The Opelousas courier., 1896-03-07

49, Y&y 00
S cas- lost his new
MNM1 ~ clothes a n d
lodged Il wa
Nm sMN&@@ terry grave by
WNKWNM M " the skin Of his
wNAMNMMNM teeth, as it
were, down in Murder Creek swamp.
1 wish in my soul that I could
give you that story exactly like Andy
give it to me, with all the flourish
ments and fancy trimmins. Then you
would have somethin to wake up in the
dead hours of night and laugh about.
THEN sToRE-BoUGHT CLOTHES"
you maybe mought not think it,
Rufe," says Andy, in givin out the main
est facts in the case to me, "but I had
made a full hand in the field that year.
Man, sir, l worked SO scandlous hard
and reglar till I come durn nigh gettin
down on the lifts that summer. I
got SO monstrous poor in the flesh, till,
by gatlins, ! had to wear my heavy
wooden clothes through the heat and
burden of the summer to keep the sun
from warpin my ribs.
But at any rate, along in the fall of
the year the old folks went to town
one day, and when they returned back
home they fetched me a brand spankin
new suit of store-bought clothes. By
this time there was a light sprinkle
OF hair on my face, and a right sharp
smatterin of women on my brain. I
had come up to that pass in life, you
understand, when I knowed the gen
eral difference between a bunch of cal
leo and a pillow line.
THE next day was Sunday. Bright
and early that morning I got into my
new higgins, I did, and lit out and went
over across Murder Creek to see the
Turner girls. Shet your Eyes now,
Rufe, and look back if you can till you
see me with my first suit of store
bought clothes on, proud as a rooster
with his first tail feathers and gallin
to beat creation. Now when it come to
courtin of the girls, I didn't stack up
any to speak of that day. But I had on
them store-bought clothes and q paper
calor which stood SO stiff and high till
I had to go out and climb up on the
back fence in orderment to spit. And
I saw the Turner girls and they saw me
with them fancy higgins n.
"Well, maybe it didn't rain that day.
But if I remember right, Rufe, it rained
in great floods and sluices. It put in
about ten o'clock that mornin and
rained slap till dark and way into the
The Turner folks they Eapted
me to remain over till the next morain,
but at that time I never had STAYED
away from home all night and I di1n't
know for certain how it would feel. So
way long towards midnight the rail-
helt up and I put out for home win
them same store-bought clothes 81,
EFT BRUNa ON A NIGHT SWEAT"
"When finally at last I got down to
Murder Creek swamp it was SO in
formally dark till I could jest naturally
feel it with my fingers'-and Andy had
to stop and take a long breath before he
could go on with the story. "The dark
was SO thick and heavy, Rufe, till
blamed if it didn't look to me like I
could slice it up with my pocket knife.
I couldn't see the creek, but by the
Twelve epistles I could hear a mighty
confusionment going on down there in
the swamp. The water hit was rippin
and roarin and snortin like a passle
Of blind steers in a canebrake.
"But I couldn't turn round and 60
back to the Turner place, and | couldn't
stay down there in the swamp all night.
80 uomethin had to be did, Rufe--somc-
hin had to be did. ] want in no wny
oneasy about indin my way through
the swamp and across the creek. The
Dad and the foot log-everything was
perfectly familious to me. But them
new store-bought clothes, what would
,appen to them? The was the nainest
question, Rufe, with me. I was neither
ugar nor salt, and it stood to reason
hat mud and water wouldn't hurt me-.
|:ut it was way yonder different in re-
,ards to them store-bought clothes.
"Well, finally at last I pulled of my
boots and my new clothes, tied
EN- up into a wallet, put 'em on my
shoulder and started on acros the
.reek. But I didn't much more than
,it on the foot log before I found out
hat the blame thing was foatin, and
the next thing I knowed didn't
Inow anything for certain. The log
,ad turned with me, and down I went
rerplash-Sunday boots, store. bought
.lothes and all.
Human nature is most in generally
lways human, Rufe, and when 1comes
o nv senses I was fiutterin and fonn-
ierin out on the other side Of the
reek, whilst my store-bought clothes
nd my Sunday boots went foatin down
tream through that dark and orful
wamp.
II then pulled out for home, and when
got there I didn't have on anything
o speak Of in the way Of clothes, and
What little / did have on was morstrons
vet and cold. Ev.n TO my stake-ani-
idered shirt and that high standin
ollar had got wet and wilted down till
.ev stuck as clost as the skin.
sAnd that want all, Rufe, not by
whole tremendous big lot. Dadblame
when ! got home the dogs didn't
now me, and in order to save my hide
nd what few clothes ! did have on,I had
8 clam q tree. The dogs kept up SIGH
rippet till presently the old man had
) come out and mind the tree till I
slide down and run into the
ouse.
aI have had many q ciost call. and
pulled my fool self through many
tight place, Rufe. but By long odds
he most toughest and toughest time
have ever saw was down in Murder