The daily tribune., 1908-10-27
TIE Obsequies of
Ole Miss jug
BY Jean Ross irvine.

This sort OF day always reminds me
OF Indians" ssid Mrs. Albright, taking
a long look around over the hills. II
1t was an afternoon late In August.
A blue haze, the. smoke Of distant for
est flres. lay upon the land, lending to
the old familiar hills an air Of mystery
and remoteness, like that OF veiled
faces. Down in the valleys and upon
the long hillsides the blue faded softly
into the gray of the sage brush. and |
| the gray into the vague green OF the
creek bottom. II
Mrs. Albright, the wife of the man
ager. and l, the goveyness, of the Big
| Red ranch. were sitting on the porch. |
| Il don't know why" she continued;
| ''perhaps because it's such a very lazy ,
day"
| Ten minutes later we discovered
more convincing reasons for the tenor
of her thoughts, in the weekly paper.
brought by mounted messenger from
the post Office over fifty miles away.
The population of the Big Red COM
prised three women, four men and Ave
children; the cowboys, OF whom there
were about fifty, being absent upon
the roundup, while Mr.. Albright was
away on trip to New York. We were
65 miles from the railroad and from
the nearest town, ten miles from any
other ranch, and quite So from any
one whom we could call neighbor.
I And now, as though aware of our un-
protected position, the Indians had
taken occasion to go on the war
path!
"Willfully and maliciously!" ex-
claimed Mrs Albright. as she sat
reading blood'chilling accounts of mas
sacres that had taken place or were
about to take place-accounts which
were further supplemented by the
messengers report Of the burning that
very morning OF ranch only 40 miles
away
At the other end OF the porch sat
the FIVE little Allbrights in circle,
holding a solemn consultation. There
was Tony, the eldest, the 12.year:old;
the twins, aged ten: Billy, seven years
old; and Ethelbert Van Twiller All
bright, aged Ave. They were all look
ing very sober, and each child was
decorated with a generous piece OF
black silk, torn of the bottom OF an
old skirt In the center Of the circle
stood an empty box, over which were
draped the remains of the skirt. and
which probably represented TO Tony s
cultivated mind bier. The twins
shared between them very crumpled
handkerchief. with which they occa
sionally rubbed their eyes.
What is the matter, children?"
exclaimed, as | took in the details o
the scene.
Tony was silent until he had mar
shaled his features into a state OF due
solemnity; then. in voice CAREFUL,
modulated to fit the occasion. he re
piled: AT the break OF day Miss Ju,
departed this life
She has gone over the big divide.
added the twins. who never let pas
an opportunity OF using cowbo.
phrase.
"Ole Miss Jug" as the children
called her was q portly dog Of grea
age and immovabIe dignity. In tn
opinions Of the nve young Albright
she was as old as the Oldest tree.
Certainly she was rs old az the old
est mourners. And now, as Ton,
would have said, In the fullness o
time she had gone whence no do
.eturneth.
"She was mighty fine dog" sal
one OF the twins. sorrowfully.
And said Tony, visibly brighter
ing, I'VE are going to give her tn
very finest funeral we ever had"
At this the four other young AL
brights also frightened. and few mt
ments later the Ave marched aroun
into the back yard. where the bod
lay in state, and there | could hea
them cheerfully discussing the a
rangements for the funeral OF the d
ceased Miss Jug.
Had Tony lived some hundred yea
ago, he would have become pope,
certainly a cardinal, so great was h
love OF ritual. The burial OF he
under his direction became mo
Imposing ceremony. Theatricals we
his passion. ROBBED In a scarlet tabl
cloth, and armed with q bread knit
he would recits Hamlets soliloquy
such 4 melancholy voice. and wi
BuCn 0xpToBbiNc uiotioh" VI hso "N''
on, that tAe twins would be. throw
into quite an ecstasy OF horror, Will
the younger part Of the audien
covered In terror under the be
clothes, the exhibitions taking pla
generally at bedtime. being more 4
pressive by candle light
Late that evening Mrs. Albright a
| sat alone on the cool piazza. roc
ing. thinking. waiting. As long
daylight had lasted and the little A
brights had borne us company we
kept up n pretense OF cheerful conv
sation. But now that the small fol
were tucked away In bed, and
men had foregathered In the barn.
had relapsed Into silence whf
gloom was accented by the deep mir