The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-07-17
The still Pig and the MIX.


Remember likewise also, Rufus, my
son, that it is the still pig which gives
the most milk. You can have most
anything you want in this great big
world if you will but only work and
watch and wait and be silent, but every
body is jubius of a man when he talks
too internal much with his mouth. He
is so proned and probable to say some
thin that amt SO, or somethin that
will hurt even if it is so. It amt no
sign of brains to see a man forever rum
min over at the mouth, and if you are
raley smart, the world will find it out
by and by, whether you tell it or not.
Sposin you are smart enough for con-
gress. soon as you light out and pitch
in and try to tell everybody about it,
some people wouldn't believe it to save
your life.
"Bless the Lord, Rufus, 1 am Twin
right now on borried time" GRANDPA
Their went on, in his meek and lowly
voice, shut if / was to live right on for
so years to come, l never would for
git the day and time when / saw
man fall down at courtin and miss his
mainest chance to mix clothes for life
with a lovely little woman.
THAT was two or three years after
Billy Bradshaw died-which Billy was
way yonder the best fixed and most
richest young man in the settlement.
Now, in the mainline he had got mar
ried to Miss Dolly Travis-which I do
know she was the prettiest and most
sweetest lookin young woman I had
ever saw in my natural life. So Billy
had left her q widder-young and fresh
and handsome-with only one baby and
the finest plantation on Big Wolf creek.
And Dolly was just as good as she was
sweet. But then, to be certainly. of
course, human nature is human nature,
and in the due fullness of time it seems
like the little wilder she got kinder
lonesome over there on that big planta-
ton. When three years had went by L
could shet one eye and see that Dolly
was willin to risk her life oncst more
in the hands of some man person.
I'm them days and about that time
it come to pass that a young man
moved into the settlement from some
where's over in Kaintucky by the name
of Claighorn7John Henry Claighorn
was his full and proper name. l have
nc doubts, Rufus, but what he was one
of the most handsomest men that ever
run a reel or jumped a jig in the whole
entire country, and 1 couldn't help
from thinkin if him and Dolly Brad
shaw was hooked up together in double
harness what a snatchin fine pair they
would make. Nothing would do then
but / must put my hand into the game
and see if 1 couldn't shuttle and cut
the cards so as to win out on that
line. All the young women in the
settlement looked like they would go
ravin crazy about Mister C~laighcrn,
and n day l made it convenient to
ride around by the Bradshaw planta-
ton and find out what the little Wild
der thought in regards to the young
man from Kaintucky. She wouldn't
say SO in hat many words, but 1 could
see that she was dead gone, heels over
appetite, in love with Mister Claighorn.
She tried her level blamedest to hide
the facts, but l had travelled along the
same road before and she couldn't
throw no sand in my eyes. When I
went to leave L told her to look out
the next followin Sunday, as 1 was
goin to bring the young man by to
scrape up acquaintance with her. She
didn't say yea and she didn't say nay,
but bless the heavens, Rufus, if /
couldn't see her heart hutterin way up
in her throat.