The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-15
THE END OF THE FEUD.
By MARTHA MCULLooH WILLIAMS.
fCopyright. 1896. by American Press Associa'
tion.l

toni
II was early May. Tho woods road
lay dappled with golden shadow. 1t
was narrowish and winding. with deep
rnts In its red clay surface. Either
hand of il were banks a good two feet
higher, mottled with MOSES, brown
and gray and green, through which
there sprSng up everywhere the tiny
yellow eyed pale blue flowers that Ten
nessee folk call sweethearts They were
so thick indeed il seemed as though
blue cloud SWAMI barely above the
moses. Now and again the spread OF
them was broken with tuft OF fine
grasslike stems sown all their length
with shining yellow stars hardly blg-
ger than the sweethearts.
The wood was bare of underground
Neither were there small trees nor
.heaped leaves at foot. That showed TO
any wise sylvan lore that it was burned
over yearly by hunters who cared more
for clear chase than for timber or eveN
the betterment of the land. The eye
went everywhere through mazes OF
straight black trunks. which at last
melted into a solid wall OF distance,
whereupon was lightly laid roof OF
floating color. The red of new oak leaf
age was in It. the tinted verdure OF
scarce unfolded maple. the yellow green
of hickory buds. backed all by the furry
silver of indeterminate faroff boughs.
On one hand a dove fluted dcsolately
to her mate Upon the other rival
blue jays went through all manner OF
feathered coxcombry under the eye OF
their ladylove sitting high in wait for
the victor. Below them big black
logcock went swiftly away to the woods
deeper depths, his motion as wild and
wavering as that of haunted soul.
From crannied knothole high on the
southerly side Of big oak two squirrels
peeped saucily out. then snatched back
the head as though scenting danger.
A minute after you saw the reason
q reason upon four legs and with q
keen. cold nose. 1t was foxhound.
blue notified, 1.-THE and lean--not the
leanness of hunger, but of perfect condi-
tion. He came on by little dashes, now
making n few quick steps, now stopping
short, with the head over the shoulder.
evidently in wait for something or
somebody coming on behind. AT foot
of the squirrel tree he stopped, shifted
intelligently up its trunk, gave two dig
nified barks, howled once, then sat upon
his launches and looked steadfastly
into the boughs overhead what time he
was not glancing wistfully down the
road.
Presently his vigil was rewarded with
sight of a wagon coming toward him.
IL was heavy, springless vehicle,
scantily piled with sacks of shelled
corn. A lean old black mule and q
round saucy dun colored one had much
ado to draw it through the stiffening
mud, which was tho sign remnant Of
a rainy week just ended. Some one
walked at the side of the team, singing
high and clear:
Ja-ay bird died of the whoopin cough,
Sparrow died Of the collie.
Along camo frog with fiddle on his back.
sayin. "Boys, les go TO the frolic."
"Oh, do hush dat, Tonyp'a a voice
said from the wagon-a throaty voice,
unctuous with good humor in spite Of
its complaining speech. It came out OF
huddle Of curves that close looking
resolved into very fat black woman
sitting fiat upon the wagon floor One
arm was tight about her knees, tho
other flung over the edge Of the wagon
bed. Raising her voice to drown the
clanking of the equipage, she went on,
still in tone of deep discomfort:
"Hit do pear lex ter me er body
vhar gut dc hymnbook an all dem
peeanner musics whut yo' mother had
an dc new chune book FUN de singin
school amt gut no 'casion ter go singin
dam dar ole corn songs same lex dee
wus er boyer Niger boy at dat Nus
be yo' name. took an tole Miss Fran
els how hit gwine be at de ve'y fust
off; but, no. stree, she des would name
yo' a'ter yo' pappy, case he don dead.
God knows, / spec, she done 'pent OF
it or many times. hear her say c orrer
day she ,foard yo' amt nebber gwine
git may'ie nebber in the worL. C'eptin
yo' 'haves yo'sef diff'unt / sorter
think so myself. Who yo' spect gwine
want nobody wild do boy walk an boy
ways yo' been gut dis las year er so?''
IT am sure dom know" F" Tony said,
with dancing eyes, finer red dawning
in her fresh creek "And really, Nam.
my, don't think care-much, she
went on, speaking the last word unde,
her breath as she clambered back into
the wagon. "There is something in life
besides getting married, though you
who have had three husbands, natural
ly think otherwise. Any way just nov
could not marry prince. not il HI
wanted me ever so bad. j have othel
things to think about--mamma and th'
children and my farming"
Dam children, dee not nothin te
yo'-nothin but yo' half kin, F" MANN.
broke In, with sniff. ''Dat suppiI
else whar thry ter keep Miss Franci
fun doin--may'in dat dar preache
man whar come ter gin her consolemen
obsr Marse John Ant'ny, yo' pappy
dyin so young. Pear lex ter me 'twu
on ,nottv ouar consOlomaut-ma'y'i III