Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-03-10
SQUIRE HooPER's HOUSE.

SQUIRE HOOPER > HOUSE.
the cabin between us and the road. As
Tom informed us, Squire Hooper lived
a short quarter" back from the public
thoroughfare, and. besides being loyal
and hospitable. and knowing all the
things we wanted to know, could enter
tain US heap better than he could, and
the squire's comfortable home in It's hid
den clearing was the place Of places for
Us 10 stay.
A dozen yards farther we ran pat up
on the squire and his rife. He shook
hands cordially with us and led rs back
across the foot log over the branch and
up 10 his house.
The squire was bale and hearty
man, lank II figure. with a thin. sandy
whisker encirclng his kindly faoe--a
very fountain of law for the litigants u
the valley. BY the chimney Of the liv-
ing room sat his invalid wife. bolstered
up with pillows IN the rocking chair.
On gun rack over the west door the
squire bestowed his rife and powder
horn on entering. and the four daugh-
ters. who completed the mountain house.
hold, came from the kitchen and the
wood Pile 10 welcome the guests. During
our stay we slept at night in a narrow
middle room between the kitchen and
the sitting room, and when there were
no strangers in the clearing we emerged
20 help tine girls chop wood and tote
water. IL was on the verge Of Christ
mas. and we went back TO old Toms on
the 23d TO keep clear Of Confederate
cousin who was expected for the festiyl-
ties. Short as our stay was, we got such
q motherly, fatherly and sisterly well
come that we could never quite disabuse
ourselves of the idea that we were leav-
ing kiDsfolk IN the valley.
Emanuel Headen, or, as everybody
called him, MAN Heady," who lived
near the top Of Yellow mountain, was
at this time recruiting party OF noun
taineers 70 cross into Tennessee. Tom
Hancock was booked for the passage,
and we were glad enough TO have the
opportunity to travel in such company.
So on Christmas eve Tom guided Us up
the trail to the Headen cabin. Headen
himself was in the neighborhood Of Ra-
bun, Ga, collecting recruits.
After climbing seven long miles over
a snowy trail We drew up before a tiny
cabin half hidden behind the rallfence,
and standing outside the wicket gate
with tall posts, having a mortised bar
across the tops like n miniature gallows.
Tom lifted up his voice and hailed the
castle. The curling smoke from the
mouth Of the stick chimney and the fire
light cleaning through the stones Of the
fireplace and Illuminating every crack IN
the cabin were an invitation II them
selves, bat the proprieties had to be OBJ
served.
is Man Heady to homer"
"No. he amt" came sharply from
the mysterious interior.
"Well, can Tom git 10 stay all nightF'
At that the door Of the tirebox few
open, and on to the porch came Aunt
Betsy, surrounded by her brood
I'm course we could stay, and come
in we must.
The chimney occupied the best part
Of one end Of the cabin. At the other
end Of the single room two beds, with a
narrow aisle between tbeE, occupied
lust half the interior. When the loom
and the table and the spinning wheel
were subtracted from the remaining
space, it Will readily be seen that there
was little enough room for seating nine
persons, big and little.
The fire roared and cracked, and
Aunt Betsy swore merrily, cursing the
men for having brought ON the war, and
threatening TO stomp" them all
through the turnpike, and cursing her
own sex for the bonnets and gowns she
had heard they wore in Philadelphia, and
vowing if ever she should see lone o.
them painted critters she'd claw the
feathers off n her head less'n her name
want Betsy Headen.
Once upon a time she had made the
Journey Of her life 10 WalbalA, where
she had seen steam cars and brick Chin
news. On this particular occasion she
had driven heifer 20 market, dis
tance Of 40 miles, walking most Of the
way beside her horse and wagon. Her
husband had charged her TO bring back
the heifer bell, and when the purchaser
of the COW refused 10 give 1t mp she was
plumb sot on" getting it in spite OF
him. So she made her way 70 the pas
ture in the early morning, cornered the
animal cut the strap. and with the COW
eted bell jangling in her hand, to rse
her own picturesque language, she
walked through the streets Of Walhalla
cursin.
Old Roderick Norton. who was her
nearest neighbor on the mountain, came
in for the lions share Of her anathemas,
and she freely accused him Of the gray-
est crime known in all the mountains
he had put her pigs in his pork barrel,
and they marked plain with two
smooth crops in the left and underbitted
in the right.
Old Tom went down the mountain to
arrange his affairs against Headen's re-
turn. Besides the old woman, there were
Julia Ann. a daughter q 10. and three
little bJys. One q the beds was piled
high with broken furniture and cloth
ina. and the other va. the receptacle at
night far the whole family. the father
included. exccp, when Aunt Betty re-
heyod the 0verrr5wded nest BY tuning
out D. spin. which We who slsrt On the
noor observed she did ~ intervals
fro HE ooSrTSUED.l
Net tssrnss rs ehtssok-