The Van Buren press., 1897-04-03
The Old Man Was Crowded.

When Jerry Scroggins was so years
old and a goin, with his good wife dead
and buried and all the children mar
ried off, he got lonesome and wanted his
youngest son, Blew, to move in with his
family and run the place and keep him
company. Of course Blew and his wife
they jumped at the ehanee-whicb you
understand the old man was now comm
across with his last load of poles, and
he had the best farm and the most love-
liest home anywheres in the Rocky
Creek regions.
So they moved in and treated him so
kind and gentle and lovin till the next
news the rest of the children got, the
old man had made over the home place
and all he had in the way of this world
goods to his son Blew, and his son Blev's
wife, and their children after them
henceforwards and forever.
81 am now old and helpless and weak
and tired, Blevins," said old man Jerry,
"and all | want in this vain and fleetin
world is place to rest easy and die in
peace. You can run the farm and your
wife can keep the house. Let me have
my tobacco, and eat at the table so long
as live, and the old place is yours"
SO then he made out the paper givin
everything to Blew, and Blev's wife she
took the paper and put it away under
lock and key. Now it want so very long
after that before they took to crowdin
the old man considerable and presently
it seems as if they would soon crowd
him and his old chair out of the corner,
and crowd him out of doors, and crowd
him into the grave. Blev's wife she
fused and fumed and ding-donged at
him and crowded him terrible because
he would use his tobacco, and he
couldn't always spit right exactly
where he was loolzin. He had shed his
third set of teeth and lost his strength
so till he couldn't raley spit much past
his nose, whereas it follows that he was
bound to make a right smart mess
around the fireplace every day. And
Blev's wife jawed and nagged at him
day in and day out about spittin on her
floor, and messin up her house, till bless
gracious the old man got sick and tired
of il.
One summer day-when the sky was
calm and clear, and peace was broodin
like q gentle spirit over the whole en-
tire family, old man Jerry happened to
remember that he had left somethin out
when he was fxin the papers and maxim
the place over to Blev. So he called
Bley's wife by one of her pet names and
told her to please bring him the paper
and let him putt everything right. She
went and brung it out like she was told
and quick as a flash that old man laid
il over behind the back log in the big
fireplace.
"Now, there, young woman" says he
"this house and this farm and every
thing on the place belongs to Jeremiah
Scroggins in his own name. You and
nv son Blevins can now she'll out and
hustle for yourself till l git ready &c
move. In the mainline | will use as
much tobacco as I want to and spit where
Il Il
I media and take my rest and not be in the
way. l bought this place aud built this
house and planted out the orchard with
my own hands, and I'll be dadburned II
YOU and Blevins can crowd me out in
my old age"
With that the old man went to the big
family chest, got out fresh plug of To-
bacco, pulled his chair around in front
of the fireplace. put his feet on the
chimney jamb and let the juice of th'
weed ny free and promiscus, right and
left.
Then Blew and his folks they had t.
move out, a1d when the old man dice
it soon turned out that he had went and
made will leavin his property TO b'
! divided amongst all the children fail
and equal, exceptin his son Blew and BIT
] son Bley's wife.