St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-03-27

H. WY 8OW - WaS0AV -
:: : ! ! !; : :: ! : !
I'M the southeast cor
al ner Of Arkansaw.
e. H/ Texas and Louisi-
~ ana, which they
~ m called the name Of
the place Texar-
kama. Somethin had
to be done right away Immediately to
meet the great issue Of bread and meat
and wherewithals. So ! put In and
made arrangements to 60 forth into the
highways and byways - . lightnin rod
agent. Bright and early the next morn
in was out and gone with . coed pair
Of horses and the wagon loaded down
with materials-the happiest and most
hopefullest man that ever worked Ais
way through . elost place.
Il was ~vuaoeR Than TAat.s
But accordin to brit Foster and the
Scriptures. everything that goes up
must como down. So Il II with the vain
and Aeetin hopes Of mortal man. ]
driv out that mornin and likewise driv
In tho same day. ! put them horses
through and talked and talked till BY
gracious for . little more and would
Of took down with . case Of the lock-
jaw. But marry single lightnin rod did
] sell. turned the water On In every
way I could. but the machinery wouldn't
run.
Late along in the shank Of the evenin
! driv up to house where they hadn't
put up NO rods and hailed ut the gate.
The lady come out to meet me. but she
was cryin like her heart would break
slap to pieces. Naturally of course .
sight like that touched me in = soft
place and I took It on myself to ask her
what in all creation was the matter.
Somebody sick unto death" says I.
"Wusser than that, mister" says she.
SIS your husband dead and gathered
unto his fathers7" saysL.
"Wusser than that, mister" says she.
Maybe Him that giyeth has likewise
taken away your father or your dear
old mother" says L
'Wusser than that" says she.
'Then maybe death has laid his with
erin hand upon the buds and blossoms
Of your heart and home and took some
Of the children over the river to that
blessed land Of light and sunshine and
flowers" says I.
"Wusser than that, mister" says she.
..Well, tell me, good woman, what in
the round created world II the matter
with your
''Our dear and onlyest aaughter"-but
she broke down right there and wept
great gobs Of bitter grief. Then pres
entity she recovered and went ON:
This mornin our onlyest and dearest
daughter Sophy May she took end run
lway with . lishtnin rod agent"
What did I do then? Turned the
wagon and team the other way and driv
back to town-throwed up my job
Doaked good silver watch for three
dollars and hit the first train goin west
that night. have seen my full share
Df ups and downs In this vale Of years
md tears here below. l have travelled
al the gaits and covered all the ground
from the woodpile to the clearin and
from Caney Branch to the county line.
And I have done little Of most every
thing that . poor mortal man ever had
10 do. but henceforwsrds and forever
more draw . dead line ut the lightnin
rod business.
Dlev 9eFoG11ns 0a the Roa6.
Which the same that puts me in mind
Df the time when Blew Scro9gins started
put - book agent to sell family Bibles.
That was back there in the seventies.
The seasons had hit wrong. the crops
lell wsy short, and with the people
around Rocky Creek the mainest ques-
ion vas how to pat meat in the smoke
house and meal in the barrel and keep
he wolf away from the front door.
consequentially, Blew he got to be the
general agent Of . book concern and
'tarte'l forth to sell fsmily Bibles. But
Blew was like ma with the lightnin
'ods-he didn't make any tremendous
Zig sajes to speak Of, and after the first
ound he laid down his hand and
umped the game.
II wouldn't talk II out in public,
2ufe, II You didn't know II already"
ays B:ev to me. "but. to tell the truth,
md nothin but the truth. the Scroggins
Of people never did build
my churches % fur a know. and
THAT kttle they never have learnt in
egards to the Bible would All . stavin
'ig hook.
but you must keep II in remem-
rance. Rufe. that there was one more
lain case Of pushency. and the mainest
hing with me at that writin was to
;eep the family washin out Of the poor
louse. So braced mp and went forth
. the general agent for family Bibles,
md BY gatlins the next news got I
'ad stEssek . snag and went down in
|eep wster.
First thing. ! roanded mp over there
{ the oldlady Hanson's place and sailed
light In tn sell her . family Bible. IL
vas hard to tell from her first few scat
erin remarks whether she would or
'hether she wouldn't, but in the main
lme ahe 1t In and talked Scriptures
. me till hanged II could even say fog
estain that my name was eeroggins.
The dear old soul-she wanted to
now Of No Whist ! thought about this
nan and that man, ard this woman and
be other woman. aceordin to reports
rom the eeFipturss-whieh Of course /
idnt know . blessed thing about any
Z 'em. But ! lodged and hedged and
uswersd her questions % best could.
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