The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-07-28

! Oack now, deity strung q clean towel
! upon the roller, then turning said some
thing to the old woman who rose like an
obedient child. She had wrapped a
shawl about the thin old shoulders and
following her drew the softly quilted
chair within.
Now, sir; you come right in, and
we'll have bite, " she said suddenly, as
her red cheeks were thrust around the
! doOrpost. THAT is father at the barn
now," and we heard the letting down of
bars, the rafting of trace chains and the
! tChoh, thar of the teamster, "but the
victuadls is gittin' cold. y. Her cheeks were
red, her eyes bright, and the blood flowed
| in her young veins so joyfully, was it
wonder that she spoke freely to the
stranger. And of what should she have
talked but of the things of her life.
LONELY law, sir; / don't have no
call to get lonely. | reckon if l set
round a moping, would go plum dis
tracted. But when l amt a-making
butter or hunting eggs, am looking
after Aunt Hannah, or telling the old
man about Johns coming And then the
dogs and chickensa are lots of company, and
when father comes in at night he wants
me to talk to him, and so | don't have
no time to get lonely. And then on
Sunday the boys from home come over
this amt my home. Father and me
came over when Jim died, and the old
man has been so broke up that we amt
had the heart to leave him. John is in
Kansas and he couldn't come till all his
cattle was run in and sold. In Kansas
the cattle do range all over the noun
taIns John aud my father used to run
together, so when Jim died father tells
! the boys to take the crop at home and
him and me comes over to look after the
old man. The old man was always
powerful set on John. make your for
tune, boy. Thar amt no fortunein these
hills" I've heard him say, land when
gets too old to work I'll let you know. :"
And he did work right along till
jim took and died, and then seemed
like he just went all to pieces. Jim was
always weakly. They say Aunt Han
nah mighty near died when he was born,
and then she had fever, and when she
got well her head never come right. And
so the old man had to raise Jim from a
little baby, and all the time Aunt Han
nah was just like another child herself,
knowing only enough to do what you
| tell her. The old man cared for them
and for John, and run the farm. And
when John got bigger he helped, tell he
begun to say that he must get outin the
mountains and have a chance in the
world. But Jim never went outin the
valley mOern as far as our cove.
He and the old man ran the
farm and sent John away. And after
little John got ranch and made money
and bought all the rest of this cove for
the old man and Jim. But Jim was al
ways poly, and the old man he do most
of the work, and when the grass would
get forward in the corn father and the
boys would come over and help. Then
after Jim had got weak and down the
old man would take him in his arms to
the field and find place for him under
the shade. So that he could talk with
him when he turned at the end Of the
furrow. And I'd come sometimes and
sit by him. ut makes me feel better,
Ito smell the fresh furrow I've
heard him say, as he lay there watch
ing the old man. "But its him as
should be resting here under the shade
and it's me as oughter swing them pillow
handles. And the old man when he saw
how Jim felt would talk strong. ''Id
rather follow the pillow across this cove
than be President" he would say. Thar
amt nothing like the swell of the fresh
furrow and the seeing corn grow.
like to hear the hogs squeal when they
see me a coming and the Dags Whicker
over the fence at me. And when night
comes it is good to know that | have done
an honest days work, and that the
beasts are all fed, and to set by mother
in the porch there, and smoke, and hear
you talk of John, and watch the white
caps settling on them mountains, and
the moon rise, and to have them feelinge
come over me that the world is good to
live in and that God is good. "DOn't you
worry about me, Jim," he would say.
The old man thought Jim was getting
better when all at once he took and died.
Then seems like as the life went out Of
the old man too. Send for John" was
all he would say. Then John wrote that
he was coming home and was never 60
/ Ing 10 leave MIN ana MS HlObuef no more
But he had to round up his cattle as
runs all over them mountainsin Kansas
Then the old man seem to forget every
thing else but that John was a-coming
home. He didn't notice the pigs nor the
horses. He never asked about the plow-
ing as father was ADDING, but just set
here all day by Aunt Hannah or walk
up and down the path there. He would
listen to me talk about Johns coming
and l reckon I've read him his letter
hundred times, but when talked about
the farm things, seemed like his mind
was away off yonder, and he never heard
me- Then he got to watching the road
and he loW'd whenever a rider came
oute'n the gap as maybe it was John. A
letter came by and by saying as the cat
tie were in and John a. coming. And at
day light the old man was at the gate,
the gate set wide open, and all day he
waited there, not even coming for his
victualds, till the sun set and dark came.
And every day since he has set there
from day light till dark watching the
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