St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1897-04-03

| down and the cows come home and
the evenin stars sing together. $780,.
The Old Man Was Crowded.
When Jerry Scroggins was 80 years
old and 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 Blev and his wife
they jumped at the chance-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-
lest 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 worlds
goods to his son Blev, and his son Blev's
wife, and their children after them
henceforwards and forever.
Il am now old and helpless and weak
and tired, Bleyins," said old man Jerry,
'sand all I want in this vain and feetin
world is a place to rest easy and die in
peace. You can run the farm and your
wife can keep the house. Let me have
my old chair here in the corner, and use
] 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 Bley'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 il 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 alld 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 lookin. 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 it.
One summer day-wfen the sky was
calm and clear, and peace was broodin
like gentle spirit over the whole en-
tire family, old man Jerry happened to
remember that he had left somethin out
| when he was fixir the papers and maxim
the place over to Blew. So he called
BIev's wife by one of her pet names and
told her to please bring him the paper
and let him put in everything right. She
went and brung it out like she was told,
and quick as a fash that old man laid
it over behind the back log in the big
Fireplace.
"Now, there, young woman" says he,
s1his house and this farm and every
thing on the place belongs to jeremiah
SeroggiIs in his own name. You and
nv son Bleyins can now she'll out and
hustle for yourself till I git ready TO
move. In the mainline win use as
nluCn LOLSaCEO DIS INdllIIo anu plb WuGTC
Idurn please. can have all the room
+ aced ard take my rest and not be in the
way. bought this plaeeand built this
house and planted out the orchard with
nv own hands, and Til be dadburned if
you and BIevins can crowd me out in
1nYold age,
With that the old man went to the big
family chest, got out fresh plug of to-
ihaeco, pulled his chair around in front
OF the fireplace, put his feet on the
chimney iamb and let the juice Of the
weed fly free. and promisens, right and.
left.
+ Then Bley and his folks they had to
move out, and when the old man died
it soon turned out thatshe had went and
made a win leayin his property to be
liyided amongst all the children fair
and equal, exceptin his son Bley and his
Esoa Blsv,s wife,.