willing To sleer
:. the floor with the children"
/ 1yrt I hnuv,d cho v,nunu nrrax.