Year: 1868

The following story from bash
ful young man, If not literary true,
bas a verisimilitude rarely attainable
in such fiction, which will furnish
any apology it may need for it's in
PRODUCTION into polite literature
We do not know its origin:


AS novelists say, 1t was a beauti-
full day in August. The heavens
were clear, serene, and beautiful, the
trees were laden with golden fruits
and the beautiful birds twitered their
songs Of love in the branches. We
were about to say that ''earth had
yielded her beautiful harvest of a
years grass and clover, and honey
suclles which the noble yeomanry
of Chesteryille had gathered within
their storehouse,' but upon sec-
ond thought have concluded to write
it thus: ''The farmers of Chester
vile were done harvesting"


John Jackson's sister had quilt
ing party that afternoon; his father
had gone to get some wheat ground
ald Jchn was left to repair some
tools to be ready on the morrow to
commence moving the meadow grass
Suddenly it occurred TO John that if
he remained about the house il the
afternoon he would be called in at
the time, and be required to do the
honcrs at the table. To avoid this
he quietly shouldered his scythe and
stole away to the meadow, half a
mile distant, fully resolved that he
would not leave there until it was
so dark that he could not see to
NOW at all, and thus avoid seeing
the girls, The meadow was sur
rounded on all sides by thick for
est which efcctually shut out what
little breeze there might chance to
be stirring. The sun poured down
its rays as though the little meadow
was the focus point where the heat
was concentrated. John moved
and sweat-sweata and moved until
he was obliged to sit down and cool
| off


Then it occurred to John that if he
took Off his pants ne might be more
comfortable. There would te no
impropriety in it, for he was entirely
concealed from observation, and
there was net the slightest reason to
suppose that he conld be seen by
any person. So John stripped off,
with 10 coverings save his linen
commonly called a shirt-he resum-
ed his work. lie was just congratu-
lating himself on the good times he
was having, when he chanced to dis
turb q hugh black snake, a genuine
.wister, with & white ring around his
neck. John was no coward, but he
bat he was mortally afraid of snakes
Self preservation was the first pas
sage that flashed upon his mind
sslegs take care of the body''-was
tie next. Dropping mis- scythe, and
spinning around like top, he was
ready 20 strike a 2 10 gait, when at
that me;nent his snakeship was near
enough to hook his crooked teeth
in Johns shirt just above the hem.
With D tremendous spring he star
ted Off with the speed OF 4 loeomo-
tive.


His first jump took the snake clear
from the ground, end as John stole
nasty -glsnce over his shoulder, he
was Mortified to find the reptile Sc
curely fastened to the extremity Of
his garment while the speed with
which he moved forward kept the
serpent OF an angle of ninety degrees
with his body. Here was a quand-
ary If he stopped the snake would
coil about his Cooy and sqGeeze him
TO death # he continued his race,
he must soon fall from sheer exhaus-
tion On he few, scarce daring to
think how his dreadful race was to
end. Instinctivcly he had taken the
direction for home, and as he emer-
ged from the forest o feeling of Sc
curity came over him. Sudden as
thought flashed across his mind the


the true state of affairs his father
gone-the quilting-and worst oil
all the girls. The new horror sent
the blood black curdling about his
heart, and he came to a dead halt