OCR Text |
Show TUB HUSBAND TRAl. BT A.TOCSO CXCMTIUM'i . 1 inb myself behind a log in Wcstera swamp, waiting for ducks.. Iloatcrs generally go arttr,' their game j l. prelr reading or enjoying the scenery, ilntil it comes to be hot in a regnlar and reasonable reason-able way., Backs yanst . as fond of tialore as of acorns and tadpoles, the sequestered lakelet near which I was .ensconced, .en-sconced, one of their rToritb resort, be ing surpassingly fiifctqrctquc. SlWcf-gray trunks of enormous ..'dead " t tees' -wcto reflected re-flected id'tusurfaco as id polished black marble, which,- broken int6 rippltng greaves oi tight by the purple,-gtten and golden drake, or th plainer' but, not less lovely durk, made too rxipiisiio a picture i bo. brokctt' by nolsey .ttnstWofy emoke". blood,. brOKtn v(ngw bud feathery Erery-thing Erery-thing nround'tnc vfal Vrlch'and stfangcj1 tlie orrbwy polished mticrof tho cune'j the thick blacls nines;' like, anacondas, liangln Bitf -we're-from 'tiro' skiei; the light open - fret-wort of swamrVfoliagc nlwre frotd' which many birds poured fotth -Hnto-liko, nud actually: cbromatit warblings comic, -Wrd, uttcringshoi;t, ntil nhtn. i-rlin-nn nnll niura birdsnoi down' lit the lornitjiologiesj and mfstcrtons wbodpckl,' spuhditig as 1( tl fairyland were carpentcriogi 4 waV resbtrlng In niy mhtd, indccd; to take' up rity abode in this enchanted solitude,. when, the discovery dis-covery of ah Immense, old.liollow'.stnmp of cotton-wood decided me;.', It was a perfect per-fect miniature patacciis style, I iiqmed on tho ;soot..;the' 'Btttbafabeiqoe. , 'ite gnarled roots -spread: In triple pedestals; like paws of mammoth Hons, and , in, .Its ktiota and ejtcrescenscs might be discerned tho faccslatid rbrras.'o'f .bcasta.';ahd , monsters, mon-sters, hydras, h'rid. chimeras dire. ".- ,Iicre beneath a roof of plaited cane, and bark, 1 might rmssray day. in peace. (T.was 6nly elg1itccn,-nnd subj;t.tb tcrriblb 'fits of misanthropy,). . Eycti thtj winds 'should j not disturb my contemplation; Aquilomj, "Xotns, Eufns,' Knroclydbn, ."4ho stchn-wind; stchn-wind; nU'urrf Torcyer ltept-out ..of these peaceful; vales by the, strong and' stalwart Cottonwood and oak. - - !! Tlio son of Slieiklr Mobamnlcd All Haan'(nfay the -.'soil? lid ltghtlyon his; tomb);tel:itcs,vwith InDiilte nairrft (may Allah ventilate his isVidcncc,) how that, ha-ring determined to live 'a herraltaifc, ho went about searcWng vfor a suitable cave. Certain family considerations, operated ope-rated adveirsely to,Mr..Haiin'8 design, 1 wai riot;so subluoaryi, Hungry I ccrtain-Irwas.flnd ccrtain-Irwas.flnd my first care, being, to provide 'dinner, and not wishing to duturb toy bcantlful.duckpoud, J searched the river flatrr for wild geese. 'This proved literally a wild goose chase. As usual with game, iU, willingness, to be ,ahot seemed Inversely as its value., lle-ctitcrlng the limber, to bunt tmnller.nnd surer quarry, what was my astonishment at beholding, winding along a cow-trail, a gravo orderly procession of these very wild geese, following fol-lowing after a middle-aged, severe looking look-ing woman, who was leading them to-wards to-wards a Roaring. j- "Why' madam, yoa- seem Able to he-witch he-witch those niiitnals, I have been trying all tho morning to get within a, mile at theni,iVi "Wall, my boy rjnshcd'' 'round among 'em and canght.these ohc way or another;. I'brit'tg m bp'Cvcry rilght to ' fcedrV'Ti account of 'possohis arid" coons, -which' Is mighty bad among the poultry, 1 reckon you're n prcacber," ' " -. "NotyeU"- " "I thought yoitwas a preacher, sure;: yon look likii, one. You.aln'tra doctor?," So" "Walk inand take a chair. My old man'apoorly.. llalms s,tojiped.workVvc.r since ia,sf fidl, ond'this spring the garden was toot dowit'wititkoklc-burrs and dock, Und'tiie and my littles girl's'-beeircntUb Steamboat, wood, but th.ojfteainboats,dqit't riin.rauch-iiow th.r ain't been no rise these two months. Jane, drtvo them hogs away from the stwy (stew). " 1 don't knor what 111 do If Ihnr ftlut no steamboat toon. 1 want to go tip" town, l)d, to gct toma groterieV "What seems to be tho matter with yonr- huibandj" "FeVeriiager," "Fe Oh, the fever and ague. Yes, I understand." "Oh, It'sosie here, is ferernagcr, you'd better believe! You might almost cut it in chunks, I thought my old man would a pegged out last uight; but he lioTdj on wonderful 1" "You don't mean to say he's dying!" "I don't mean nothing shorter. And I'm monghty sorry to lose hini, too. He ciaared ult this field back of the hoae, and them two' Oelds in tho bottom, 'He kept three, acres ngoin to Joe Stebbins' one, but he warn't a patcheti' to Joe at cuttln' limber. Poor Joe! I buried him in fhc fur corner of tho turnip patch.'1 "Yoitbtiticdiiim- " '. ".Married iilru cine year, and buried him the next, ''WJmt didhe die 00" 5 . yevefn'ager." I was shocked, at the mechanical man-tier man-tier mid facile emphasis (diminishing with geometrical rapidity towards. $be last syllable) with which she uttered this fearful word. "Joa waren't much at hoin'jtmt bt could kuock spots out a things with an aXe, He could cut mora steamboat -rood in one day than Hill Sparks could cot lu a week." "And who was Bill Sparks?" asked J with a dread preseutimcnt. "Hill, was, a husband of mine, too. Ho had money, Itill bad, and ho entered .two forties of upland, and bought four head 0' cattle. Yendcrs two of 'cm now, I'm goiu' to take 'em up bu the next boat to swap for groceries," "Did Mr. Sparks die, toot" "Now yoq don't think Pd gone and 1 got.niarried and Wm alWej ' 0' course he djedi- Ho wofitook' down sudden ketchin' ! driftwood. My toy ran home about It, atuT 1 .wenpow'n with Jane, and we r packed blnito he house, andrna'bx him , as comfortable ns we could; but it warqVi 1 no use." "Fever and agne, I suppose?" r Fcvernagtr? You'd a sed so If y on'v i nrseen bira8hake I gate. Wm aU?tb ; qolniae-Jlhere was in the "kubbirdaMt then sent Jane to Mr. Skeggses to briftf -. i.ii,. 1 1 1 .1x111 11. 1 1 11 1 ' in lha quinine U, i, and til njmf boefc Ho tvent ott beaccabtei and his last worcHwM, Where's Jimmy?" , 1 "Meaning yotfHttiqboyt" ' , fNos Jimy Saad ray husband .beroro blin. Tltey had been grtat. friends, hd I-tWak I-tWak poor Billy mast . eert' his fpWt, for tho owl, was ft whoopiiiV awful, that night tfew Jimmy" Sabds, and that ere mat 1 (tfiare)j whose head li hAW oytt d thcorn-crib, is thb same mar he, married mo bffefr" j ' . J, " ' "Married yoii off honebackF ''Well, ybu'd say so If Jbtt'd 'secrf ..; U'was wbeb I lived 'down on 8toney,;at tbo crossing with Sal.- Bat sbb. hcern some one a hOtcrifiand .shakinMlie JgnW one ulghV, and thlnktn it was, jest sbtoo stranger Wantlii' to' gO tdlWj'' 1t "'P. she never minded; bntVthe noise kept on so that tit list she Tf'olieo he'r head ont of the dividing and asked whatWns wnntinV V'Arc'tbats'hny. ybnng 'gnls' here :as wants tb git married? I'trt goin' down to ths.riv.elr bottbm, I nmS'to'live in th ' timber; I got a mar and ii mule1, ami i lots or traps, and. L' don't-'ask nothiu' til tnh but plain cookin' and kcrrec.t be 1 liavlor' a . . '-''!-"' "V v" -Jane ,'ia'ys SJ,;rwhat'do ymi sayf 1 "SX 'i'tri'willlff'seflV'but 1 eatj'l ' be married wtthbht'a preacher'.' ; ' 'lib says tharM preacher' 6vit thai - fffthUnV t . - V V' ' ' 'Ask him if ItVJIf, Skcggs; I WOft V b'bWarricd liy nobody, b'btiriSkeggs,!" " YeV, lis hltb,' -. ' ' ' "Well 1 strqck"a'lij,difcandTinV'on'rty SiVnday dr'goodn mighty qitfck SaT,Hhe carHwi out. a fryiipnn 6Vgr-wU! a "tagifot candle, arid wq tako up Sbl uncle, bid man. Solomon, ami sb I-got marrletl. fJim atid I had to jiiio liatnl, and lie on'the marj.bo.couldn't get 'down bu account sof the fuKtiture H'ttiu things bcln' littched all arbund Mroi' "'- ;-,- "But Ts .thls MrVSkeggs a rfguhir clergyniahfl'' V.i " ' f "O, reg'la't.btiilt'. b'ftnd Jimm mct: together at the' -Crossing and. It was' him recotriiitenicd me. ' Hegot a sight b' tin forhe jbWtoo,"; I :J ; "A large sum wa,itl"" "It wa'rtr't in mbheyj-U WJisin tin caps Jimmy' paid him. with,'' Jimmy peddled tin" cup around tfiekentry, and had tti doxcti left. 'Mr; Bkeggs put 'em- round his neck iti'a st'rlrigirirld we heard 'era rati tlin on' tlieprnlrie U'Vnllc off." "Wt'ltrinndafii, 1 did: iiairt some idea of Jiving- down' in-the'- bottom myself,-but"-- ' . ' ; ? "DoTn inthe bottom P What, rimong them poods of wate'rp J fee yob' livin' here.-- A pbnndnof q'nlnlue a minute wbiihih't'keep youalives tab'lys. 1f yoit want a good; buildin'lbt, tllar my" two forties til sellera ch'cap-a dollar' and a-half an acre."- ' "J ora'tibt certain, after what yotj have related, that 1 should lire long even in ths aplands." . 'tot trltlmnt yott was ttscd to itj ybtt couldn't. Some can stand it, and omif can't Now there nn old gentleman, np to town that 1 think mlftbt stand It a couple of years anyhow; Squiro Spring, 1 j reckon you know him; he's got a splendid wagon and t'eatb, and they 1I0 say he's got buiilrcd lAad o'hogn. lYcm never hcerd,didVon?T ' Could the woman -possibly wean to Compass the deliberate-mnrder of Squire Spring? I wanted nothing further to hasten roy departure; -The shades of evening were falling fast -.tbs owl.lmd ntrendy begun to utter his long-drawn,-, rightful .cry,- a 'mingled whopp and Jiowl niid;..f ccelving a few dircctlons;as,to, my nearest way to Ii ,. I rapidly "left niy pewly-chosen residence to rearward,' debating withiq. ..myself whether or.no It, was my duty "ot0t Inform the anthoritfea ofv tlio" .cxistcupo'-ol this horrible. hnban,d trap; , t |