The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1896-02-07

NNNNA#$ANA NM " the SKIN Of MS
NVNNAMNAEMMW& teeth, as il
were, down in Murder Creek swamp
/ wish in my soul that l cUult
give you that story exactly like Andy
give il to me, with all the hourish
ments and fancy trinmins. Then yoU
would have somethin to wake up in the
dead hours of night and laugh about
"THEM sToRE-BoUGHT CLOTHES"
"You maybe mought not think IL,
Rufe," says Andy, In givin cut the main.
est facts in the case to me, "biit had
made full hand in the field that year
Men, sir, I worked so scandlous hard
and reglar till come durn nigh gettin
down ON the lifts that summer. ]
got SO monstrous poor in the flesh, till,
by gatlins, | had to wear my heavy
wooden clothes through the heat and
burden of the Simmer 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 brand spanlxin
new suit of store-bought clothes. By
this time there was a light sprinkle
of hair on my face, nnd a right sharp
kmattefih of women on my brain. I
had come up to that pass in life, YOU
understand, when l l1nowed the gem
eral difference between a bunch of cal
leo and pillow line.
The next day was Sunday. Bright
and early that morning / got into nv
new higgins, did, and lit out and went
over across Murder Creek to see the
Turner girls. 6het 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, / didn't stack up
any to speak of that day. But had on
them store-bought clothes and paper
calor which stood so stiff and high till
l 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 on.
well, maybe it didn't rain that day.
But if L remember right, Rufe, it rained
in great floods and sluices. Ii put in
about ten o'clock that mornin and
rained slap till dark and way into the
night. The Turner folks they wanted
me to remain over till the next mornin.
but at that time / never had stayed
away from home all night and didn't
know for certain how it would feel. So
way long towards midnight the rain
helt up and I put out for home with
them same store-bought clothes on.
1T BRUNG on A NIGHT SWEAT"
when finally at last I got down to
Murder Creek swamp it was so in
formally dark till could jest naturally
feel it with my fingers" Andy had
to stop and take long breath before he
could go on with the story. ''The dark
was so thick and heavy, Rufe, till
blamed il it didn't look to me like I
could slice 1t up with my pocket knife.
I couldn't see the creek, but by the !
twelve epistles could hear a mighty
eonfusiohment going on down there in
the swamp. The water hit was rippin |
and roarin and snortin like a passle |
of blind steers in canebrake.
but 1 couldn't turn round and go !
back to the Turner place, and couldn't
stay down there IN the swamp all night.
So somethin had to be did, Rufe- some
thin had TO be did. want in no Hay
Uneasy about fndin my way through
the swamp and across the creek. The
road and the foot log-everything was
perfectly familious to me. But them
new store-bought clothes, what would
happen to them? The was the mainest
question, Rufe, with me. / was neither
sugar nor salt, and it stood to reason
that mud and water wouldn't hurt NE.
Tut it was way yonder different in re-
CARDS to them store-bought clothes.
''Well, finally at last pulled off my
Sunday boots and my new clothes, tied
em up into wallet, put 'em on my
shoulder and started on across the
rreek. But I didn't much more than !
git on the foot log before found out
hat the blame thing was fioatin, ard
about the next thing kRowed didn't
know anything for certain. The log
rad turned with me and down I went
lerplash-Sunday boots, store. bought
clothes and all.
Human nature is most in generally
.lways human, Rufe, and when comes
o my senses was futterin and fionn-
ierin out on the other side Of the
reelS, whilst my store-bought clothes
nd my Sunday boots went floatin down
tream through that dark AMI orsul
wamp.
II then pulled out for home, and when
got there 1 didn't have on anything
o speak of in the way of clothes, and :
Vhat little did have on was mo- strous q
ret and cold. Evsn to my stake-ani- I
idered shirt and that high standin f
ollar had got wet and wilted down till
hey stuck as clost as the skin.
"And that want all, Rufe, not by =
whole tremendous big lot. Dadblame a
!, when / got home the dogs didn't
now me, and in order to save my hide \
nd what few clothes 1 did have on, L had
D clam tree. The dogs kept up SIGH
rippet till presently the old man had .,
} come out and mind the tree till / ~
ould slide down and run into the :,
ouse. a
II have had many a clost call, and I =
ave pulled my fool self through many :, :.
tight place, Rufe, but by long odds =
le most toughest and toughest time
have ever saw was down in Murder
'eek swamp that night, when lost
y Sunday boots and my store-bought ty
othes. IL brung on night sweat
Id wound ap with buck ager, and set tc
e back at least three years in my e1
'owth. The truth is, Rufe, I never
I've felt quite altogether as big as !
~ ErnN