The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-09-23
THE STORY Of THE OLD GUN
BY CLARA AUGUSTA.

b1 CLAhA AUdUolAs
"Want to hear the story OF that old
gun again?" said Great-grandmother
Martin, as we gathered around the
cracking wood fire one stormy winter
evening. "Well, wait till I get my
knitting work fixed and and I'll see II
l can remember IT, Dear me, how
this factory yarn does knot up! 1t
don't begin to compare with the yarn
we used to spin when was agirl.
Why, before I was married l had card.
ed and spun and woyc five coverlcts
and a dozen table cloths and lots 0i
blankets and towels. Every girl did
that kind OF thing then. She would
not have felt that she was fit to he
married unless she had a good setting
out OF bedding and table linen, that
she had spun and wove herself. When
your great-grandfathcr Martin asked
me to marry him, l remember that
the first thought that came into my
mind was that l had got three more
pairs of blankets than Sarah Jane
Horley had. and folks did say that
Slas Martin hal a little bit Of a no
tion after Sarah Jane. But land sakes
that was all talk. Your great.grand
father has said so lots OF times.
swell, after Silas and | were mar
ricd, and when Enoch, our first baby
was a little more than a year and d
half old, Silas took a notion to strike
out for himself. And SO it happened
that our few worldly possessions were
packed, and the yoke Of red oxen that
my father gave US on our wedding
day drew us and our household good.
more than three hundred miles intt
the interior of Maine. where there
we're very few settlements, and LITTLE
cleared land.
''It was a long slow journey. but thu
weather was fine. l WAS young anf
happy, and my baby was in my arms
1t was rude log hut which welcomed
us at our journeys end, but the bis
fire on the hearth filled all the gloomy
Interior with sunshiny light, ant
through the struggling pines which
skirted the clearing we got glimpse
OF u lake set like a diamond among
the hills and away In the misty dis
tancc the White Mountains OF New
Hampshire rose like a wall against th'
sky.
"All that summer we worked hard
Silas plowed and planted, and we lat
a COW and some sheep and hens, ant
when my house work was done usct
to take Enoch and 90 out into the field
where Silas was at work. Besides
often made myself useful with the ho'
and rake, and l can see how you
great-grandfather looked when HI
lifted bis hat and wiped his forehead
| and smiled at me and said IN hi
checry voice: 1t beats everything
Martha, how handy you do work Ia
Why, you're almost equal to hiret
hand
zone day-lt was the first Of Octo
Der and such bright day-with al
the hills flaming out In gold aud Grim
son, and a purplish haze over every
thing, l went down to the lower clear
ing where Silas was gathering the rip
corn from the stalks. ! had Enocl
with me, and put him down at th
edge OF the lot beneath two suga
ma plies, and gave him a tin basin ant
a string of buttons to play with
Enoch was a little fellow, but he hat
been early taught to obey, and he I'm
derstood me perfectly when l told hin
he must sit right there aud not CT!
while l helped his father. l turnet
back to look at him as l went dow
the long row Of rustling corn stalk
and l thought how golden his hal
was where the sunshine fell on hi
head, and how sad and wlstful wer
the eyes with which he watched M
going away from him.
"Silas' old gun, the queens arm
| that his father had carried in the wa
Of the Revolution, stood lcanin
against a shock Of corn, for wild gam
was plenty, and It was not often tia
| Silas went into the fields without hi
| gun. That year the bears had bee
bolder than ever before, so the scat
tered neighborlng settlers said, OWN
| SO the scarcity OF bluc.berrics on th
mountains. For bears live on tn
berries 10 the season Of them and &c
very fat and lazy on the luclous diet
II went to helping Silas with tn
corn, which was very large and ha'
ripensd finely and Of which We wer
proud. III father could see this corn
said Sllas, 'hsd be sattsdcd that !
pays ~ emlgrate Into new country
Tell you What Martha. Il TIE neigh
~ s sS s, 81 .fs y s .s S, I, 81 h. 4 ia Ma II st 4 Z.