The Washington herald., 1907-05-26

ever comes when I can't help myself,
nor other folks either. I trust the LOrd'll
/ see fit 10 call me hence and give me a
now body. and star; me to work again
right away.
But. as l was sayin'. l always enjoyed
! coOkin. and it's a pleasure to me to set
! and think about the hams I've billed and
the salt-risin' bread I've baked and tho
old-fashioned pound-cake and spOnge-cake
I and all the rest o. the things / used 10
! take to the fair Abram was always
mighty proud o. my cookin', and we gen
/ orally had a half a dozen or more O. the
| town folks TO cat dinner with us every
day o. the fair. Old Judge Grace and Or.
/ Brigham never failed to eat with us The
| old judged say something about my salt
| risin' bread every time I'd meet him In
| town. Tho first year my bread took the
! premium, Abram sent the premium loaf
| 10 him with the blue ribbon tied around
/ IT, After Abram died l stopped g0in' 10
| the fairs, and I don't know how many
years it'd been since I set foot on the
/ grounds. I hadn't an idea how things'd
| changed since my day TIL. year before
! last. Henrietta and her husband come
! down here from Danyille. He'd come 20
/ show some blooded stock, and she come
/ along with him to see me. And says she.
/ Grandma. you've got 20 60 to the fair
with me one day, anyhow and l went
more to please her than TO please myself
| I'm always contendiu', child, that this
worlds CROWN better and better all the
/ time; but, Lord, Lord, that fair come
pretty near upsettin nay faith. why, IN
/ my day folks could take their children
/ 10 the fair and turn EN- loose. and, If
| they had sence enough 20 keep from under
the horses feet, they was jest as safe at
| the fair as they was mt q May meetin'
| But, Ia, the sights l saw that day He.-
/ rietta took me 10 the fair, Every which
| way you'd lock there was some sort OF
| trap for temptin boys and leadln' 'em
| astray. Whisky and beer and all sorts
| O gamblin machines and pool seIlin'
/ and little boys no higher'n that smokln
/ little white cigyars. and ofrerin' To bet
/ with each other on the races. And I says
/ 10 Henrietta, Child. I don't call this q
/ fair; why. It's jest nOthin but q gambliu
| den and whisky saloon. And says I
! I know now what old Uncle Henry Mat
/ thews meant Id asked the old man il
| he was goin' 10 show anything az the
/ fair that year, and ne said. no. Jane Tn
/ less you've got s0methin' for the town
1 folks 20 bet on. II amt worth while
| But there was one thing I did enjoy
| that day and that was the races. There s
| some folks thinks that racin' horses is
| a terrible sin; but I don't It's the bettin'
/ and the swearin' that goes with the racin'
/ that's the sin. If folks'd behave as well
! as the horses behaves. a raced be jest as
| religious as a Sunday-sCh0ol picnic. There
/ amt n finer sight To me than a blo0ded
! horse goin az a two-f0rty gait round "a
/ smooth track. and the sun a-shiuin and
| the flags a-Tayin' and the wind BLOWN
| and the folks cheerin and h0llerin'. So,
/ when Henrietta said the races was g0in'
/ 70 begin, l says, says /, Here, child.
/ take hold o. my arm and help me Down
/ these steps; I'm goin' 20 see one more
/ race before I die And Henrietta helped
/ me down. and we went over 20 the grand
/ stand and got q good seat where I could
! see the horses when they come 10 the fin
/ ish. l tell you, honey. It made me feel
/ young again Jest to see them horses COW
! erin the ground like they did. Ny father
| used 10 raise fine horses. and Abram used
| to say that when IL come to KNOWN a
horses p'ints. he'd back me against any
man in Kentucky. TN have 20 be a heap
7 N-fa'l Il flaAl Aiff hifa'lf rtH t|If in.i.
when I wouldn't turn around and walk
good piece 20 look AT a fine horse"
/ And the old lady gave a laugh al this
confession Of weakness.
/ 1T was like old times 10 see the way
I them horses run. And when they come
/ TO the finish 1 was lauEhin' and hollerin'
rs much as anybody. And jest then some,
I body right behind me give a yel. and
. says he.
'Hurrah for old Kentucky, When IL
/ comes 20 fine horses and fine whisky and
/ fine women. she can't ho beat
Everybody begun to laugh. and man
right In front o. me says, It's that young
Teller from Lexin ton. His fathers one o.
[ the biggest hOTsemen en- the State. That's
/ his horse that's jest Won the race And
/ turned around 70 see. and there was q
/ boy about the size o. my youngest grand
/ child up at Danville His hat was set on
( the back of his head. and his hair was
combed down over his eyes tiH he looked
/ like he'd come out Of a feebIe-minded
school He had q little white cigar IN
/ his mouth, and you could tell By his
/ breath that he'd been drinkin'.
Now ! amt much Of a hand for med
/ dim with other folks business. but I'd
/ been readin about the Salvation Army.
I and how they preach on the street: and
/ it come into my head that there was a
| time for some Salvation work. And I SAYS
( 10 him, says l. Son. there's another
/ thing that Kentucky used 10 be hard TO
/ beat on, and that was fine men, But
says l, 'betwixt the fine horses and the
/ fine women and the fine whisky. some
o the men has got TO be a mighty com
mon lot Says ]. 'HoIIer as much as
you please for that horse out there. he's
worth hollerin' for But says I. when
States got 10 raisin a better breed o.
horses than she raises men. II amt no
/ time to be hOlierin' ''hurrah" for her
Says /. You're your fathers son. and
yOndeTs your fathers horse. now which
do you reckon your fathers prOudest Of
to-day, his horse or his SOM
We'll, folks begun 20 laugh again. and
the boy looked Ike he wanted 10 say
somethin sassy but he couldn't git his
wits together enough to think up any
thing. And I says. says ]. That horse
never touched whisky or tobacco I'm his
life: he's clean-bloOded and clsan-livcd
and he'll live 10 "a good old age: and. may
be. when he dies they'll bury him Ike a
Christian, and put a monument up over
him like they did over Ten Brock But
You. why you aint hardly out o. your
short pants, and you're fifty years old II
you're a day. Y0GH bring your fathers
gray hairs in sorrow 90 the grave. ana
you'll go % your own grave "a heap soon
er'u you ought 20. and u0b0dyU ever
build a monument over YOU
There was three or four boys along
with the Lexin ton boy. and one Of 'em
thar appeared 90 have less whisky in him
than the rest. he says. Well. grandma.
reckon you're about right. we'ro q pretty
bad lot And says he. Come on boys.
and lets git out ~ this And Of they
went and whether my preachiu ever
did en- any good 7 don't know. but I
couldn't help s2yin' what / did. and
that's the last time I ever went to these
new-fashi0ncd fairs they're havin' now
adays. Fair time used TO mean heap
% ne. but now IL don't mean anything
but jest to put me in mind o. old times.