VOL.~; 1.x EA LEY SOUT, ARzLINA F I 's JULY 2 r 1884.NOs.
VOL. 1.] EASLEY, SOUTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, JUJLY- 25, 1884. [O
BETSY HAMILTON'S IETTER.
A Sketch of Life in the Backwoods.
It had been whispered arounl
that Jake Loftis had flirted Malin
dy Jane Tiotman, and was a hitch
in' of his ridin' nag up at our
house; but they didn't know that
when Jake's critter was a ebiawin'
of our feice, Malindy J ane was in
gin nerly in the house.
The Trotman's is not the sort
that sounds a horn and tells they
business to everybodyv l, and fr that
very reason some folks tries to find
out their affai rs.
,;Malindy Jane she (kep her sow
in' hid udi never let nolne of the
neighbor gals but me ad (m'aledo
ney see it, and Jake he got so he
taken the nigh cut, and gin old
Miss Freshoiirs and Od Arminiity v
the dodge when he went to see her,
and they sot it down that he had
(quit gwine, and that it was all
husted ) bet wixt 'em, or, 'Mehbe,'
Iays (Old Armillity, ''attei :IlI he
haint niever. coted thie g)al."
But when the Iro(.tmalI's let in
to) whitewlashin' ther house an1d
felce, a1d then let in OI the treeos
ari1oun11d the house, they knowed in
reason it mealt :I wveddill': but
tluu- wvasn't nothini' like limlin' <mt
for sartin. So Arnilii ty tuck it
on herself, to go over tha r and xla v
tihv' live long day. She hinted and
hilnted but all she gethereI from
Malindy IJane's maw ws that the
dock lowed lime was health v.
Caledoney was a tellin' it at our
house, anl she lowedul that wheni
gran:nannmyiflhillV Ive V:s n leavin' So
much cu'osity to ole A.r'mint v she
never forgot ole Miss 'rotiumn.
Slie left her seIse enuI lghl to ('0om0
ahead of her. Thev didn't oI v
whitewash. bu11t ,ther s ouIe(l and
fixed upl) tel they didn't skIreelv
know they owvni placeb. but Malin ly\
Jane was the onlie,;t gal the ole
folks had and she di(li't it nur
iel every day.
T"o be sio if' they'd ha(l ther own
Sso abolIt it, they never would
have pickedl out Jake Lo(ftis: but,
who in all the hand c -ould- they have
picked~ out for a hiushband f'or t her
gal, Malindy Jane(.
The( (day was sot, and axed me
and~ C aledonoey to wait on her. (Cal
she (come1 over to our house115 andl wO
allwen tgether. She fetched her
yalldhuff muslin ( miine's off n
the same pice) andl( lowedl me andl
her' could fix and~ dress5 alike. SO
w~e wheeledl in and starched our1
alone, and ir'oned 'em1 slick enoughl
to see your' face ini 'emf, and1( we
tuek thie artificial off'n our last
summrn1 hats anod stuck 'em wshar'
the over'sk irit was tuecked uip at one
sidle, and we tackeOd a r'ow of cedar'
all ar'ounid the b~ottom of the frock
andl put a piece under breastpinus
afnel a n)inCn in our hair, nmd I wish
you Could have saw us. I tel you
we was fixt. Aunt Naincy lowed:
"(1als for all vou (1o, doni't out
shine the bride.''
Buddy lhe hitched up1) the steers
in the wag)gini 1( and sot inl the cheers,
ald we a1ll went, even to mafIw. Wve
went soon1 So Is to help Malinldy
Jle fix, an11d bless you when we
got thar1 the house and yard was
plum1 ftiil. Thev lld been a com
in' ever. selse -I lour hv sunll. I
won't he sartirn, bit 1 think everIv
body that come fetched aI haby aIll(
Slenlch-lerg'ed fice andl a0 flop-vear.
ed bound. We'unsv allers faRstenis
"Old Scroule ' a11( " ITild
never' lets 'em foller.
Atter I fixed the aIrtificials in
the fashion oil Malindv Jal's
head :11d lent her my i ne<- k-ribbin,
(its good luck to imiau-ryv iIn sum'n) 11
horrid) 1 takeni a peep in the set
tin room to see who all was thautr,
anild belhol t hm- sot th, Somimons
(Is big)' as who but thev, :1l1 I know
inl reason they wasnI't nxed nlor
wanlited; -i V1 wIlo shoild he hiked
11) onl a belich all inl :1 row but
theml tore downi FreshoursI.- chiII lun
grm1.1111l as volu please, and still for'
the fust timtue in ther lives, m1t111
Ithr ' aces was raily ecleInn I
didn't kneely knIw 'em11. " tey
l1ud sIhorel v been pit to sok t h'
nig()hIt af ore. lITer skinl was as
shiny an l slick ms a peee 1ine on.
1n1 1t ther h:1re lIst red dovin tioht
vith sa'1 soa-p, :m11l ther looked
phun1 sat islied.
Over ill the corlnr s)t Ilt tr bre
ol ulno s, Aliss lianich liensleyv,
Mliss Pationece Pot-ter and (le Akr
miny Pmlegras.Aliss l111n1(h
is aS broval as she's Iolg an(d as
g2(1o as sh's broafl. AIiss Pa
iec(ie i's s long(). as a bean pole
and as good as she's lo' an(d is
1,11n1uv (noOg'lh to miake a d(og(1 kill
h issef : Iauhin'. She went's a
short fr'lock to I rv to iake her look
shot. :m11(l all the colors of the
raibllo to liak er, look youn.
Pap lowed she look- like Joseph's
c on t. Ol Ie Ak.1 r in11ty was -I settin',
rig-'ht side of' 'em. Now thar was
I ihr't ole nuales as dihfieent as t he
(elephI1anit a11li e mionlkey a n I the
tigrer. SO needn'tt sayv ol nuiles
is all tl ike. An io hdler's laeks a
hten ) ot' heini all alike, too. Thie
wVith(ir ('omng wa hart, amti you
wouh1l in't h:Iave kniowe I she was ai
with1iler. Il~iut the w ithlier MleAllis
Onl a sight of airs. She tuck keer'
to let e's erhod0(y kno1w she picked
the tu rke'y am)l b)aked t he tatert
(Iista a nd ha( I lf-imooni pies.
.Jake lhe was t he laist one to come.
ie had his head hdrippin' with
lard andl scentedl with cinnamon
drapsl), andi his new shoes was so
tight hie (otthlin't skaeely walk. I
wonder if' a f'eller ever' got marrined
withouit hainf i' on1 t ig~ht boots: Or
shne's
Somei town boys was out in the t,
entry a giglin'. Cal lowed if she'd
a beenl Mfalindy Jane they should o
not er been axed, oneI of 'em in I
perticklerldisrememlber his name. (I
She lowed he thought. kase lie liv. t
e(d inl town that was all he leed(ed. c
Ile lad the enslboance to lahit at a
country hoys with ther homemade t
jeanls, adI all Ie was fitte f i r was s
to Wear fine Suna v clotles i that v
wa- sn' *t p:aIil for . Il Ic strutted t
aroun1d mighty higoty :111( smnoked I
ari(l chawe.l terbacker, an1 tOAok
his sveetened doi tied his era- t
vat in the fashion, pulled his ius
tache, ando plhy wv(I Nith his watch- <
chain, and laughed at them boys, :
he lu ghed at his betters. One I
0ood, honest, Ihar( wor'kin' country
boy\ like lkv Roberson. ('a1 )ew- I
herry or .Jak:Loftis 1 w-orth
enoug.0h of his soat to build a enice I
from here to town.
Yes, vCerbod(y kno)w ed w hen
J.k.1 got thA'r by the eintn)on
( rap I1S. B roth1(er ColeN was axed to
Imi arry 'Cm, :11(1 as many couples
as Ie has joined he don't know his
pie(: Ie ihad to reid it, and they
helt a e.-unlle :ani dript the taller
: inch thick on the po' old nn's
coat sleeve, :111 thenl atter all 114
COMle niih 1lu11r1r1. yin ecn by thelI
w r lm ie a nes N R O n m
sto d tgeteramd I :111i ('ap
1)ewhI [V, 4i,4i1l( when we tuck our,
stamii(s, M llindv Jne she got ont
tot her side of .Jake and Brother t
('ole Ie wipel his specs :141 sot ill
to reilin' m1l1 spell in' out all his
' It
"'he woupie hich nov stalds
afol'(e 11s for the occ.sion m111 hen- I
ofit of being jinedi inl we(llo.k, will
please jinle they right hands. I
Old Mliss Paticew Potter "'qulik
d ont n ai loun Id whisper:
'Linldy Jane you aur onIt h e rong
iide (o Jakey.'
The)) Brothier ( 'ole helt. his pa
per up1 m1114 read on
'Will you, JohII Loftis '
'Jacobh, not, John,"'ss Mfiss. Pa-;E
tience.
'Well, thien, we'll prlo(ceed( to ('on
tinu te. Will you, ~Jacob) Loftis, ;
take this 'oman, Malissy A nn ___' t
'Ma-lin-dy Jane,' says Miss Pa
tiiee a little louderC. Thien in a
loud whlisp~er:
'F~or' t lhe latnds sake dlon't 'em
maie81'd rong2.'
'W'ell,' say~s lhe, 'fling on a piece
oif li ght'ood, or' hold mme a torebi
101r I c'ai' t s(e.'
Sonlie of en'1) gralib e 1 a tor'ch
and1( helt it high. Then jist as faist~
as One word( cold ( follow toher,
without stoppin' to git lhis breathi,
he wvent on.
'1 I'0ronounce yout manth and wifeh
fur h'etter'1 or' fur wasser salute i
you br'ide and( if any pre'senit has
anry re('-jections Iet 'em speakI no0w
oforevr nuderis Ihohl( ther s
>)n0uW VOut're (lismilist alniell ar.
Then Old an T.1'rotiman stept
ut and1( lowed: .'it :o1I pardliners
ndll into ther house to su1pper; the
le 'oinan's got a bite to )eat in
lhar. And sich as it is vou're wel
()mie to it.' So we locked I arms
fill iiuarched in to supper. 'I'The
able was plitlu full1, nothlin' wasn'tI
knee nor skiipv. The bride's
ake was sot on a block of wo<<d
hat was kivered over with letter
>aper clt, in t'ringec to hang all
n01111d tht' aige of it. It had n
hinl whitewash over it, antd w:is
Iressed oft vith little sprigs of ce
far stuck in a row all aroumind and
stick ot' pepperint cand v stuck
igh 1t, Straight ulp in the middle.
ntd I tell you it sot the table ot
)OVeIrlt 1. IhleyN hail a tvller can
lie at (ach (eend of the table and a
)ine light inl the firepace. At t er
p111)er we sot inl to playil' kissin'
amiies. Ole brother (ole h'o l done
Il he coild-he hid jined 'em inl
vedilock and he had et his suppelr.
Thlie games wats :a gwili( ()lI andl
ill was a Ia llghlin alti li avin' flin,
4)ome' plavinI''W Nr iIIllm with a trem -
ing toe, ' 'ap ill and clap out,'
Al! a rolit d the IlI c Iherr bush,
Lt(I sotne was fishlin 1,r love,' whenl
)rotller ( ole kilocked for silence.
'IBretheriinq and sisterill, sIav,
1(, let its tillite ill lu'a' a ct be
lisliuist ar.'
A tter hIe( was g(one Aunt Nancy
owed: 'l'cre air a t ime fur all
hing, anl that, air prayer were
-erv oi-tiumielv. Brother I IagYiI
voulhin't dlone sich a oi-timlel v
hinig' as that.
Bit they Soon got to pla-yil' anlid
aughin' louIder'n ever ai(1 havini'
pover of fiui, an1d all looked hap
)y 'cept Miss Tr iltmani . In1 coirse
Ie was a feelill had about Malin
Iv J a te at m:1rry vin'. I'le woteln
wlks al' had suml p'n to say to her
hiouit it. Ok. Armintv lowed in a
(lii("ou's toie: 'A h! I tell you, Miss
'rotnAlu., I ha1-iint never mlarried,7
nl all of 'etian marry thats a
Ainid to). but marryin', air a mig-1
y solemniti thing.'
, says Miss Trotman with
eatrs 111 11Cr eyes. 'is a~ slAemni
hing to miarry.'
'Yes,' HUsays~ I aldoney, -hut its a
LCeap solemtner' not to miarriy.'
'IIltboud for Cal1,' says pap.
And thlat sot 'em all to bliughin'.
IiETsY itAI.3HLoN
v hat respect does b.illi ard s h ban g'
Iy luual dlispositionI?'
She (naively); -D~oes it chang'e
our11 dispo0sitionl
IIe-'Yes;. in) hilliards I neCver
kiss' when I cani help it,; wher'eas,
She-' You tnever' kiss if any
>ody else (enn1 help it:.'
-To) pre'vent hioney bees from
tinupin r-on~ull out tail fooathiLms