Evening star., 1932-02-07

1lIen lnlO decay anu SbIl4l4Ny
Old Nat Beazley, last OF tie once great and
powerful Beazley clan. hated the rocking chair.
He hated it with all the bitter intensity Of
hG primitive being.
He knew his father before him had sat in
the chair and his fathers father before him,
and his grandfathCr's father before him, and
so on, back for almost hundred years. But
he would never set in hit" He weren't use
leSG yit!'
Hit cost nigh ter twenty dollar" explained
Matilda Beazley, Old Mats only living child
herself gray-haired and sto ped, to neghbor
woman who had recently moved to Baldy Top.
Hit were made in Nashville, time of Old
Hickory. Some folks claim as how Mr.. Jack
son hisself owned one like hit. But the chairs
plumb strong yit-made OF the best cypress in
the Great Smokes hit were-and lible to last
forever"
THE neighbor woman was curious 1t was
| the only rocking chair she had seen in
Badly Top, mountain settlement Of a dozen
scattering cabins But who sets in hit?" she
asked.
Matildas voice dScreetly lowered.
mo one sets in hit" she confded Hits
bein' saved fer Pappy. That's the way Of the
Beazleys It's itten only fer the olduns who's
helpless Company folks never set in hit, ner
children.
You see hits put by the stove where he
kin stay warm in Wintertime where he kin
smoke and spit convenient, and where he KIN
talk ter his dogs Iyn in the corner. Huntin
is his one likeness now. MiZ Mabry-hlS dogs
and his guns.
But Pappy he lows he haint ready fer the
rockin' chair He lows he's right young yit
and hain't got no call fer ter set in hit Kind
of prideful, Pappy is, and stubborn"
The talkative daughter stopped abruptly as
Did Nat Beazley shambled into the cabin.
Flushing guilty, she remained silent while the
~ 111n hmm riff
the rack on the wall, ordered his two lean,
melanchohc hounds to mat of gunny sacks
in the corner and sat down into a straight
back chair by the kitchen table-the same
chair he had used since early youth.
CHE remained silent, Matilda did, she and
- her embarrassed caller, while the man
pulled a plug of tobacco from a rear pocket,
slowly pared handful of shavingS and
crammed them into the bowl of an ancient
corncob pipe She hastened. at that, over to
the lighted stove, pr Ired blazing fagot,
and rendered it reSpe fully to her father to
ignite his pipe.
1t was not until after this ceremony that the
Old man turned to the visitor. "HoWdy, he
said.
.'HoWdy, Mr. Beazley," returned the woman,
a trifle fustered You look well. You look
fne!"
I'm fir ter middlin'" grunted Old Nat.
'-Thanky." And he pufTed pugnaciously ON
his corncob pipe.
We'll" the visitor turned to Matilda, high
time I were a-going Just come to set spell
Good by folks" She put on her sunbonnet
went out of the kitchen door and soon dis
appeared over the ridge in the direction of
the Mabry cabin farther up the slope.
Matilda, stin somewhat nervous, took a side
of bacon from a rafter to slice some for sup
per Old Nat had waited for this his moment
of triumph.
"'Taint no need, Matilda" he spoke up,
"us all havin bacon fer supper, when We all
got quail"
"Pappy!" exclaimed his daughter in aston
Shment.
KANT I Shoot" complained the old saan
qucrulorsy good as used ter I leh the
birds hangin' out by the well, Matilda