The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-22

one | have ever Seen Was one.
| away up in the hills Of North o.
lima. Ny father and started oa.
q trip thirty-five rIiles across -.
mountains. Nightfan overlook ,.
while vending our way slowly or
the rough and rocky trail through H..
mountains. The darkness becam.
tense. and We lost our way.
"While peering into the pitch dali.
ness and YEARLY feeling our VA.
the same time pounding our hands a,3
feet to keep warm. for il Was in De-
cember. and the weather was not very
warm up in the mountains even in
North Carolina. We saw ii light sud
denly appear ahead OF Us.
The faithful old horse stuck -,
the trail during the wind down t. Ito
light. There IN a little gu,ley hl 4
stream We found a house. y stern
voice greeted US as we neared the
house. Ny father told him our s.tu-
aeion and asked for accommodations
owe night.
The old mountainter With his FAM
lily of seven or eight children gather
ed around aim. said he might LOOK uut
for US. but he remarked very emEhat-
ically that his Harder was almost ~
hausted. In fact, he said threshed
beans and milk were all he had. We
decided that beans or anything Csc
look< good that nigant and hanket
him for his hospitality, be It ever 50
humble We were begsars and beg
CARS should have no choice, Ne re-
membered. OF course we could easily
have paid for oar lodging. but We
readily realized that the mountaIneer
was not keeping boarders.
Two NounS boys quickly
took u horse and placed him III an
apology for a stable built out of poles
and covered with brush and straw. We
were invited into the house.
There. before the open fire sat
a woman and four OF FIVE girls. We
We're served With some Of the beans
and given plenty of milk to drink.
Shortly after p~artaking OF the fepast
h old man placed a large iron pot
over the fire and heated some water.
He carefully pulled Of his shoes and
washed his feet. His eldest son fol-
lowed suit and his next son was next
for a foot bath all in the same Water
and in the same pot. 1t was zap 10
ne next. and | Was in line. ! objected
on the ground that ! had just washed
my feet before starting on the TRIP
One of the girls was sitting between
father and /. She stripped her shoes
and washed her feet. Father object
ed On the same ground that | intro
duced thence it went TO all OF the
girls and the mother. / wondered II
it was some religious belief they We're
carrying out and have since never
been able TO decide the 'aub' to that
performance.
tt bunk" CRIED the old man, and
We We're told to follow Tho boys.
W sleep up III the loft, said one
Of the boys. Go right up we never
have any light up there
Yes. but how do you get up, ~
claimed my father.
See those pegs on the wall. well,
VIVA do YOU think they are there for
said the eldest of the boys.
we peSged it up a story and and
e1 in the loft. There we found a bed
With a feather tick on top and d
covers and was old there was no
such things in the family.
one OF the boys suggested that We
sleep betWeen the ticks and we did.
Next morning about five o'clock We
heard a chicken squawk and pretty
breakfast and l suddenly took i'll and
couldn't eat a thing. There was that
chicken cooked in the same pot used
the night before at the foot bathing.
rather made a hearty meal on the
chicken.
After breakfast, just as We were
preparing to leave. the old man took
US to his distillery and sold as Il
quart OF good old mountain WhiskeN.
Ills dlStiliery was in a little cave gn-
DER q cl1fI and not over a hundred feet
from the house. Still / believe could
nave searched forever and never
that cave.
- VIII always remember that dis
ellery the longest day I live"
Every reader Of the literature Of the
class viii tho
ancient story ABOUT the pot. 1t has
been told since the DAYS Of Noah and
located first mere and then there. FOR
Mr. Hyafns to place that insulting and
injurious chestnut among the people
among whom he was raised is 10 cc1n-
mt the objectionable sin. His old
Will be outraged at the