The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-09-16


jeremiah, Bildad Jakio Jerusalem.
They said he stuck his name after
a part of grand-paps name.' I start
ed to ask them to give 'grand-paps'
full name but l had to laugh, and
explained it by saying that was the
best gravy that 1 had ever seen.
Soon after supper I was taken to
my place to sleep. 1t was small
room, cut off by PARTON, from the
kitchen. The bed-stead was an old
fashion one, with cords instead of
Stats and springs, and the bed SEEM
ed like it had been half filed with
the crop-grass which grew in
Adams cabbage patch in the Gar
den of Eden. Under the bed sat a
jug of molasses, which gave rise to
multitudes of mosquitoes and black
gnats. On the bed were fieas, and
other carniverous animals. The
mosquitoes joined in a GLORIOUS
equal to the Maryville College Glee
Club. l fancied I could hear them
whetting their bills on my shoe
soles. The gnats made regular
trips from me 10 that molasses Jug,
under the bed, for you know that
"Every bitter has it sweet" While
some of the feas were atwork, 9th
ers would sit on the bed-posts and
crow. On retiring had put my
revolver under my pillow, but now
I took it out, rolled it up in my sock
and slipped it down in my shoe, be-
cause l was afraid the furious
beasts would guaw the loads out OF
the cartridges.
Now and then I would 6oza of
into kind Of cat-slumber, and be-
gin to dream that l was lying On q
crooked sour wood pole, in the mid
die of a Geological garden, when
suddenly would awaken myself
to sing:-"HoW sweet and awful is
the place, That gnats and lasses sfill
But Oh! how dreadful the debt,
When fieas present their bill" The
landlord had told me that there
was "big-meeting goin' on down
to the church." In my agony |
thought of that "big meetin" and
while I kicked and clawed with
both feet and one hand, with the
other hand framed my plans for
the following day, l would go to
church on Sunday morning; make
myself acquainted with some nice
looking man and stay with him un-
til he would invite me home with
him for dinner, of course 1 would
accept and stay with him until
Monday morning.
The next morning my hopes
were somewhat crippled; for q
heavy rain WV, falling, and it had
leaked through and wet all my
clothes, and one shoe had caught
! enough water to make a respect
able fish-pond. The rain continued
until late in the afternoon. All
hour before SUNSET the rain ceased
and the clouds began to break
promising bright night.
1t was suggested that we "hooI
up" to the wagon and all 60 tt
"meetin." 1t was soon agreed upor
and Jake was sent to invite the
neighboring women and small
children to have seat in the wag
on.
In half an hour three womer
with two small children each haC
met to ride with us in the wagon tt
"meetin." l started with the mar
to gear the horses, he said he woulC
do that, but if wanted to do some
thing to help along / could cut s
little stove wood to get supper
when We got back from "meetin.'
For a moment l hesitated at the
thought of chOpping wood on Sun
day but to refuse then would cause
a whole family of hard feelings
So | deliberately took a rail from
the top of the fence, and with al
the dignity and solemnity required
on such an occasion, 1 most pi
Ously sectioned that chestnut raj
to nice little pile of stove.wood
How that ak sounded! at every
lick 1 fancied could hear the echt
resounding from the walls of thu
old Presbyterian church at home
but soon finished and took the az
into the house and asked the land
lady if 1 might put the AK in tn,
wegon and take it to church. Sh,
asked why and / told her 1 wanted
it to repent of what it had beer
doing; She caught the point ant