Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-04-24
SNAPPED SUITS.

OW WAffE LII NUllO.
was riding slowly along on my tired
Eorrel nag after an all days pull up the
mountains of east Tennessee, not far
from Jasper, and l was in the very
midst Of the forest primeval. Giant
trees stretched their gnarled branches
above my head and scattered their bril-
liant leaves about me, weaving carpet
for my horse's feet more gorgeous than
kings have trod. Away off in the lonely
lSequatchie l could see the sloping
ridges and spreading spurs dovetailing
into each other their crimson and yell
low and purple till all faded alike into
the distant blue as the mountains lost
themselves in the misty east No sound
broke the stiffness save now and then
the barking of squirrel cracking nuts
in the big chestnut trees or the late call
of the wood bird for his mate I was
musing on the mighty works of God
and the pitiful efforts of his unworthy
creatures as rode along and wondering
where l should take my supper, for !
was what might be called decently hun
CRY and indecently thirsty.
| Suddenly sharp turn. in the trail
stuck my horses nose almost into the
very face of man who sat on rock by
the roadside, staring straight before
him. His head and chest were thrown
forward, his chin had dropped below
zero, his lank knees spread wide apart
like the open jaws of Louisiana alli-
gator and his hands hung limp at his
sides. A suit Of brown jeans, so new that
they smelt of the walnut bark dye,
clothed his thin stripe of manly form,
and shirt collar Of blue hickory turned
down around a spare neck, to the very
verge OF which his fadey, straw colored
hair was plastered sleek as ballroom
floor with turkey fat. A more perfect
picture of abject misery never saw be-
fore nor since, and l jerked my pony g
head out of tho mans face and leaned
forward in my saddle to look ut him.
"Got it bad?'' | asked at last, when
the creaking of his stiff clothes and the
snort of his heavy breathing became
embarrassingly audible in the quietude
of the forest
/ "That's what l hev, stranger. he
said, lifting his jaw, but keeping his
eyes fixed straight ahead ''ketched it
in the neck an collar bone an chist, an
the breas' bone, an the heart, an the
stomick, an the lights, an the livers an
the BOWLS, an the yuther lower regions.
Facks er the business is, I've got it
FUN the crown er my ole fool head to
the soles er my big blamed foot. Got
it all overl"
/ "What gave it to you?''
! He sprang to his 2 feet of height with
yell that reverberated on the noun
tain side, jumped about yard from the
ground, cracking his heels together as
he came down again.
"What gin it to me, stranger?'' he
shouted when he had lit, ''what gin it to
me? Why, Nancy, ov ooursel Who'd
you s'pose? Case why? Case er these
her plague on clo'es what you see be-
fo' you, a-kiverin this fiabbergasted ole
hide er mine Look at 'em, stranger.
Look at 'em, fur Gawd's sake, fur their
cen is nigh at ham," and the fellow gy-
rated around among the dry leaves like
a materialized whirlwind.
"Clothes?" said /. whats the mat
ter with your clothes? That's as good a
suit as I've seen this side Of Pennsyl-
ivania.
Stranger, you don't mean it?' he
said softly, coming up close beside me
and fetching a whaok across my thigh
that tingled all the way up my anat-
iomy, creeping out at the end of my
funny bone. "Sho' now, you don't
mean it?"
Eyes, I do, though, but what does
Nancy say about it?" l answered.
stranger, he said, leaning on my
pony's neck and looking up at me con-
ifidentially, ''you see it's thisser way.
Me an Nancy thar's been keepin COM
Ip'ny nigh on to three years come the
IS day er mex December, an things
had about got whar thar warn't nairy
ornery cuss on the mountaing as dared
to look at the groun she walked on.
That's what! Pm some, stranger, whenst
gifts riled, an the fellows lowed twas
my deal, an cl'ared the track. Woll,
Isech was matters tell the 27 day ner
las Angus, whenst we was comm home
fun meetin down to the cove, me an
Nancy. That day axed an Nancy spoke
the word, an we fixed the time-this
here very day, blame it-fur the knot to
be tied, the knot which binds, but don t
Iinebrate.
! saw the fellows jaw was beginning
Ito quiver, and suddenly he clapped his
hands to his face and dropped back on
the stone.
thought he was going off into one
Of those staring frances perhaps, or
worse. SO l interposed gently:
Where was the hitch?''
fright here, durn it all, 81 he shout
ed, slapping his narrow pantaloons and
finging open his ample coat front.
''These here clo'es, | tell you Nam
made EN- fur me with her own ham S,
500, that's whar it hurts | can't 60
back thar to the cabin an tell nam
Nancy scorned the clG'es she made. could
you now, stranger. ef you was me? I've
knowed mann longer'n l hev Nancy, an
she hev stood by me Though evil as
we'll as tn 'ough good report. in sick
ness an in health"-the fellows eyes
were getting set again. 30 Lordy,
whatcher reckon make my ole fool min
keep runnin Oh that marriage GER 'mony?
As aimed to tell you while ago, mann
she made this here suit out'n out, dyin
an cardin an spinnin an weavin an cut
tin an sewin an all. She ripped up pap's
weddin suit fur patron, which gran
pap he d mar'id in the same befo' him.
An this hickory stripe shirt, she made
1t, too, an stranger, what's fellow to
do? can't 60 home, s'help me Gawd,
On tell the ole oman Nancy scorned
the clo'es she made fur me, but don t
min tellin you, seein you are handy an
seem kinder soft an harmless.
Gas lowed the weddin was to come
of tonight, so got ready and went