The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-08-11

to the door jamb. spread my blanket just
inside the door and lay down, with my
precious bug Of coffee for pillow
"There didn't seem to be another soul
on the place, but asked no questions
for consciencss sake. | just laid there
a-wishing for bite to eat, and a-watch-
ing that old woman Numbered over the
fireplace smoking like tar kiln.
"Well, kept on alaying there trying
to forget how mortal hungry was and
mebbe catch forty winks OF sleep, but
the mule outside was Ms hungry as was,
aud every now and then he'd fetch low
kind OF u whickerin' he-haw, and then
he'd let In TO knaw ON the door jamb.
| got tired Of his capers after awhile,
and finally said
al know you are hungry, old man, and
II thought you'd eat it I'd give you
some Of this coffee.
"Well, sir, happened to have my eyes
turned toward the fireplace when ] said
this, and I'm sinner il didn't actually
see that old woman prick up her ears
like she'd heard something drop.
"She Strengthened up, looked at me a
moment, and said:
"'Did you'ns say c-o-f-f-e-eT
al did, madam.
"'G-i-n-n-y-w-i-n-e c-o-f-f-e-eY
"'Genuine coffee, madam,
"A-gwyin to give 1t to the m-e-w-e-lT
"'The mule is tired and hungry
madam, and no AIN |,
stranger, hain't seed no g-i-n-n-y
wine coffee for nigh onto three years
an hit would seem sorter onr'lig'us
somehow. to feed hit to a newell
II supposed she'd actually told me the
truth about having nothing to eat but
said ut a venture
Madam FIVE got 1850 pounds Of coffe'
right here under my head, and If you'll
get something for me and my mule u
eat you shall have some OF it.
well, sir, il acted like magic, Sh
went to the bed in the corner, turne
back the cover, turned down the mai
tress, and I'll agree to never put goo
victuals in my chops again il she didn
have regular commissary in there, A
the under part Of the bed was planke
up solid, and was just filled with har
and side bacon and meal and corn St
even fetched out little poke filled wit
-four In five minutes my mule had
good feed Of corn, and in half an hour
sat down to the best dish Of fried hal
that ever went down my throat,
while she was cooking supper,
poured her out about quart and ha
Of the green coffee, and you ought'r see
: that poor old soul. She was just tickle
to death. She whirled in and parched
I skillet full OF it. pounded it up in ra
on the hearth, and when went off
! sleep with full stomach, she was 81
ting there hunkered up over the fir
+ place, with an old rusty pot steamir
full, and drinking like she'd never &
enough You better believe the pi
! was laid on the shelf, and about eve
u fifteen minutes she'd say to herself:
"'Hit's the fust ginnywine coffee r.
: seed for three years
9 swell, sir, | won't undertake to 81
that she sat there all night and pour
u hot coffee down her throat, because
. slept like top and don't know what s
u did debut I'll agree to never tell t
truth again II she wasn't sitting the
IT the next morning Numbered up over t
70 ashes and a-drinking away, and the iii
p thing heard was;
a "Ginnywine coffee.
v "She stopped drinking long enough
cook me some breakfast, and then ga
W her another quart Of the green berr
a. and rode away The last saw Of |
70 she was making fresh potful, and
~ last words heard were:
"Goodby, stranger Thank the LIZ
fur ye comm. Hits the fust ginnywi
}, coffee I've seed in three years, "-Milt
rs T. Adkins in Yankee Blade