The National tribune., 1900-12-13

4
| Tennessee River? Nary. Wouldn't go ten
| mile from the Tennessee fer airy army OF
the everlastin' airtb. Nary, SIR
About 80 miles from Decatur, after they
had left the last sign of the rebels invest.
| ing the town far behind, they saw on the
south bank a tall slip of a girl actively
mailing them with her sunbonnet Beside
her stood another younger girl, and behind
| them, on chunk, beneath a spreading
| sycamore, sat a gaunt, tall woman, with
| skin the color of corn fodder. A limp sun
| bonnet, minus its pastebOaid Stats, huny on
the back of her wisp of knotted yellow
! hair. and she had n gOurd of snuff in her
| hand, into which she pOked chewed stick
and then rubbed it on her teeth. All three
were attired in linsey gowns, cut almost as
| skimp and straight as pantalOOns legs.
| None had a stitch on her to spare. Around
| them yelped several mongrel ours, with
| ribs showing like the front of a washboard.
Hello! there. What do you want?''
called the pilot. as the boat came within a
| few yards of the bank.
'We'uns want yOu'ns ter take we'unS
| ter Chattynoogy," called out the mother of
the girls. ''We'uns is obleeged ter go thar.
Weuns II starve if we'uns don't. We'uls
haint had nothing ter eat fer two days, an
| look at them dogs. We'uns we bin waitin'
hyah two hull days fer boat ter take
| we'uns ter Chattynoogy. Two hull days.
Look at them dogs"
I'VE can give you something to eat, "
said 81, without taking you to Chatty-
| noogy, if that's all you want"
mo; but yOu'ns must take we'uns ter
ChattynOogy, too. We'uns must have some
place ter stay whar we'uns kin git some
thing ter eat reg'ler. an something fer the
dogs. Jist look at them dogs. The Yanks
is ginin' out rations in Chattynoogy, an
thar'S whar weuns must go. We'uns We
bin stayin' with our kinfolks up on Null
hr.,r V1,Ir I,,,E 81, foIa
aIong like seyen-year locusts, an nacherul-
ly ct they'uns out o. house an home, an
left nothin' fer nobody, nor the dogs. Jist
look at them dogs"
"Confound the dogs. Let 'em starye
COuntry'd be a mighty sight better off if
several millions of 'em were dead. Well
give you yictuals for yourselves, but none
for them worthless hounds"
But yo'uns must shore take we'uns ter
Chattynoogy," walled the elder woman.
"We'uns haint nowhar else on airth ter
go ter keep from starving. Deed we'uns
haint. We'uns got kinfolks in Chatty
noOgy that'll take keer o. we'uns. We'uns
nights now. We'uns an the dogs.
Chattanooga bad place for them to
CO." said Shad, ''but it's un-Christian to
leave them there to starve under that tree.
They can't be worse off anywhere else"
Come aboard, madam, and bring your girls,
but leave your dogs"
80, no; we'uns can't do without our
dogs" said the woman, obeying with alac-
rity. "Nary time. How on airth would
we git alongT
Time was too valuable for discussion.
The dogs were all aboard sooner than the
women were.
The women were taken back to the
kitchen and given supply of food, which
they devoured rayenously. They would
greedily MUNICH out few enormous mouth
fuls from a piece of bread or meat, and
then throw the remainder to the famshcd
dogs. which snapped and snarled and
fought for the bits. And there seemed no
limit to the coffee the women drank.
I've heard of people being holler clear
to their toes" remarked 81. I've felt that
way myself. But can't for the life of me
make out where that old woman and girls
are slowing all the grub they're laying in.
They've already ct more'n you could put in
a twO-bushel bag, and you could pull n |
twO-bushei bag over any two of them to-
gether. and almost have room for the |
other"
There came an abatement of their appe- |
tites at last, however, and the girl who |
a tin cup of coffee in one hand and bread |
and meat in the other, to take a survey of
the boat and the passing shores.
20, man," she shouted. Look here
Here's the funniest board. Hits jist like
the door on our house down thar on the
Shoals, whar we lived afo' the wah An
laws-a- massy, if thar haint stool jist like
81 and Shorty exchanged looks of con-
sternation.
LANDS sake" echoed the mother, COM
ing forward and surveying the remainder
Of the wreck of Smoot Jinllins's cabin.
strewcd around upon the deck. "If thar