St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-03-09

Chris Weaver. was talkin with his
mouth. He was talkin to me, and talk.
in in cold. dead earnest. 1t was exact
~ like Ben Chris said. Rosy May waa
the onlyest girl in the Weaver family.
She was as pritty as red shoes and blue
stockins and yaller buff garters. and
no wonder to me that Ben Chris had
got his heart all wrapped up with her.
reckon no doubts that it seems to him
like she was made to order and handed
down, as it were. 1t was little better
than a year ago when Ben Chris said that
to me- 1t was in durin the Christmas and
New Year holidays of 1898 and 1894,
and there was tears backed up in his
eyes as big as glass marvels when h>
said it.
Another Man In the Case.
But whilst Ben Chris was her OWE
dear daddy it had come to pass that he
want the onlyest man in the world that
was lovin Rosy May worse than town
hog loves slops. John Cliff Tomilinsou
was down with the same disease. and
he had it mighty bad. And what was
particular hurtin to Ben Chris, II
seems like Rosy May returned the
young mans courtin and carryin on
with her double breasted compliments
To be plum plain about it. John Cliff
and Rosy May was sweethearts, and
they had been playin the game to beat
Bobtail. They had got along so smooth
and easy and conjuvial like till it now
begins to look as if they would bring
on a weddin match in spite of high
water and everything else.
Ben Chris had done all he could dc
and said all he could say in tryin his
level best to bust up the game, but il
want no use. lie had come up to my
house to have and hold a family talk
with me and git my general opinions in
the case. Me and Ben Chris Weaver
aiht no more kin than me and you, but
we was boys together and youngsters
together. and for many years we have
been men together. We was borned
ana brung up in the same settlement
We went to the same old schoolhouse to
gether We padded in the same branch
and played in the same sand bed, and
fished in the same creek and travelled
the same road and covered the same old
stor1pin ground together Whereas. ii
is plum natural and right for US to jine
hands and swap lies and be friends in
our old days
1t want no ways strange or surprisiu
to me to see Ben Chris with his bristles
up and his head dead set agin weddin
match between Rosy May and John
Cliff Tomlinson. i didn't have to put
in and ask no questions in regards to
the wheuceness and the wherefores OF
the case The Tomlinson generation
of people are mighty good folks in a
general way. But as Ben Chris put it,
John Cliff was the black sheep and the
scrapegrace of the whole entire family.
He had plenty of sense and push and
go, but he always went the wrong way
when he got started. He was wild and
wnyward and reckless and rowdy. He
worked hard and made good crops, but
his money went as fast as it car1e, and
sometimes \ whole lot faster. He didn't
take nothin that belonged to somebody
else, and he didn't make no debts that
he want willin to pay. But he would
look upon the great American cocktail
when it was red and favored with
limon peelin. and he would fight, and
run horse races. and play cards, and
play--the devil generally. But while
these things were all bad enough
what was worse and still more of il
with Ben Chris, John Cliff had took and
jined in with the Third party. Now II
there ever was pizen, crazy, screamin
Democrat in this whole discovered
country his name is Ben Chris Weaver,
and it aint no trouble for you to see
how it was that he would ruther see
Rosy May dead and buried than to see
her tied up for life with a Third party
man.
~The Onlyess Thing to Do"
.'Takin this case like you have tc
take a horse when you trade with Andy
Lucas-as the hair sfands-I don't see
but the one thing for you to do. Ben
Ctris,r says I, land that is nothin-jest
simply nothin. have seen the like be
fore. and I know exactly how it is.
Whensomever young man and a
Young woman--both of them sound
and healthy and abont the right age-
put their heads together and take up a
notion to go and git married, there
aint but the one way to stop the game
and that is to kill of the man. You
are most too old now, Ben Chris, tc
start in and thin out the human family
whereas the game viii have to go on
II nothin else will do but for Rosy May
ard John Cliff to git married, more
than probable it will work out al
right sometime and somehow and some
where's down the line. Rosy May has
come down from good stock and she il
the right sort. She would make good
wife for the meancst man on earth, and
there is nothin that can work up the
good materials in man like . good
and noble woman. 1t looks to me like
il there ever was . wild, unhappy devil
In this world that needed sweet and
gentle woman to take hold and
st,1ighten him out John Cliff Tomlin.
SOu ID tuC AOOokGIs .AA0 ~ u10y. UG All
ali we know that the good Lord hai
raised up Rosy May for that particular
business At any rates, Ben Chris, Il
they have already fixed It mp and set
tied it amongst themselves to hang
their clothes on the same peg. right or
wrong, hit or miss, it II plum vsnity
and vexation for you to keep ON frettin
and fumin about il. You can kick and
you can scotch. but IL somethin don't
break they will b married the next
thing you know. And - I said before
don't see but the one thing Tor you r.
do In the case and that i test simply
nothin. Put y0ur trust IN the good
Lord and let nature take her course"
1T + al right and easy enocgh r.
yea y talk y thst uss. lal \ ~