The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-08-15
seein Thlngs I'd Night.

ain my heart and general feelins l am
still as fresh and sprightly as a right
young girl, Rufus, but here lately l
got into a strange and pecurious way
of seein things at night" the old lady
on as she knocked the ashes out
of her pipe and changed the subject
all of a student like. "You never
would of thought of it, and / don't
reckon anybody else could make you
believe it, but 1 woke up M night last
week and found a strange man in the
house.
Andrew Jim he had went off that
night to some sort Of political rallifca-
ton and left me and the children there
at home to sink or surrender as best
we could. Way long in the night l
woke up and bless the heavens there
was a man standin right there by the
dinin room door. The general shape
was ruther dim at first, but the longer
I looked the palmer / could see the
man. l could see the hat on his head,
and for a little more 1 do believe I would
of saw a gun in his hand. On the first
flush l thought it mought be Andrew
Jim prankin around tryin to make me
act a fool. But / didn't move. / could
feel the cold chills chasin up and down
my back, and 1 was sweatin great drops
of Precipitation as big as horse apples.
The silence was SO tremendous thick
and heavy till bless gracious it seems
to me like you mought slice it up with
your pocketknife. / couldn't stand it
no longer. Somethin had to come.
"In the main time I had cut a new
bresh broom that evenin, and l remem-
bercd me now that I had put the
Ratchet under the bed. So 1 went down
soft and easy as 1 could after my
hatchet, and then opened up on the
man.
"'Who's that?' says !, in a strong and
manly voice, tryin' to make out like An
drew Jim was at home. But the nan ne
didn't move.
"'Who's that, I say2' I went on, talk
in loud and mad and angry as I could.
But the man he didn't move.
"'You are playin with death and Dig
gin you own grave now says 1, as 1
riz from the bed, and waved the Ratchet
in the air. But the man he didn't move.
Funerals are all the go in this set
Element now and you will SOC be in the
fashion, says I, as I started across the
floor with my Ratchet drawn back. But
the man he didn't move. And by this
time l was standin in three feet of him.
eff you don't talk out 1 will split you
wide openl" says I, and let drive with
the Ratchet as hard as the Lord would
let me.
But I didn't kill the man, Rufus. Sc
far as 1 know the Ratchet didn't hi
in three miles of a man There want
no man there. There want a man OF
the place, in the house, or anywhereI
around there except in my mind. I'm
beknowance to me Andrew Jim had
hung his Sunday clothes on q peg there
by the dinin room door, and then hung
his hat on a nail right over the clothes
And out of them harmless old buds
had made me a man and then got
skeered of him.
II didn't NEAR to give out the facts
away from home, Rufus, but in the gen
eral hurry and darkness and confusion,
ment that night 1 had took the hatchet
and cut a hole in Andrew Jim's Sunday
coat as big as your hand, and he is now
spreadin of the news far and wide.
Somethin marvellous has come ovel
the general spirit ofthings when Nancy
Newton can look at a few old clothes
till they take the shape Of a man, ant
then get skeered Of him. Old age mus
be creepin up, Rufus. Leastwise dom
like this strange and pecurious way o
seein things at night"
But old age OF what not Aunt Nancy
Newton amt gone nowheres. And
would love to hear her tell the news ant
give in her opinions for a hundred year
to come
j RUFUS SANDERS