Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-11-17
By OPIE READ.

deal of respect for me. What do yol
Know aDout game chickens?"
Not very much; simply know tina
they are ABOUT the bravest things tina
live"
he gave me another one of his square
looks and replied: There is more
wisdom in sucn talk as that than there
could be crowded into a wheat bin
But, do you know that people make
fun of me because 1 admire a game
! rooster? They do. I don't want t
llgnt EN- for money, you know; I'm 6
good church member and all that sor
If thing; l believe the Book from ont
end to the other; believe that the whale
swallowed Jonah, 1 don't care If 1t:
throat amt bigger than hoe-handle;
believe that the vine growed up in one
night, and withered at mornin'; believe
that old Samson killed all them fellerS
with the jaw-bone-believe everything
rs 1 tell you from start to finish, but
III be blamed if l can keep from fight
m chickens to save my life. And al
ways keep two beauties, tell you
Not long ago my wife ups and kills
Sam and fed him to a preacher
Preacher was there, hungry, and the
.ther chickens were parading around
summers on the other side Of the hill
but my wife she ups and kills Sam, 8
black beauty, with a pedigree as long
as a plow line. And, sir, while thai
man was clawin' of my chicken he
gave me a lecture on fightin' ROSTERS
You spoke of your son and daugh-
ter. Do they attend school?"
"Oh, no; they are grown long ago."
Then how is 1t that the teacher
usually boards at your house?"
II don't know; but they do. Reckon
they jest fell into the habit. My house
is handy, fer one thing; amt more
than three miles from the school-jest
a nice, exercisin' sort Of walk. Whoa
boys! Sorter have to scotch 'em back
yoin' down here. Saw man get kill
ed down there one day; horse kicked
him, and do you see that knob ovel
there where them hickory trees are?
lad a hard time there one night. A
lot of foot-burners come to my house
5ne night durin' the war and took me
out and told me that If 1 didn't give
them my money they would roast my
shanks. l didn't have any money and
told them so, but they didn't believe
me: and so they brought me right over
there where them hickories are, tied
me, took off my shoes and built up g
re at my feet; but about thet time
they had got me we'll blistered, along
come some Yankee soldiers and nabbed
EN-. And a few minutes after that
there wasn't anything agin their feet
| tell you, not even the ground. Well
we are gettin' pretty close to home
now."
But we haven't come fifteen miles
from the station, have we?"
We'll, you had come about five mile
before l overlook you and we have
come nearly ten since then. These
hosses are travellers. Oh, I reckon
we've get about three more miles to
go yet"
The country was old, with here and
there a worn out and neglected field. A
creek wound it's way among the hills
deep and dark in places, but babblins
out into a broad and shiny ford where
we crossed. One moment the scene
was desolate, with quilted hill-sides
but further on and off to the right
could see poetic strips Of meadow land
and further yet, upon hill top, stood
4 grim old house Of brick and stone
We turned off to the right before COM
ing abreast Of this place, and pursued
l winding course along a deep-shaded
"avine, not rough with broken ground
ut graceful with grassy slopes and
with here and there rock. My COM
oanion pointed out this house, what Is
',nown as a double log building, with
l broad passage way between the two
sections. A path, so hard and smooth
hat it shcne in the sun, ran down OBJ
iquely into the ravine, and at the end
f it l saw a large iron kettle over
turned, and I knew that this marked
the spring. l liked the place, the for
st back of 1t, the steep hills far away
he fields lying near and the meadow
down the ravine. hate new house
| new field, wood that looks new; to
ne there must be the impress Of fond
,ssociation, and here found 1t, the
spring house with moss on its roof
he path, a great oak upon which death
had placed it's beautiful mark-a bough
mist:etoe.
You hop right out and go In and
make yourself at home, while 1 take
care CT the horses" said the old man
Go right on" he added, for he saw
hat l was hesitating. You don't need
IN introduction. Jest say that you are
Whutsname and that you are the new
school teacher"
But 1 don't know yet that 1 am tc
be the teacher"
We'll, then, tell 'em that you are
Whutsname and that you don't know
whether you are to be the teacher OF
not"
But won't you stop long enough to
introduce me?"
"Oh, l reckon l mout. Come on
There is wife in the door, now"
He did not go as far as the door; he
simply shouted: Here's a man. Susan
Te can tell you his name, for blamed
amt dun forgot"
CHAPTER III.
Into this household l was received
With open handed graciousness. Moth
ing can be more charming than the
unconscious generosity of simple folk