The Southern herald., 1898-03-04

drpp in awhile as not. But you
nsedn't bother to feed the mule, as
I lust fed him before l left home
while same was lie straight from
the shoulder, as l just had caught
him off of tn, bayou, down in the
field, and hadn't seen him for a
week up to that time, besides my
corn gave out before Christmas
and I didn't have blamed thing
to feed him on.
Bu, Mr.. Blank insisted, and so
we turned old Mike loose in the
yard and gave him FIVE or SIX
Dubbins Of corn and some shucks
and sorghum tops, in wash tub,
and We weRt in the house and had
a general conversation, i. E., we
talked Of ourselves, and our own
business, our neighbors, and our
neiphbors' affairs, the low price OF
cotlon, and the generally depressed
condition Of the country, etc.
All Of which Mr.. Blank seemed
disposed to blame to Grover CleSe-
land, and Mr.. McKinley's Dingsd
old Bill, and the tear of on woolen
goods, and claimed that if Bill
Bryan ever became president, our
poorest land would bring from ? to
| 3 bales TO the acre, without fertilizer
or any cultivation worth mention
| ing. And that cnttOn would bring
at least 10 cents per pound, and
probably Two bits, without even
having to haul it to market, as the
factories would all move down
south and locate right in the middle
of our cotton patches, or the spin
ners would come right to the gins
after II.
Well, after that We ate supper
we did, me, and the old man, and
the old woman, and at supper Mrs,
Blank informed me that Sary Jane
would come out after supper, but
that she had gone to her room tc
primp up a bit.
Well, sir, that made me feel gooC
all over, and ! also took it as a groc
omen that the gal and the old lady
seemed to understand and appreci
ate the situation, even if | was to-
modest to state my business.
Well. after supper Sary JAM
came out dressed fit to kill, in
spanking new dress, cut after
pattern, that must have been
sorler Maltese cross between
Mother Hubbard and a Dolli
Warden, with a dead white ground
sprinkled all over with great rUun
RID spots, shaded brown, tha
derpened to a jet black as it neare'
the olfhancs edges Of the spots, an
each spot had the picture Of funn.
little stick lying sorter cata
wampus across it, aud she bad red
blue, yaller and green ribbons, tieC
in all sorts Of pretty fancy styles
flouncing in every conceivable di
rectiOn. She also had a number 0
snowdrops in her hairan i a bouqur
of yaller JonquilS on her BOSOM
She also had perlumed for the mo
menteous occasion as well as my
self, aud had 80 much Of the sweet
scented aroma of distilled Hello
trope mixed in with her natura
sweetness, that she smelled jus
like a bruised gourd vine.
Ijust tell you, Mr.. Editor, m!
gal was just transceutantly splendi
ferrous on last Sunday night, am
that magnificent dress of hers woul,
have excited the malicious envy .
Ella Cant or Sue Perb.
! Well, the old woman stayed il
the kitchen, cleaning up, ETC., an,
the old man soon went out TO Sc
If the gates were all fastened, ant
did not come back anymore at all
50 just me and Sary Jane werr
l. # in the parlOr, to spark it to
finish, | suppose, but somehow IN,
natural difiidence asserted itself
and all at once bpcame lnnel,
silent.
| would have preferred facing al
the flashing swords of old Thermo
pylas 10 hearing the sound Of m,
own voice, jus, then.
But | soon recovered my wits an,
courage, suficlent to say-Welll
must be going-says |.
There's no use to hurry, says she
lstOpped aud thought, and though
long time. Then l says again
Welll | declare its time l was going