The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-19

the end of the room was taken Up by the
fireplace. in which few sticks were sun
smoidering. Beside the sticks. and parity
buried in the ashes. lay the frying pan,
still unctuous with the remains OF the dln-
ner bacon. Another frying pan hung
rns by a Coating e of grease as from for
mer frying-for in these cabins the pans
and dishes are not washed immedlately
after use, but before the next meal, III at
all. An iron pot and tin coffee pot were
the only other cooking utensils in sight,
nd the only 0ns sae In the Sns
in. The iron pot hung from an old-fash-
Toned crane in the chimney place and on a
rough, homemade table were the un-
washed dishes that had been used for din
ner. The backless chair upon which NAV
sat was the only one in the house, but
there were some empty soap boxes.
Al the end of the room opposite the fire.
place the bed. built up high with layers
OF feather BEDS and covered with patcn.
work quilt. Near the foot of this the chest
stood, and over the chest a frameless mir
ror was nailed to the wall, with battered
comb and brush hanging from strings be-
side il. The remainder of the walls were
ornamented with hundred things usually
kept on shelves. but all hung here with
strings-pairs of shoes. old hats for male
and female heads. stray bits of rope and
harness, strips of bacon. ears OF seed corn,
punches of onions a big bag evidently con-
tanning meal, with only little left in the
bottom, punches of herbs. horSeShoes, and
many more things besides: but the inven-
tory was cut short by voice from the
chair:
Go out to yer paw. Lily: he wants yer"
The woman did not change her attitude
when she spoke, but still sat leaning over
her knees. putting at her pipe.
Nav not feeiin' well to-day. said the
little girl, as IL in apology for the abrupt
dismissal. She have the aguey powerful
bad. and she went off regretfully, but
obediently, to the field.
The GiRtown blacksmith moved with de-
liberation, and several hours passed before
he appeared-hours spent in great part on
the buggy seat transferred to a shady
spot on the roadside. for there was no hope
of bringing nav to a state of Sociabiiity.
how do these people pass the time
when they are not busy?' the Judge was
asked. "Of course they don't read?'
occasions they go to town. but generally
in idle moments they sit and cogitate, az
the old lady is doing now. This is an un-
usually small family there are frequently
married sons and daughters with children
of their own all living in the one room.
They raise their own corn and bacon, and
the cotton buys their clothes and tobacco
well the old mans whisky. The
whisky makes the men ugly sometimes
but never makes them sociable. They
the crackers. You can't make anything
out of these people; they are satisfied just
they They the most indepen-
dent people in the world, too: not because
they have so much, but because they need
so little. / was afraid you would give the
little girl some money; the old lady would
likely have thrown it in your face if you
had"
The Gintown blacksmith arrived and
built fire in the road TO heat a broken
tire. but the family saw nothing in that
to interest them. The father followed his
mule in his monotonous rounds between
the cotton rows. and the mother continued
10 smoke her pipe placidly in the doorway.