The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-01-05
BETSY IN A STORM.

and funny side OF everything; she is
the life, and sunshine, of every crowd,
on special occasions, in her own
neighbOrhO0d; and wherever she goes,
to town or city, among the common
ers or aristOcrats, she carries with
her-like breeze waited from her
own native mOuntain tops-that
same freshness and naturalness Of
manner, wherein lies 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 Ospend the night at Mrs. Raincrow's.
We will let her tell you Of it in her
own peculiar style.
! want to tell 'uns about that time
when we all was a-comin' home from
RObcrson's 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
kivcrcd with pine straw and the roads
all look alike.
Night Ovcrtuck us, a black cloud
riz an it sot into thunderin' an
light'nia', and we thought it was one
Of these here cy-clomes-harry-canes
a-comin' up and was skeered putty
nigh into fits. Pap he layed whip to
old Buck and old Drindle (them's our
stecr's) to try to rech shelter fore
the rain sot in.
ky Robertson and Capt. Dewbcrry
galloped ahead on their little bobtail
mules. Old Buck and old Brindle
tore up hill and down hill, and 1t
keeper gittin' darker and darker and
the thunder louder and louder, and
we got skeerder and Skeerder. There
wasn't a house to be seed, an1 w
made sho' we'd have to stay all nigh,
In them woods. 1t was so pitcl
dark you couldn't see your hant
a-forc you cep when it lightencd.
All Of Il suddent old Buck and ole
Brindle stopped right stark still and
wouldn't bulge nary nuther inch.
Buddy he rid up and lit off'n ole
Luce chats Pap's old blind nag) and
jist then the lightenin' flashed and W.
Scc1 wlatwas the matter.
Old Buck done slip the yoke and was
a-tearin' thoo the woods, and left ole
Brindlc by hisc'f, and little morer
he'd or upset the wagin.
The tail pine trees was a-fallin
ahead of us and all around us, ant
'pcercd like the Judgement day hat
shO-ly come.
Old Scr0uge scrouched down undel
the wagin; he's our rabbit dog.
The wind howled, old Scrougt
howlcd and we'uns howled; me ant
nav and Aunt Nancy and Cousir
Pink and Caledony, all a-cryin' al
onc't, and pap, he lowed: "You may
take my af-davy on it and rest
asshowed this is the last time ever ]
start out with passle of wumcr
folks"
Jist then we hcarn dog over tho
Ihill a-barkin' and child a-cryin' an(
we seed light through the trees, A
bright light in the broad fire place
showed Il whole regiment of chil'er
a-scamperin around over the floor an(
a-makin' 50 much fuss we couldn'
hardly hear ourselves holler hlll0.
A big yaller dog sot in the doc
ready to tear us all to pieces. The olt
woman come to the door holdin' ;
pine light'ood torch high over he
head, h0llcrin' back ut the, chilen
"You young'uns all shet up yermouth,
thar so l ken hear What this ye
stranger wants."
"IIill0. HillO" +" says pap. SIS tha
any chance to git shelter here to
night?"
"Didn't l tell you young'uns tt
hush? l lay l pick up sump'n ant
ho' yer terreckly. Wa-al. stranger
I'll tell yer now, we haint fixed here
to take in no trav'lers, and hits mon
strous po' sleepin' you'd do, but
haint the heart to turn no one out a
doors sich dark, blustery night a
this, mought git benighted myse'
sometime, none of us don't know
what we are a-comin' to. Light ant
come in. Come here to me JET ant
hold Bulgcr. Begone Bulgcr ! Louder
You Jefferson Davis Raincrow, didn'
l tell you to come here to me and hol,
this here dorg? ?"
"Will your dog bite p says nav.
!, II don't know whether he'd bit
. y0uuns or no, he is bit a right smar
chance Of folks. Bcgope Bulgcr
! You'uns all come In and take cheers
Come In ef you ken git in fer tn
trash, and take cheers and set dow
an be seated. Don't take that cheer
fer it's rltkety-herc's a bench som
/ Of yer ken set on. / ken feed yer, bu
I don't see fer the life or me how III
, a-gwine to bed you ALL"
!, Calcdony was SO glad to git In ,ou
} Of the storm she said, 20, We can d
{ most any way I'm willing to sleep 0
: the floor with the children"
Pit | huInd she never arrnes 4