The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-03-27

see, he has many memories to ca,
up to mind, many interesting events
past and gone before the present busy
world was born"
"Oh, Gran pap, how could that be +?
The world is very Old cried Archie
i said the present busy world
SON." smiled Grandpapa. Il speak
OF the men, the women and the chill
dren, too, bless them. who run this
old world today" exclaimed Grand
papa.
And | will tell you of a time
when | was youthful and helped to
run this world which has now crowd
ed me to corner in the background
The event of which | am going to
speak took place when ! was twenty
years old. With my parents | lived
on the western frontier. and the red
men were all about us to the north
and west, and sometimes they made
things pretty lively for the settlers,
as the frontiersmen were called.
We'll, 1t was the fall of the year
about this time. if l recall it right
ly, and We had gathered in all our
corn and had it ready for the husk-
ing. So my mother and sisters made
great preparations for a husking bee
TO be held in our immense log barn"
"A what. Grandpa?" asked May,
deeply interested.
"A husking bee" said Grandpapa
"A party of young folks to come in
and husk the corn, and after the
husking to have a barn dance and |
supper. Oh. that sort of entertain
ment was about the only kind of social |
the settlers had when was |
a boy. Of course, we had our Christ
mas and New Year dinners. and we
had a taft pulling But
the husking bee was the years event
IN the home. And every farmer of
any standing in the community had
4 husking bee. Sometimes there would
De two or three a week. and then the
Young folks had a grand social time
If it.
We'll. we had our husking bee. that
am telling about There was a great
roWd, about thirty young people and
dozen of their elders And most of
he men We're armed The red men
ad been committing some depreda-
ions in the country west of us, and
'e didn't know but they might come
upon us at any day-or night, rath-
r. SO the men went about $
heir work and their play arm $
and ready to fight if call !
d upon to do So Oh, those
ere brave days. my lads and lasses.' ,
nd Grandpapa nodded his gray head :
There may be much OF
terest in life now. the accumulation !,
property. and gaining Of power, but
IN such compare with the spirit of .
lose days | speak Of. when every },
an was helping to build up a new :,
orld, develop her resources, make ),
n bosom to blossom with rich fields, :
drive the savage out and to invite
in? All those days were =
orth while, my children,
We'll, after about twenty or thirty ;"
lshels Of corn had been husked- -
rn chosen for grinding into meal for =
If bread-the real fun of the evening u
gan. The barn floor was cleared of
lskings, a fddler-the only musician d
that part of the country, therefore e
UGH in demand-stationed on a CT
Dad. fiat box in one end Of the barn, NJ
d a prompter to call the figures of le
e old Virginia reel and the square m
adrille, and the dance began. It ca
Is INDUCED in by the young folks. Sc
cir elders seated about at the sides lie
the barn looking on at the fun pr
About 10 o'clock my mother gave tn
? signal to my sisters to join her
the house, as it was time to serve
, lap supper AS the three opened
) barn door to pass out. my mother Al
We sudden, low cry. Indians she
sped. Then she and my sisters
ped back into the barn and closed A,
door. All was confusion in a mo- ve
mt The men felt for their guns. nv
INC "oiiioh nuuuieo 'oSe.nei' 90
ispering in fear Some of them IL,
re determined to depart for their or
mes. saying that their houses would VI,
rifed and destroyed during their
ence if the terrific redskins were
tut.
at
Now. friends, all be quiet and I 20
II go out and see just what it all en
ans. There may be Indians about, -o'
they may not be in any great num- az
. and. I hope, not on the war path. "i'
smoke M, fa+ber . man Of calm I