St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-04-24

payin taxes, but gradually BY DEGREES
cone to the conclusion that nough'
maybe somehow manage to live . feW
vars longer without Miss Bessie Kat
for my side partner and my honey dear
Then . few more years stacked up n
the dead and dreamy past-a few more
springtimes when the violets and gel
low jessamines and honeysuclklea
bloomed- them strange and tender
spring feelins wore OF, and by that time
Ididn't9iye continental durnwhethe1
I ever got Miss Bessie Kate for my
ownlyest own or not.
Now In the main time I had beer
bruisin around promiscus. and the
world was CROWN bigger and bigger In
my eyes every day. I had seen 70 many
sights. and mixed up and mingled<sith
50 many various and sundry people. and
had 50 much fun one way and another
till the old log schoolhouse at the Crosa
Roads and the girl with curly bVDwn
hsir and blue eyes didn't poster my
miad more than oncst . year-which
Of course that was along in the spring,
when the violets and yellow jessaminea
and honeysuckles were in full bloom
over there on Caney Branch.
The Worla, MT Do Aovo.
Seven long years had slipped BY az
most unbeknowance to me. when oncst
upon . time I was took down with 4
mighty bad homesick spell, and didn't
have . blessed thing to do but light out
and return back home to the old settle
ment. BY this time you must recollect
that the cotton-headed, hatchet-faceted,
yearlin boy had come up to be right
likely lookin young man, with few
side whiskers on his face. store-bought
clothes on his back, and three or four
sweethearts ON his mind.
To me the old familiar scenes around
the settlement looked plum natural ex-
ceptin only that everything did look
powerful little and swunk up in my
sight Miss Nan Biggers-ths same
little dried up old maid-was teacbin
school in the same old log schoolhouse
over at the Cross Roads. One night the
school give . big exhibition a. usual
for the grand windup. and for the sake
Of old times put on my Sunday buds
and went to see the show.
Yes, bless your soul, Miss Bessie Kate
Simpkins she was there. primped clean
out Of sight and dressed in IN inch Of
her life. At the same time the violets
and yellow jessamines aud honeysuckles
were bloomin wild and plentiful over
there on Caney Branch, whilst the ma
tive air was sweet with the breath Of
spring. But yet still somehow them
strange and tender spring feelins which
I use to have wouldn't come hack only
as silly tale that was told. Miss Bessie
Kate wore q little bunch Of violets in
her hair that night. but time had took
out all the curls, and the blue in her
eyes didn't match with the blue In the
violets any more. The schoolgirl was
gone, and in her place there stood .
grown-up woman-jest = plain, female.
human woman-snd the longer looked
at her that night the more felt like
it didn't make . continental durn bit
Of difference If we never did hang our
rags on the same peg together.
And to-day, a. I think and write Of
the days that have come and went since
I got into my first love scrape over Ut
the cross roads schoolhouse, Miss Bes-
sic Kate Simpl<ins holds her place
the old maids Of the settle
ment- l reckon, no doubts, she il good
and sweet. She knits socks and makes
quilts for the poor and needy and visits
around amongst the sick and the suffer-
IN. But she has shielded her teeth and
her hair is turnin gray. do raley and
truly hope she is as happy as happy
could be, but she don't look it to me.
Well, in the due fullness Of time, l
struck up acquaintance with the prit-
test and the best and the sweetest little
woman in the world. and for many years
We have been ixi2sclothes for better or
for worse. In my eEn plain. humble
way. run the faFm I'D write for the
love my d6untry and serve
ny day and generns1ba. She keeps the
house and tends to. tn children and the
LEVERS and the el66d1s and the gar
len. Maybe we amt ~ young and
handsome rs we me. to be, but yet We
AN sing old sonesqS9 ether-we can be
sNfshilst the violets
ndyellow jessaWinesand honeysuckles
bloom onset . year every spring over
here u all tGAy branch.
Rst in. TIE intime, You must rec
,llect the sun Stands still and the world
lit do move.
Ryyry,a aANnERa