The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-07-20

"'What did it?' said /.
Education, said he. 81
sEducation9 said /.
"'There's nothing better to have in
q district said he, than education,
provided you keep it in bounds. It's
all right and proper among the rising
generation of human folks, but when
you come to spreading it among bears
you're carrying it too far. That's my
opinion, said Toby Groo. Education
is what does me up with Betsey. Edu-
cation among bearsr said Tobey.
"And away he went from the SHINE
mahoue; and when fellow has the
heart to leave the Sinnemahone coun-
try, you can make up your mind that
he's done up bad. And the Toby Groo
place is for sale. And what led up to
it was this:
''Thc Bricktons are great people over
on the Sinnemahone, you know. Great
people. Been there for generations.
The greatest of the present generation
is Betscy, although she isn't very big
and isn't twenty years old yet.
'.sTulSin' her from the ground up as
Uncle Jabez Fiddler puts it, AN con-
siderin' of her fer gener'l scrumptious-
ness, Sinnemahone can't turn out the
elal o. Betsey Brickton.'
81 want TO give you pointer on
Betsey, though, SO that if any of you
should happen to buy the Toby Groo
place aad go over on the Sinnanahonc
and be somebody, you'll know how to
act and keep out o. trouble. Betsey
has got red head. An amazing red
head. Now / rather like that red head
of Betsey land q good many other folks
do, but Betsey thinks it's drawback
She is sensitive about it to adegree. In
the soft Sinnamahone tongue, she's as
tetchy as nettles about it. And Betsey
is so full o. snap and fire that it isn't
safe to mention torchlights, or bricks,
or anything of that sort around where
Betsey is, for she takes it as a personal
slur on her topknot, and the way she
flares up and gives it to you is some
thing to remember.
{" It's n cortion to pcppersass! Jabez
says.
Everybody knows this, and is care
full not to get Betsy's red head between
them and her if they want to keep on
the right side OF her Betsey Brickton
is popular. though. So popular that
there amt a young chap on the SHINE
malone that wouldn't be happier than
bear in a bee tree if he could shine
up to her and know that Betsey liked
it. Toby Groo, as far as money went
was the best catch for girl of all the
young fellows on the Sinnemahone
spread. Not bad looking, and not much
over twenty-five. But he wasn't over
popular, because he was what Uncle
Jabez calls "A leetle nigh in his deal
ms and rather inclined to get the
best end of diclxer, even if he had to
stretch point. For all that, old Billy
Briclxton. Betsey's father, got it into
his head some time ago that Toby
Groo's money would be good thing to
have in the Brickton family, and so he
did his best to help Toby get on the
right side o. Betsey, Toby being not
only willing but more than eager. lie
was crazy after Bctsey.
"All the same Betsey didn't care for
Toby. not a little bit, nor for any,
one else in particular. Toby kept pes
tering Bctsey to marry him, and her
father talked her almost blind about
it, until one day, month or so ago.
after Toby had asked her for about the
nine hundredth time if she'd marry
him, she snapped out:
".Yesr
When? said Toby, tickled all but
to death.
When find bear that can spell
my namer said Betsey.
''Then Betsey laughed and laughed,
for she judged that she had settled the
business then and there, and Toby
went away feeling mighty glum and
way down in the mouth.
IF none o. you fellows knows Bar
naby Beestuffer, of Sinnemahone, there
is large waste place in your life.
Barnaby Bcestuffer is a citizen to
whom all Sinncmahoning points with
pride. He has genius such as could
only have gerniinated, sprouted. grown
and blossomed ON the storied Sinne-
malone. Barnaby has a little clear
ing. hut he scorus toll. and devotes all
his time TO tanning bears and snakes
and ceons andwiidcats and porcupines,
and such indigenous products of the
SinneninhoHe soil. and teaching them
tricks AID sapers. About the time
that Belzey hriekton told Toby Groo
Nhatd have 70 happen before she'd