St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-09-25

= FS2
~ yS regards to that IA
" N nous moonlight ride
~ ~ sing it soft and low,
Rufc,-sing it soft
3<%@ and low" Thus and
&~ \ y 50 Andy Lucas. the
W natural-born horse
trader. lifted up his
voice unto me and spoke with fear and
tremblin.
Andy's horse was standin hitched to
the rack in front of our house before
sunrise that mornin and me and him
had struggled down there under the
hill. where the old spring bubbled up
and the wild flowers lifted their bright
and bannered bosoms to the sun.
The 0nlyest Moonlight Ride.
"You have already took your seat
with pen in hand, as it were, and writ
up the roarin big meetin which. Blev
Scroggins brung on with the widder,
Dolly Mayfield, and them three love let
ters down at old Sweet Water that Sun
day evenin," Andy went on, GROWN
pale and trembly. But in regards to
that onlyest moonlight buggy ride
which me and the widder took-t do
hope and trust and pray you will sing
the song soft and low. Mind you now.
there amt blame thing touchin that
moonlight buggy ride which lam sorry
about and would ruther take back.
And what little you and Blew know
about it-all that the people around
Sweet Water have heard or said or
thought or now think they know
would never make me lose marry lick of
sleep nor miss meal Of victuals.
"But, Rufe Sanders, women are tre-
mendius jealous things. Poor as am
with the long dry drorth on hand
and nothin but hard times ahead-l
wouldn't have the news Of that moon
light buggy ride reported back in full
here in the Rocky Greek settlement
for the best young mule in the country.
Don't sing that song any at all scarcely.
Rufe, il you can keep from it-but at
any rates, sing it soft and low."
could shet one eye and see that my
fellow servant and side partner was in
a peck of trouble and so bad ratified till
be didn't hardly know his own name
for certain. But told him that / went
down to the Sweet Water meetin pur-
posely to hear the news and spread
il abroad. That was meat and bread
and plain business with me. l had writ
up Blev Scroggins and the gay and
gorgeous widder, them magnolious love
letters and the stormy session OF the
committee which they brung on. and i
didn't raley see how could leave out
the moonlight buggy ride and save my
self.
And yet still that want all. Andy
Lucas il my friend in feeble. general
| way. have no doubts but what he
thinks more of me than any livin man
person in the round discovered world
exceptin Andy Lucas. But with him. in
a trade, q horse is . horse and man
is q man. II he didn't swap the socks
often his own dear father and brother
It would be. from the fact that he never
got . good chance, and dadblame him
he has Jest naturally burnt me up in
q trade more than oncst. twas now my
time Of year to bring the gifted grand
son of old Hiram Lucas down to rock
bottom. and he couldn't do q conti'
mental thing but stand still and swal'
low the medicine. had the delegates
by . whalin big majority. l had the
under holt and the dead lock. 1t waa
Charlie At the rat hole and Katy by the
door. So could only look up through
the trees and smile and shake my head
With that Andy come and laid hi.
long bony arm on my shoulder ane
said his prayers like . little man.
rAe Horse Traders Prayer.
"You can tell everything you know
and give out all the scandalatious re
ports you ever heard concernin me W
% the time we went down to the Swee'
Water meetin, and If I live long enough
/ will weep great gobs Of grief whe1
YOU die and plant some flowers on YOU
grave to keep in mind them golden. hap
Nv days which me and you have spen
together. But il you love me like
love you. Rufus, ruther think you viii
leave out that famous moonlight buggy
ride, or sing the song mighty soft ant
low. If you had any kind and tende1
regards left for the widders and th'
orphants raley don't believe yo'
would sing that song at all. II You hat
married one OF these little peart-mo
Aioned women, with black and fiashy
eyes. I know most hellatious well yo'
wouldn't. For women are tremendiu'
jealous things. Rufus.
| .Oncst upon . time me and you wer'
dirty little shirt-waist boys together
Rufe," and with that by graciou
| l could zee the salt water back up int
Andy's eyes. "Many and many's tn
day that we have ranged the woods ant
fields together. and stole watermelons
or maybe slipped OF to the mill pom
and went In swimmin-me and you to
gether. We have built Autter mills II
the same old spring branch, made frol
houses and cut summersets In the sam
saudbeds, and went to school togethe
TO the same schoolhouse. and fellin Low
With the same girls, and eourted an,
carried ON. and missed our lessons AM
took our liclrins-me and you together
Many and many's the clost place
have pulled you through Many an
| many's the bad and scandalatiou
scrape I hase csught you in and neve
made . newpapef outen my mouth {
spread tho neWo abroad.
sRsmsmhey these little things. RI
las. Rsnsobw Msvi1A s|aA tasttal