El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-01
THE REIGN Of reason.
By VIOLA R0SEB0R0.


part of the county"
Politics is still eminently respecta-
bile IN Tennessee. and my brother.
whom 1 was visiting. was n candidate
for a congressional nomination. He
was encouraging me to make visit to
some kiusfoik OF ours He put forth
motives of policy. but the truth was he
was much attached to Cousin Betsey
Blunt. whom he looked upon with pride
"a a particularly able woman. and he
louged TO have me pay her the compli-
'ment of a visit. Mrs. Blunt had been
left q widow at the close OF the war,
with two little children and no other
dependence than n rough farm In a
rougber country some 25 miles back"
from Strathboro.
She had taken the situation gala ntly,
and now her children were both grown
and her hard days past. One. the
daughter. was married and had gone to
Texas. but the other. the younger, jim
my. was still with her.
/ I had been at her house years before
when I was a little girl and still re-
membered 81 as n sort OF place of en-
chantInent. so deeply and delightfully."-
had it's remoteness and primitiveness
Impressed me. | was pleased enough
at the prospect of going there again.
One ~ those queer little railroads that
seem to wander so amiably and aim
lessly about the rural districts of the
south passed within eight miles of the
place.
1t was arranged that at this point
Jimmy should meet me. When | got
of the train. 1 found myself on a moss
grown platform in the midst II pref
~ woodland. While the conductor was
courteously keeping his train waiting
to inquire my situation n tail young
man in n ''butternut" jean suit rode
out OF the woods leading a saddled
horse behind him. He lifted his shape
less. dun colored soft hat To me. and
the conductor. expressing confidence
that was now "all right" returned to
the care OF his dozen other passengers.
1t was not hard when l gave my mind
TO IL TO recognize I'm the young man the
Jimmy of old. His pretty brown eyes
had not Congratulated you could see
at first glance that they looked just
as they did when he was n baby-and
his brown curls had familiar set on
his head. They were oddly long to
modern cyes-I insist that modcruuess
Is a matter of place as well as of time
but they Were very becoming TO his
regular. nice. simple face. II was not a
strong face. When 1 saw Cousin Bet
sey. l seemed to find its weakness ex-
planned, though not by the law OF he
redity.
The extra horse carried n sidesaddle
and was intended for me. Jimmy had
hrnnUhf ri
skirt with him. I united the various
secret strings about my dress skirt. put
on the cotton outfit and mounted. 1t
was in the autumn, and the ride
through the mellow radiance OF the
woods and fields was a dreamy de-
light Jimmy had the true backwoods
capacity for silence. liz il akin to- an
Indians and a thing to Toe much appre-
ciated after the laborious twaddle of
villagers in whom the sense of social !
responsibilities is painfully develop |
Ing. After the inevitable exchange OF !
Inquiries as TO the health OF all our !
tribe conversation was dismissed as an |
idle and exhaustive exercise.
! was too much absorbed in other en- |
1oyment to choose that time for study |
Ing my old playmate. and l bad almost !
forgotten that his powers of communi- |
cation were greater than his horses, |
when. as we came TO the top OF the |
hill. he pointed to a log house beyond |
and below. starting. II seemed, out Of |
the woods and into a big. irregular. IN
kempt field. aud said:
There's n mighty nice girl lives In ,
that place
i could do nothing less than show an !
interest In person so directly and i'm |
pressively brought to my attention. !
pursued the theme with simple |
pleasure.
Her family amt much" he said. |
'Her fathers only renter, and his |
father WIS n squatter. but that girl Is ]
an uncommon girl. She Is a well be |
haved girl, aud she's that healthy and |
strong there's nothin she amt equal to.
She's got n masterful head too. Her I
Ellen Tod" :
''Is she pTetiy?'
Yes, ma'arn, l suppose she is" jim
my responded dispassionately. She's
SO counted. but her bookseller looks"
he repeated. seeking a fitting concIu-
sion. its not them I'm thinkin about"
My less steruly disciplined mind was
wandering from Ellen Tod to
the loneliness around me-the blending
colors. soft floating leaves and blue
let the talk drop. There
would be plenty of time for canvassing
the proba biiiti-- OF a mesalliance with
the house OF Tosl
4 mile or two more brought US to
the honse in which Jimmy was born,
the ambitious house Henry Blunt had
spent his substance building for his
bride while ssuGuine in his belief in
the future OF fhe country and in his